Step back in time to 1713! The French came to Louisbourg , after ceding Acadia and Newfoundland to the British by the terms of the Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession. France’s only remaining possessions in what is now Atlantic Canada were the islands of Cape Breton and Prince Edward.
The French used these islands as a base to continue the lucrative cod fishery off the Grand Banks. Fish, preserved by salting and drying, was an important foodstuff in Europe.
In 1719, the French began to construct a fortified town at Louisbourg. The town and settlement along the harbour shore soon became a thriving community and developed into an important center of merchant trade.
Ocean going vessels from France, the West Indies, and Canada as well as coastal ships from New England and Acadia used Louisbourg as a trade and shipping center.
Fishermen built their sod cottages on the outskirts of the Fortress.
They built their homes to be as insulated as possible against the cold northerly winds of winter, with a floor comprised of dirt and horse manure and coated with animal blood to make it hard enough to be swept. Always existing with the fear of war, the families living in these sod cottages, put no more money than necessary into their homes, 
realizing that if the town was attacked, they would need to leave their homes and move inside the Fortress walls, burning their homes so the enemy could not utilize them.
The 1500 soldiers, for the most part, were militia men who were paid to go to Louisbourg
to build the Fortress and settlement.
They worked 24 hour shifts on guard duty 
and then were off for 48 hours. During these 48 hours, they were paid additional monies to do whatever was needed to build the settlement. Looks like George is already in trouble! The barracks housed 8 beds per room which slept 24 men. Two men slept in a bed at a time while the third man was on duty. The blankets and straw mattresses became smelly and moldy due to the wet weather and it was necessary to hang them out to dry each day.
The King’s Bastion, in its day was the largest building in North America. It was 365 feet long
and housed the soldier’s barracks, the Governor’s apartments and the chapel. 
It was fortified by additional stone walls with a large center area. Surrounded by ramparts, it was a fort within a fortress. One might think that the fortress would be prepared for any onslaught. Yet while the harbour was well defended with batteries placed at the lighthouse 
and the small island just to the right of it, the land defenses were made up of a series of low hills.
The first attack came in 1745 following a declaration of war between Britain and France. The New Englanders mounted an assault on Louisbourg and within 46 days of the invasion, the fortress was captured and the French inhabitants were sent back to France. To the chagrin of the New Englanders, three years later, the town was given back to France by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. Once again the French returned from France to Louisbourg, but their freedom was besieged a second time just ten years later in 1758. Without a strong navy to patrol the sea beyond its walls, Louisbourg was impossible to defend. A British army captured the fortress in six weeks. Though the British did not want the fortress, they were determined that the French would not have it again and the fortifications were blown up in 1760-61.
In 1961, the Government of Canada began a $25 million dollar project aimed at reconstructing approximately ¼ of the original town and fortifications. Within this area the buildings, yards, gardens and streets were being recreated as they were during the 1740’s, immediately preceding Louisbourg’s first siege. Archaelogical excavation has yielded millions of artifacts and is ongoing today.
Some 750,000 pages of documents and 500 maps and plans have been copied from archives in France, England, Scotland, the United States and Canada to reveal historical evidence of life at Louisbourg. 
One of the homes, built by Joseph Douglas, an Acadian carpenter and trader was built as a duplex in 1723.
He later took full possession and lived there with his wife, nine children and a slave. The timber framed building with vertical log infill is typical of many Louisbourg houses.
As we walked these streets, the sights and sounds of the 18th century came alive as we met the
citizens of Louisbourg.
Dozens of costumed animators become the town’s residents during the summer of 1744.
The drummers had a definite job several times a day. They woke the soldiers up, told them 
when it was time for them to go off duty, and when it was time to sleep. The sounds of the muskets and cannons 
were unfamiliar to our ears, but we could understand how important these instruments were to the lives of the people who lived during that time. Some of the information amazed us. Public punishment for stealing liquor was handled by marching the thief down the streets of the settlement and then putting him in the neck chain for several hours a day for a week.
The Black Rum was a good buy as it was reputed to be 75% over proof! If a visiting sailor or captain from one of the trading vessels wanted a drink, he had only to look at the signs above the establishments. If they were covered with pine boughs, liquor was served there
. Also, as several buildings were built with the King’s money, they were identified by having the fleurs de lis symbol on top of the building. 
We thoroughly enjoyed the day and felt that this was one of the best reconstructions we have ever visited. So, if you are in Nova Scotia, stop in at the Fortress of Louisbourg and live, if only for a day, in the year 1744!!
The French used these islands as a base to continue the lucrative cod fishery off the Grand Banks. Fish, preserved by salting and drying, was an important foodstuff in Europe. In 1719, the French began to construct a fortified town at Louisbourg. The town and settlement along the harbour shore soon became a thriving community and developed into an important center of merchant trade. Ocean going vessels from France, the West Indies, and Canada as well as coastal ships from New England and Acadia used Louisbourg as a trade and shipping center.Fishermen built their sod cottages on the outskirts of the Fortress.
They built their homes to be as insulated as possible against the cold northerly winds of winter, with a floor comprised of dirt and horse manure and coated with animal blood to make it hard enough to be swept. Always existing with the fear of war, the families living in these sod cottages, put no more money than necessary into their homes, realizing that if the town was attacked, they would need to leave their homes and move inside the Fortress walls, burning their homes so the enemy could not utilize them.The 1500 soldiers, for the most part, were militia men who were paid to go to Louisbourg
to build the Fortress and settlement. They worked 24 hour shifts on guard duty and then were off for 48 hours. During these 48 hours, they were paid additional monies to do whatever was needed to build the settlement. Looks like George is already in trouble! The barracks housed 8 beds per room which slept 24 men. Two men slept in a bed at a time while the third man was on duty. The blankets and straw mattresses became smelly and moldy due to the wet weather and it was necessary to hang them out to dry each day.The King’s Bastion, in its day was the largest building in North America. It was 365 feet long
and housed the soldier’s barracks, the Governor’s apartments and the chapel. It was fortified by additional stone walls with a large center area. Surrounded by ramparts, it was a fort within a fortress. One might think that the fortress would be prepared for any onslaught. Yet while the harbour was well defended with batteries placed at the lighthouse and the small island just to the right of it, the land defenses were made up of a series of low hills.The first attack came in 1745 following a declaration of war between Britain and France. The New Englanders mounted an assault on Louisbourg and within 46 days of the invasion, the fortress was captured and the French inhabitants were sent back to France. To the chagrin of the New Englanders, three years later, the town was given back to France by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. Once again the French returned from France to Louisbourg, but their freedom was besieged a second time just ten years later in 1758. Without a strong navy to patrol the sea beyond its walls, Louisbourg was impossible to defend. A British army captured the fortress in six weeks. Though the British did not want the fortress, they were determined that the French would not have it again and the fortifications were blown up in 1760-61.
In 1961, the Government of Canada began a $25 million dollar project aimed at reconstructing approximately ¼ of the original town and fortifications. Within this area the buildings, yards, gardens and streets were being recreated as they were during the 1740’s, immediately preceding Louisbourg’s first siege. Archaelogical excavation has yielded millions of artifacts and is ongoing today.
Some 750,000 pages of documents and 500 maps and plans have been copied from archives in France, England, Scotland, the United States and Canada to reveal historical evidence of life at Louisbourg. One of the homes, built by Joseph Douglas, an Acadian carpenter and trader was built as a duplex in 1723.
He later took full possession and lived there with his wife, nine children and a slave. The timber framed building with vertical log infill is typical of many Louisbourg houses.As we walked these streets, the sights and sounds of the 18th century came alive as we met the
citizens of Louisbourg. Dozens of costumed animators become the town’s residents during the summer of 1744. The drummers had a definite job several times a day. They woke the soldiers up, told them 
when it was time for them to go off duty, and when it was time to sleep. The sounds of the muskets and cannons were unfamiliar to our ears, but we could understand how important these instruments were to the lives of the people who lived during that time. Some of the information amazed us. Public punishment for stealing liquor was handled by marching the thief down the streets of the settlement and then putting him in the neck chain for several hours a day for a week. The Black Rum was a good buy as it was reputed to be 75% over proof! If a visiting sailor or captain from one of the trading vessels wanted a drink, he had only to look at the signs above the establishments. If they were covered with pine boughs, liquor was served there. Also, as several buildings were built with the King’s money, they were identified by having the fleurs de lis symbol on top of the building. We thoroughly enjoyed the day and felt that this was one of the best reconstructions we have ever visited. So, if you are in Nova Scotia, stop in at the Fortress of Louisbourg and live, if only for a day, in the year 1744!!
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