The Louis Mailloux Affair, a series of riots in Caraquet in 1875, deepened divisions between Francophone Acadians and Anglophone authorities in New Brunswick.
Key Facts
- Date of shootout
- January 27, 1875
- Deaths in shootout
- 2 (John Gifford and Louis Mailloux)
- Triggering legislation
- Law 87 (1871), New Brunswick school reform
- Location
- Caraquet, New Brunswick, Canada
- Legal outcome
- All charges dropped; accused set free
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
In 1871, New Brunswick enacted Law 87 to reform public education, sparking the New Brunswick Schools Question. This created political turmoil across the province for four years. In Caraquet, opposition was especially strong among the Francophone Acadian population, whose precarious economic situation was aggravated by the dominance of Anglophone merchants.
In January 1875, a series of riots and demonstrations broke out in Caraquet. Police, militia, and eventually the army intervened. On January 27, a shootout at André Albert's house resulted in the deaths of John Gifford and Louis Mailloux. A rushed investigation was followed by multiple trials addressing the riots and Gifford's death, while largely ignoring Mailloux's.
All charges stemming from the affair were eventually dropped and the accused were freed, but the events deeply divided the province along linguistic and religious lines. More than a century later the affair remains controversial and continues to provoke debate. It has become a significant element of Acadian cultural identity, inspiring numerous musical and theatrical works.