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Port Royal Essay

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Port Royal was one of the first settlements established in British North America. Located in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, the settlement was founded by the explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1605 (Parks Canada 2011). It is obvious that the geography of the location was essential in its being chosen for the fort. The land on which the fort was built is flat, but on a peninsula, so one could see any invaders approaching by water. Port Royal is located on the Annapolis River of the Annapolis Basin in the Bay of Fundy. Because the fort was on the water, both the shipping and fishing industries were supported. The water of the nearby Allains River also both supported and powered a grain mill (Parks Canada 2011). The heavy forestation of the …show more content…

This could give the settlers time to either evacuate or prepare for battle. The original settlers had to rely on themselves for protection – they had their own gun powder magazine - but they lost possession of the fort less than ten years after they had first established it (Nova Scotia Canada 2016). For a second line of defense, the British began to build Fort Anne along the very high hills at the entrance to the Annapolis Basin in 1629, and the fort was added to by the French in 1943 (Nova Scotia Canada 2016). The armories themselves were partially concealed by the tall hills surrounding them, but cannons sat at the top of the hills. Any attacker would have to pass the fort in order to get to the settlement, and it was highly unlikely that any fleet would. The changes in possession of the settlement were political, not due to invasions after the construction of the fort. Fort Anne is located relatively near the settlement - a fourteen minute car drive today.
Obviously, the geography of the settlement of Port Royal ensured its survival until well into the 1700s. Although occupied by different countries, and even undergoing rebuilding, the location was essential in its creation, and provided the settlers with food, industry, and

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