1600s: 100 French families were established in Acadia.

1713: France ceded Acadia to Britain and Acadia became known as Nova Scotia.

1754: The French and Indian War began and the British government, doubting the neutrality of the Acadians, demanded that they take an oath of allegiance to the British monarch. Since the oath required renouncing a key article of the Acadians' Roman Catholic faith, most refused.

1755: The lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia ordered the mass deportation of Acadians.

1755-1763: In what is known as the Great Expulsion, about 10,000 Acadians were expelled from the colony.

1762: France ceded the colony to Spain in just before Acadians began settling in Louisiana.

1785: Five ships sailed to New Orleans with over 1600 Acadians, over half the total that came to Louisiana. The Spanish proved to be hospitable, permitting the Acadians to continue to speak their language, practice Roman Catholicism and otherwise pursue their livelihoods with minimal interference. The Cajuns who settled in southern Louisiana originally did so in the area just west of what is now New Orleans, mainly along the Mississippi River. Later, they were moved by the colonial government to areas west and southwest of New Orleans. There they remained somewhat secluded until the early 1900's.

Early 1900s: Attempts were made to suppress Cajun culture by measures such as forbidding the use of French in schools. On an unrelated note, the accordion was introduced to Louisiana around this time. This was also when oil was discovered in Louisiana. This was when Acadians became known as Cajuns, because the Texan oil boom workers shortened the word “Acadian” to “Cajun.”

World War II: Cajuns often served as French interpreters for American forces in France. These experiences helped change attitudes as the century progressed.

1964: Dewey Balfa played the prestigious Newport Folk Festival on the same stage as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, receiving a standing ovation from an audience of thousands. This inspired Balfa to campaign for the preservation and promotion of Cajun music.

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