Exploration and Settlement of the Northeastern United States
the eastern edge of the United States and international boundary with Canada . Alliances between the French and Wabanahki in defending their territory significantly affected the geography of Maine , which had been a District of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts .
Downeast Acadia is the origin of French settlement in the nation . In 1604 Pierre Dugas ( also known as Sieur de Monts ) established the first settlement at the mouth of the St . Croix River . After that first hard winter , settlers developed relationships with the Wabanahki , who shared knowledge and resources which helped them survive . Inland and coastal waterways , long-standing transportation routes of the Wabanahki , enabled further settlement by Europeans .
Downeast communities played critical roles in settling the nation and then defending the emerging nation ’ s independence from the British . Battles fought on the coast of Downeast Maine were key to defining
Downeast Maine is of significant importance as a basepoint for early navigation , mapping , and surveying . Water routes provided the method to explore and map inland through Maine and Canada , and along the eastern seaboard . The easternmost and only remaining Geodetic Survey Baseline Road continues to be used as a primary travel route through the wild blueberry barrens . The Calais Observatory enabled the first successful transatlantic telegraphic longitude determination and helped establish worldwide longitude values , affecting all nations . A string of lighthouses marked the way for safe maritime navigation along the rocky , often fog-bound coast . Twenty-six lighthouses remain , roughly 1 / 3 of all lighthouses in Maine ; some are accessible to the public .
Battle of the Rim ( above ) - Battles fought on the coast of Downeast Maine were key to defining the eastern edge of the United States and international boundary with Canada . Alliances between the French and Wabanahki in defending their territory significantly affected the geography of Maine , which had been a District of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts . After the Battle of the Margaretta , Great Britain attempted to destroy Machias in revenge for the capture of HMS Margaretta . Patriots , with the aid of Passamaquoddy , Maliseet , and Penobscot warriors , harassed and attacked the British , forcing their retreat . A living history group in the Machias area re-enacts the Battle of the Rim , including several ancestors of actual battle participants . Photo by RJ Heller .
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