1. What was life actually like in new france?
SS 9

2. The seigneurial system
Seigneurs (lords were granted land
Habitants (the peasant far mers) were allowed to farm the land
Habitants had to provide fees (rent) and services (till the seigneur’s land, be in the militia…)

4. The seigneur Had to build and live in a manor house
Settle any disputes (hold court)
Attract new settlers
Build a mill
Have an army (militia) ready in case

5. The habitants (“habs”)
Life based around the farm
Men worked the fields
Women did, too, and they also had many children to raise
Younger people worked in fur trade

6. Spring
Crops planted, sugar harvested from sugar maples
Fishing began

7. Summer Habitants weeded and tended their fields Cut wood
Cleared wasteland

8. Fall Harvest time – crops were gathered
Animals slaughtered & preserved for winter eating

9. Winter A lot of down time
Singing, dancing, & story- telling popular pastimes
Some winter trapping/fishing, but not a lot
hauling water from the river for bathing, cooking, and drinking was an ongoing task
Chopping wood was also a regular job

10. Food Habitants ate well (unlike many back home in France)
Four meals a day
Pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, and some cows raised on farms
Milk, butter, cheese
Peas were an important crop – PEA soup
FISH a common dish
Lots of berries and other fruits

11. Homes Built by hand Back-breaking work Neighbours & relatives helped
Stone foundation laid first, then squared timbers laid one on top of the other
Mix of sand, lime, and water (mortar) filled the cracks
Roof was series of overlapping planks
Windows small – make of oiled skins or greased paper
Wooden shutters kept out the rain
Lots of wood available
Also, wood is a better insulator
Stone was less common but safer vs. fire

12. Women of New France Helped in fields with planting, harvesting
Cared for huge veggie garden
Stored produce for the winter in root cellars
Helped feed animals, and milk cows
Spun yarn, made cloth
Made clothing, rugs, blankets, soap, candles, meals
Taught children to read and write
Helped run businesses if living in town
Had more rights than in France – could trade clothes, blankets, tools, guns, & brandy w/Native peoples in exchange for pelts
Could also take over possessions and running the business if husband died

13. How’d they travel around?
Other than walking, the ST. Lawrence River was the main highway of New France
Birchbark canoes
Also they build freight rafts called cajeu
Made of rough pieces of wood nailed together, they held loads of grain, furniture, or even cattle
They could not make it (or be portaged) around rapids, so they were left on the riverbank for others to use
Horse-pulled sleighs used in winter
Roads very poor. Most didn’t want to build them as the building took them away from their farms…and they had the river already
Eventually, as more seigneuries were built, away from the river, roads became necessary