1. Meet New France
Social Studies 7
Pages

2. What was the Social Structure of New France?
People were classified according to levels of importance within the colony.
The most important people were born into the ruling class (nobility)
Wealthy people were next (merchants were rich)
Everyone else made up the bottom levels of society.
The Catholic Church organized French Society.
The Church provided moral direction, hospitals, orphanages and schools.

3. Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac 1622-1698
A French nobleman who went into debt because he loved the rich life
King Louis XIV appointed him Governor of New France which got him out of debt
His grand ideas for New France caused problems with the Sovereign Council
King was displeased with conflict, called him back to France.

4. Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac 1622-1698
King took away position, Frontenac lived in poverty for a while.
After releasing him from his position, New France became severely threatened from the Haudenosaunee and the British.
The King sent Frontenac back to New France as a commander of the army because he was experienced.

5. Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac 1622-1698
Frontenac attacked the Haudenosaunee
His attack contributed to the formation of the Great Law of Peace made with the French
Successfully defended New France

6. Marie-Claude Chamois 1656-1705
She was a “Fille du roi” (daughter of the King; orphan) sent to New France to marry soldiers
Married Francois Frigon and had 7 kids
Known as “habitants”- cleared, cultivated, domesticated the land they were given.
Learned how to survive from Innu and Kichesiprini (food, clothing and shelter)
First nations traded back with Habitants

7. Pierre-Esprit Radisson 1636-1710
He was a “Coureur de Bois” (runner of the woods) seeking trade with First Nations
Stuck to no “side”. He would side with whomever would offer him the best return for his skills (French or British)
Kidnapped as a young teen by Haudenosaunee, details are few. Not sure how he was released? Escaped? Ransomed?

8. Pierre-Esprit Radisson 1636-1710
Explored west with his Brother In Law, where they returned with many Beaver Pelts
Expecting to become wealthy, they were instead arrested and fined for trading without permission
In a defiant retaliation, Radisson told the British what had happened so the British sent him to claim the land around the Hudsons Bay for Britian. Which they did.
They built forts in direct competition with New France called the Hundon’s Bay Company.

9. Pierre-Esprit Radisson 1636-1710
After 5 years, Radisson returned to New France to make a complaint about his fine for trading in the west 5 years prior.
Governor Frontenac refused to hear it.
While in New France, Raddison and his brother in law met Charles Auber de la Chesnaye who started a fur trading company called Compagnie du Nord (Company of the North)

10. Pierre-Esprit Radisson 1636-1710
This company competed with the Hudson’s Bay Company.
Radisson and Medard planned the surprise attack and captured a cargo of beaver pelts.
Frontenac was not impressed, even though Radisson and Medard were now on their side. He ordered them to pay a hefty tax on their captured furs.
Radisson angry, again returned to work for Britian and never returned to New France.

11. Agathe de Saint-Pere
A woman of New France who, from a young age, raised her brothers and sisters, married a French Military Officer and raised 8 children of her own.
A shortage of linen and wool inspired Agathe to create material from locally grown plants (nettles, bark fibre, cottonweed, etc)
She had 9 captured weavers work for her to make and sell material.

12. Jean-Alexis Lemoine 1680-1754 Voyageur and Fur Trader
Travelled the St. Lawrence River trading with many forts along the way. They would trade for furs the First Nations had traded over the winter.
He made little money doing this so he opened a small shop in Montreal that sold supplies to voyageurs and local french troops.

13. Jean-Alexis Lemoine
He traded for money and furs in his shop. He would sell the furs to bigger merchants who shipped them to France.

14. Francois-Etienne Cugnet 1688 - 1751
Involved in several businesses in New France (glue, tobacco, ironworks)
Opened his own Ironworks business in 1730 and was granted license by France to supply the royal shipyards.
His business struggled to make a profit so he needed loans from the government.
He eventually claimed bankruptcy and the government took over the company until 1883 (more than 150 years)

15. Marguerite d’Youville 1701-1771
Married a nobleman in New France, 6 of her 8 children died in infancy. Her husband also died.
She pledged her life to helping the poor and sick.
The government of New France asked her to take over Hopital General in Montreal.
She employed the poor and sick to sew clothing, make sails, tents, candles, cure tobacco and make bread.
She and her fellow workers became known as the Sisters of Charity, also known as The Grey Nuns. (who now have hospitals all over Canada)

16. The Sovereign Council
King made the Council to rule New France. It included:
Governor
Represented the King
Controlled military and defense of colony
External relations (trade with First Nations)
Intendant
Chief administrator of the colony
Kept colony in good order, less dependent on France
Exploited the colony for the benefit of France
Bishop of Quebec
Represented the Catholic Church
Spiritual and moral guidance, started schools, hospitals, orphanages
Was always called upon when important decisions in the colony were to be made.

17. Soldiers
Under Frontenac, many soldiers came to defend the colony against the Haudenosaunee and the British
King wanted soldiers to stay and settle in New France so he offered them seigneuries.
A seigneury a piece of land along the St. Lawrence River offered to the soldiers to live and build a life upon. They could also own the land and charge “rent’ to others to live on it.

18. Habitants Farmers who lived on seigneuries.
Habitants means “inhabitants” (people who inhabit the land)
If they were in France, they would have been known as paysans (peasants)- people who rarely own anything.
Clearing the land, planting crops, building houses and paying a seigneurs miller to grind their grain were done in exchange for the right to establish and live on the farmland.
Habitants who rebelled became “Coueurs de Bois” and formed alliances with groups that used and appreciated their skills and knowledge.

19. Seigneurs Owned large plots of land called “seigneuries”
Usually from noble families but futher along in history, common people could become Seigneurs.
They were like landlords and allowed Habitants to live on land as long as they took care of the land.
To keep their land, they had to recruit settlers, build a house for themselves, a flour mill and a church for the Habitants.

20. Merchants
Shops including blacksmiths, shoemakers, masons, bakers and butchers.
Made their living on the fur trade. They imported goods from France and traded with the First Nations.
They also took in furs, then sold them back to France where they hoped to make a profit.

21. Catholic Church
Played a very important role in the identity of New France.
In Europe, there was a very big rivalry between Catholics and Protestants. People were often discriminated against because of their religion.
The Jesuits (Catholic Religious Order) came to New France in the early 1600’s.
They worked with the First Nations and converted them to Catholicism.

22. Catholic Church
Established schools, hospitals and orphanages in New France.
The Clergy were a small group of educated people who could read and write. They were consulted by the government before making important decisions.