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Rh doughty New Englanders was the first to give them confidence in their power to ultimately free the colonies from British domination. George III, who held Louisbourg four years, or until the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, gave it back to France in exchange for the island of Madras. The fortress and town of Halifax were established in 1749 on Chebucto Bay, the site having been chosen at the instance of the Massachusetts colony following the well-planned but poorly executed attempt of d'Anville's fleet to attack the coast of New England with this harbour as a base.

During the years 1751—3 a company of German immigrants were allotted a free tract of land on the coast below Halifax, where the town of Lunenburg was founded. The same year the seat of British North American government was transferred from Annapolis to Halifax.

In 1755 occurred the final eviction of the French Neutrals, the Acadians who refused to bear arms for their British over-lords but who wished also not to be drawn into the cause of the French soldiery and their Indian allies.

As their enemies across the border of Cape Breton ceaselessly harassed and elsewhere showed themselves hostile, the English resolved upon a conclusive blow. In the year 1758 Louisbourg was re-taken, Wolfe being chief in command. Cape Breton was annexed to Nova Scotia in 1763,