ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvənhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti fˈoːɹ, ˈæftɚ ðə ɡɹˈænd dˈeɪɹeɪndʒmənt hæd ˈɛɡzaɪld θˈaʊzəndz ʌv ɐkˈeɪdiənz fɹʌm ðɛɹ nˈɔːɹðɚn hˈoʊmləndz, ðɛɹwˌʌz ɐn ɐtˈɛmpt baɪ fɹˈɛntʃ ɐθˈɔːɹɪɾiz tə sˈɛɾəl ðˌɛm æt mˈoʊlsˈeɪntnˈɪkələz, tə ʃˈoːɹ ˌʌp fɹˈænsᵻz mˈoʊst lˈuːkɹətˌɪv kˈɑːləni ʌv sˈeɪntdˈoʊmɪŋ ænd bˈɪld ɐ bˈeɪs ðæt kʊd biː jˈuːzd baɪ ðə fɹˈɛntʃ nˈeɪvi.
In 1764, after the Grand Dérangement had exiled thousands of Acadians from their northern homelands, there was an attempt by French authorities to settle them at Môle-Saint-Nicolas, to shore up France's most lucrative colony of Saint-Domingue and build a base that could be used by the French Navy.