Expulsions of the Acadians vs The Walking Dead

**SPOILERS FOR THE WALKING DEAD SEASON 2 AND 3**

When I think of the Expulsion of the Acadians, it reminds me of season 3 of the Walking Dead. To fully understand why I think of The Walking Dead, we must understand and review both events and what happened.

Expulsions of the Acadians

When the French surrendered and signed the Treaty of Utrecht, the English gained most of the French’s land which included a colony covering Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the coast of St. Lawrence called Acadia. The French colonists of Acadia were now forced to accept Britain as their ruler. They swore their allegiance and were told they wouldn’t have to fight in a war against France. In 1754, Charles Lawrence became governor of Nova Scotia and wanted the Acadians to become “Fully British” (He wanted to reduce French culture, language and have them be willing to fight against France in war). The Acadians refused his terms in 1755. The Acadians were forced out and their homes and farms were burnt.

The Walking Dead

At the end of Season 2, Rick and the group abandoned the Greene Farm which had become overrun with walkers. 8 months later, he leads the group to a prison complex which they clear of walkers and make a home out of since Lori (Rick’s pregnant wife) is nearing term and needs somewhere safe to deliver the baby. Two members of Rick’s group are captured by the Governor who is the leader of a nearby community Woodbury. The two are interrogated for information about Rick’s group and the prison using torturous methods. The group plans an attack, rescues the two prisoners and stabs the Governor in one eye. The Governor offers peace if Rick hands over a member of his group, Michonne, who is viewed as a valuable asset. Rick declines the offer. The Governor launches a full attack on the prison but Rick and his group manages to fight them off but both sides lose valuable people in the battle.

Obviously, there are some very big similarities and some others that you really need to look for. In both stories there is a dictator or someone who believes they are the best and are in charge. In Acadia, Charles Lawrence was the governor and took control of the Acadians and in the Walking Dead, the Governor was much more of a dictator than a leader as he claimed to be. Both dictators had demands, Lawrence wanted the Acadians to become fully British whereas the Governor wanted Michonne. Both groups denied the offers of peace because of their moral values and beliefs. The Acadians cared more about their culture and lifestyle than their homes and Rick cared more about his group than their safety. A small difference is that the group in TWD put up a huge fight and sacrificed people in order to keep the prison and Michonne but the Acadians didn’t put up as much as a fight. I’m sure they tried to protect their farms and homes but not on the same level as the group from the show.

In the end, they are quite a few similarities to the Expulsion of the Acadians and the Walking Dead. Is it really fair to compare history to a TV show? No, not really but it’s important that we remember our history and it is quite interesting to see media take inspiration from history even if it is just a coincidence.

By: Kelsey Ainscough