When did French colonists (Acadians) begin settling in Maritime provinces?

Discover Canada records this in one direct sentence. The guide writes: The Acadians are the descendants of French colonists who began settling in what are now the Maritime provinces in 1604. The year the test wants is therefore 1604.

1604 is foundational. Discover Canada commits Acadian settlement to a precise year — 1604 — predating English settlement of the same region by years. The guide writes elsewhere: "In 1604, the first European settlement north of Florida was established by French explorers Pierre de Monts and Samuel de Champlain, first on St. Croix Island (in present-day Maine), then at Port-Royal, in Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia)." So 1604 marks both the start of Acadian settlement AND the first European settlement north of Florida.

The 1604 date is part of the 400-year framework. Discover Canada writes that "for 400 years, settlers and immigrants have contributed to the diversity and richness of our country." Counting 400 years back from the present places the foundational year close to 1604 — making the Acadian arrival the start of the broader Canadian settlement story.

The Acadians had a difficult history. Discover Canada writes that "between 1755 and 1763, during the war between Britain and France, more than two-thirds of the Acadians were deported from their homeland. Despite this ordeal, known as the 'Great Upheaval,' the Acadians survived and maintained their unique identity. Today, Acadian culture is flourishing and is a lively part of French-speaking Canada." So the 1604 settlement led to a 150-year period of continuous Acadian life before the wartime deportation, then a long recovery — making the Acadian community one of Canada's oldest continuously-rooted French-speaking communities. The guide also notes that "New Brunswick is the only officially bilingual province" and that "Moncton is the principal Francophone Acadian centre" — meaning the Acadian heritage that began with French settlement in 1604 continues to define New Brunswick today. So when the test asks when Acadians began settling, the source-precise answer is the year the guide names: 1604.

The question is testing whether new citizens know when Acadians began settling in the Maritime provinces. Discover Canada commits to one year: 1604. The right test answer matches that.

The wrong answer choices each pick a different year. The first option is more than a century before 1604 — too early for the Maritime-province Acadian settlement. The third option is over a century too late. The fourth option is two centuries too late. Only 1604 — the year the source explicitly names — matches.