For forty years, that is from 1700 to -1740, the Acadians pretty much ignored changes taking place in North America while the tensions were increasing between the French and the English as they battled for control of the continent. Even after the British conquest of Nova Scotia in 1710, the Acadians who had managed to remain neutral, pretty much went on with life as usual and with narry an interruption from the life they knew.
France never really lent a great deal of help nor support to the Acadians. Again in 1713, when the war between the English and the French officially ended, one more time, France sacrificed Acadia and its population when the Treaty of Utrecht was signed. Control of Acadia and Newfoundland was given to the English while France retained control of only Ile-Royale/Cape Breton Island and Ile Saint-Jean/Prince Edward Island. Nova Scotia was the new name given this land formerly known as Acadia and Port-Royal would become Annapolis Royal, renamed so in honor of Queen Anne of England.
Between 1719 through 1730, the Acadians had taken oaths of loyalty to the British throne which had given them a verbal assurance of neutrality and included the promise not to have to bear arms against the French - their countrymen - and the Micmaw. Though likely supported and intervened by the French priests, the neutrality the Acadians adhered to was likely of their own doing. The British referred to the Acadians as the "Neutral French" or as "the Neutrals" and they were spoken of or referred to in this manner even in the American colonies. In 1755,this position of total neutrality in the face of great British adversaries who disliked them, and who would do anything to win the English view in this matter, would lead to the demise of the Acadians.
Within the next few years there was a significant change in the position of the Acadians. Because of their neutrality, neither the English nor the French now trusted the Acadians. The time came when the Acadians were faced with having to choose one side or the other.
During the 18th century, England legally excluded Roman Catholics from public office. The religion of the King of England was the religion that all English must follow and this religion was Anglican. According to Naomi Griffiths in The Contexts of Acadian History 1688-1784:
. . . the absorption of Nova Scotia with its Acadian population into the British
empire posed, at first sight, no great or novel problems. London had already
coped with people living at the end of long lines of communications and inclined
to riot for their vision of political liberty, the other British North American
colonies. However, the particular combination of the specific language and
religious beliefs of the Acadians with the political geography of the colony was
about to demand flexibility of mind and vision from its new administrators, for
the Acadians were on the British imperial territory and linked to another power
in that area by language and religion.
The British population grew between 1749 through 1755. This created quite a bit of tension for the Acadians. In fact, tensions ran so high on both sides that the English built one fort after another so as to counteract the French presence in Nova Scotia. It was an outward attempt to flex their muscles as the dominant and only landlord of this land! The English worked hard to outdo the French.
Because of its location, the English wanted Nova Scotia to be theirs. From here, the Acadians could easily connect with their French counterparts in Québec and the rich fishing banks were easily accessible. The Governor of Massachusetts, William Shirley, knew that this area was the only direct link to Québec by sea and it would also be the link to take the English ships from Massachusetts to the Louisbourg Fortress on Ile Royale/Cape Breton Island.