New England forces under William Phips captured Acadia's capital in 1690, shifting colonial power and straining Anglo-Acadian relations for decades.
Key Facts
- Date
- 19 May 1690
- Acadian garrison size
- 70 soldiers
- Acadian cannon (not deployed)
- 18 cannon
- New England commander
- Sir William Phips
- Outcome
- Acadian surrender without resistance; town plundered
- Capital relocated to
- Fort Nashwaak on the Saint John River
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following Wabanaki Confederacy raids on New England settlements—coordinated from Fort Meductic in Acadia in retaliation for the sack of Pentagouet—merchants of Salem and Boston organized a subscription, and the Massachusetts government launched a military campaign against Acadian settlements in spring 1690.
On 19 May 1690, a large New England provincial force under Sir William Phips arrived at Port Royal, the capital of Acadia. Governor Menneval had only 70 soldiers, 18 undeployed cannon, and an unfinished fortification. Facing impossible odds, Menneval surrendered without resistance, after which the New Englanders plundered the town and fort, alleging Acadian violations of surrender terms.
The brutal plunder deeply alienated Acadians from their English-speaking neighbors and eroded trust, complicating future relations. Governor Menneval was replaced by Joseph de Villebon, who relocated Acadia's capital to Fort Nashwaak on the Saint John River to improve defenses and better coordinate attacks on New England with Indigenous allies at Fort Meductic.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Sir William Phips.
Side B
1 belligerent
Louis-Alexandre des Friches de Menneval.