Books by Gregory Kennedy
""This comparative study offers a new and compelling analysis of the characteristics of two Frenc... more ""This comparative study offers a new and compelling analysis of the characteristics of two French rural societies – the Loudunais, a frontier region of western France, and Acadie, a frontier colony of New France. The choice of the Loudunais is particularly important because many of Acadie’s founding families originated there. Based on a thorough examination of archival evidence on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as responding to the appropriate Acadian and French historiographies, the author examines in turn the natural environment of each society, the political and military environment, the economy, the characteristics of seigneurialism, and local governance.
The main argument is that similarities between Acadian rural society and traditional rural life in western France have been greatly underestimated or ignored. These include a hierarchical society that actively negotiated state demands, significant market involvement, and a seigneurie which remained important not as a feudal remnant but because it was adapting to a modernizing economy. Rather than showing the Acadians as living in a healthier, more liberated, and more egalitarian society through leaving France, the study demonstrates a more nuanced pattern by which Acadian society was indeed distinctive but also shared many of its characteristics with other rural societies that had their own sources of both stability and vulnerability.
This book’s innovative use of primary sources and its challenge to conventional interpretations about identity and agency will draw readers interested in early Acadian, Canadian, and French history as well as, more broadly, those whose interests span the Atlantic World.
""
Papers by Gregory Kennedy
Co-auteurs : Alain Otis et Teresa Turgeon. Traduction en français du journal de campagne de Jerem... more Co-auteurs : Alain Otis et Teresa Turgeon. Traduction en français du journal de campagne de Jeremiah Bancroft, officier subalterne présent lors de la déportation à Grand Pré en Acadie, 1755.
Proceedings of the Western Society For French History, 2008
Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History, 2012
Who were the enumerators and to what degree were they representative of the wider Ontario populat... more Who were the enumerators and to what degree were they representative of the wider Ontario population in 1891? What potential influence did the selection of enumerators have on the accuracy and bias of the census returns? We address these questions by considering the residence and socioeconomic characteristics of Ontario enumerators, as identified in their own census returns, in relation to
De plus en plus, les experts ont cherché à intégrer l’histoire acadienne dans le cadre des études... more De plus en plus, les experts ont cherché à intégrer l’histoire acadienne dans le cadre des études françaises et atlantiques. Toujours une colonie frontalière, l’Acadie n’est plus une colonie à la périphérie des débats scientifiques. Cet essai fera la synthèse de plusieurs ouvrages récents afin de présenter cette tendance et d’expliquer ses qualités et ses limites. Dans leur ensemble, ces ouvrages montrent les diverses problématiques et la grande variété des approches méthodologiques s’appliquant au domaine de l’histoire acadienne. Qui plus est, ces ouvrages redonnent aux Acadiens leur place dans le monde atlantique concret de l’époque moderne ainsi que dans le monde atlantique conceptuel de l’historiographie actuelle.
Active History blog on the use of digital technology in the classroom
A summary of a recent paper given as part of a round table on Canada's Foreign Policy and Defence... more A summary of a recent paper given as part of a round table on Canada's Foreign Policy and Defence Challenges at the Université de Moncton
Revue d'histoire de l'Amérique française Vol 66, 2 (2012): 147-176, Jan 1, 2014
This article proposes a new interpretation of a controversial and important figure of early Acadi... more This article proposes a new interpretation of a controversial and important figure of early Acadian history, Charles de Menou, on the basis of an analysis of historical documents relating to his parents and family. It shows that while Charles was certainly typical of the old nobility in his general outlook and attitudes, he broke with family expectations and became estranged from his father as a result of his career in Acadia. Although Charles helped lay the foundation for a permanent colony, he also left a legacy of financial ruin and damaged reputation for his widow and children. Despite his hope that he had established a new family estate in Acadia, none of his children stayed in the colony and, in fact, they all died without leaving children of their own.
Journal of Family History, Jul 1, 2012
This article proposes combining traditional family reconstitution methods using parish registers ... more This article proposes combining traditional family reconstitution methods using parish registers with the notary documents found in the Contrôle des Actes in early modern France. This approach enables the construction of detailed life histories that can combine and link demographic events with economic transactions and provide new insights into life course, socioeconomic hierarchy, and migration. While certain trends connected to life course events can be discerned, peasant experience was diverse and varied and heads of household actively invested, consolidated, or moved in response to their particular circumstances. These were practical decisions based on the multiple options available in their community and within the larger region.
Acadiensis, May 1, 2013
This article compares marshland colonization in Acadia and France during the 17th century. It be... more This article compares marshland colonization in Acadia and France during the 17th century. It begins with an analysis of why the initial attempts to colonize marshlands failed. It then compares the later, successful initiatives at Port Royal, in Acadia, and the Poitevin Marsh, in France. Although they had very different objectives and tackled very different environmental challenges, both groups effectively organized their activities and used innovation in adapting old techniques. What made Acadian marshland farming distinctive was its small scale and its dispersed, decentralized nature. Both initiatives demonstrate how successful marshland colonization was a profoundly local endeavour.
The origins of the founding group of Acadian colonists during the 1640s remain disputed. This pa... more The origins of the founding group of Acadian colonists during the 1640s remain disputed. This paper explains how historical maps helped me link some of these colonists to the Loudunais, a region of western France first proposed as a place of origin in 1959.
Encyclopédie du patrimoine culturel de l'Amérique française, 2012
Le Loudunais est une ancienne province française, actuellement située dans le département de la V... more Le Loudunais est une ancienne province française, actuellement située dans le département de la Vienne, d’où venaient certaines des premières familles de l’Acadie. Après plusieurs décennies de débat scientifique sur l’ampleur de cette migration, l’hypothèse reste controversée auprès des experts, mais est largement acceptée par les gens du Loudunais, qui tentent de conserver la mémoire des racines du peuple acadien. Une étude comparative des sociétés acadienne et loudunaise décèlent certaines ressemblances, tels que l’influence de la guerre, le rôle des représentants sélectionnés par la communauté, l’importance des sacrements de l’Église catholique et une économie basée sur l’exportation de surplus agricoles.
Teaching Documents by Gregory Kennedy
Il y a eu une véritable explosion du nombre d'études en histoire atlantique depuis les années 199... more Il y a eu une véritable explosion du nombre d'études en histoire atlantique depuis les années 1990 et ce domaine de recherche est devenu un des plus dynamiques de la discipline. À la base, il s'agit de la notion qu'une société distinctivement atlantique s'est développée graduellement pendant l'époque moderne grâce à l'expansion européenne dans le Nouveau monde. La nature de cette évolution et ses conséquences restent discutables. D'une part, certains experts mettent l'accent sur l'exploitation des Autochtones, l'esclavage des Noirs et la violence des guerres impériales. D'autre part, il est possible de souligner la création de nouvelles sociétés coloniales plus prospères, libres et égalitaires que leur antécédentes en Europe. Il est même possible de signaler la formation d'une culture occidentale encore bien vivante dans notre période contemporaine. Sur le plan géopolitique, cette culture s'exprime par l'alliance militaire OTAN et d'autres organismes internationaux. Ce cours explore le domaine de l'histoire atlantique afin de transmettre aux étudiantes et étudiants de nouvelles connaissances concernant l'époque moderne et les origines de la mondialisation ainsi que de donner une formation de base théorique pertinente à plusieurs domaines de recherche en histoire et d'autres disciplines connexes.
Talks by Gregory Kennedy
Summary of Preliminary Research Results and Methodology of an interdisciplinary research project ... more Summary of Preliminary Research Results and Methodology of an interdisciplinary research project studying the Cocagne River Watershed and the adaptation of coastal communities to environmental change. Part of a larger international project ARTISTICC (www.artisticc.net).
A comparative analysis of the management of wetland agriculture in Acadia and Poitou.
avec
- Jean-François Caron, Université de Moncton
- Jocelyn Coulon, directeur du Réseau francop... more avec
- Jean-François Caron, Université de Moncton
- Jocelyn Coulon, directeur du Réseau francophone de recherche sur les opérations de paix du CÉRIUM
- Gregory Kennedy, Université de Moncton
- Jean-François Thibault, Université de Moncton
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Books by Gregory Kennedy
The main argument is that similarities between Acadian rural society and traditional rural life in western France have been greatly underestimated or ignored. These include a hierarchical society that actively negotiated state demands, significant market involvement, and a seigneurie which remained important not as a feudal remnant but because it was adapting to a modernizing economy. Rather than showing the Acadians as living in a healthier, more liberated, and more egalitarian society through leaving France, the study demonstrates a more nuanced pattern by which Acadian society was indeed distinctive but also shared many of its characteristics with other rural societies that had their own sources of both stability and vulnerability.
This book’s innovative use of primary sources and its challenge to conventional interpretations about identity and agency will draw readers interested in early Acadian, Canadian, and French history as well as, more broadly, those whose interests span the Atlantic World.
""
Papers by Gregory Kennedy
Teaching Documents by Gregory Kennedy
Talks by Gregory Kennedy
- Jean-François Caron, Université de Moncton
- Jocelyn Coulon, directeur du Réseau francophone de recherche sur les opérations de paix du CÉRIUM
- Gregory Kennedy, Université de Moncton
- Jean-François Thibault, Université de Moncton
The main argument is that similarities between Acadian rural society and traditional rural life in western France have been greatly underestimated or ignored. These include a hierarchical society that actively negotiated state demands, significant market involvement, and a seigneurie which remained important not as a feudal remnant but because it was adapting to a modernizing economy. Rather than showing the Acadians as living in a healthier, more liberated, and more egalitarian society through leaving France, the study demonstrates a more nuanced pattern by which Acadian society was indeed distinctive but also shared many of its characteristics with other rural societies that had their own sources of both stability and vulnerability.
This book’s innovative use of primary sources and its challenge to conventional interpretations about identity and agency will draw readers interested in early Acadian, Canadian, and French history as well as, more broadly, those whose interests span the Atlantic World.
""
- Jean-François Caron, Université de Moncton
- Jocelyn Coulon, directeur du Réseau francophone de recherche sur les opérations de paix du CÉRIUM
- Gregory Kennedy, Université de Moncton
- Jean-François Thibault, Université de Moncton