1. The French Regime 1608 - 1760

2. By 1580s the fur trade was booming France was eager to occupy the territory France granted trade monopolies to fur trading companies  In return, these companies had to establish settlements and convert aboriginals to Catholicism  First attempts to establish settlements at Sable Island and Tadoussac failed.

3. Establishing settlements and converting natives could be very expensive:  Maintaining an agrarian (farming) population  Setting up institutions (schools, hospitals, churches...) Because these costs could run so high, most fur trading companies did not meet their commitments

4. Since fur trade was the colonies major attraction, settlement was slow to develop  Inhabitants were initially counted by the dozen  Population only reached 100 in the 1630s The Fur trade also caused the territory to become very large

5. In 1608 Samuel de Champlain chose to establish a settlement at Quebec City  The location was easily accessible  There were no sedentary groups already living there  Was well know to Europeans and natives because the narrowing of the river made it easy to monitor ships

6. In 1634 Samuel de Champlain sent Sieur de Laviolette to establish a trading post  This was also a strategic position for trade, defence and accessibility

7. In 1642, Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve founded Ville-Marie Others feared that the settlement would not survive because of possible native attacks De Maisonneuve went ahead anyway, expanded french settlements

8. Stretched around both sides of the St. Lawrence River from the mouth of the Outauoais River to the Bas-St-Lawrent. Many fishing stations also appeared around the Gaspe Peninsula

9. Despite high birth rate, low immigration prevented the population from growing quickly Samuel de Champlain tried hard to bring more people to the colony:  Have entire families immigrate  Set up an administration  Build more forts  Develop Catholic faith by bringing Catholic immigrants and converting natives

10. Division of territory was based on the French model – the seigneurial system Strips of land were divided and given to individuals  Usually officers, merchants, nobles, religious orders These owners were then responsible for dividing their land into smaller seigneuries for colonists who wished to settle there.  Settlers had to pay cens (rent) and rentes (taxes)

13. Commercial activity and high birth rates helped Quebec City and Montreal to grow into real cities by the end of the 17 th century  1760 – Montreal’s population was 5,000  1760 - Quebec City’s population was 7000  1760 – Trois-Riveres had less than 1,000

14. Montreal and Quebec grew faster for the following reasons:  Well protected by fortifications  Administrative, religious and military powers lived there  Ports, market places, hospitals, churches, schools, inns, stores... In more rural areas, cities were slow to develop  Dividing the land alone did not bring people together  Mills and churches helped to create the development of small villages by the end of the 18 th century

15. When there were enough people living in a given area the church would organize it into a Parish  There had to be enough people to support the building and upkeep of the church  The population would then have to pay for the needs of the Parish Priest through a tax called the tithe.  By the end of the French Regime, there were approximately 100 parishes

16. The fur trade was still an important economic activity at the time  Because of this, fur traders ventured deeper and deeper into unexplored territory  In doing so, they were able to trade with various native groups and claim large portions of land for France  Missionaries also joined in these voyages But, in order to support their claims to all this territory, the French had to build forts and posts to defend it.

17. The English were also interested in claiming land in the New World.  At the time of Champlain, the English settled in present day Virginia and Massachusetts, as well as Newfoundland  They were also looking for a route to Asia The English began hunting furs in the James Bay and Hudson Bay areas causing conflicts with the French This led to Wars, and the Treaty of Utrecht, in 1713 part of that area of New France was given up to Britain.

19. Native presence remained predominant in the colony Iroquois:  Wars between native populations and contact with French and English had an effect on natives  Some decided to live in French villages and communities (they were called domicilies) Inuit and Algonquians:  Boundaries and lifestyle remained mostly the same  Establishment of colonist along North of St. Lawrence forced large game animals further North  Algonquian populations had to move North and West in order to hunt

20. In 1663, King Louis XIV placed New France under his direct control  Fur trading companies would no longer hold all the power He sent over a Governor and Intendant to manage the colony

21. Conducted the first census  In 1666, there were only 3, 215 inhabitants The defence of the colony and exploitation of natural resources required a much higher population

22. Les Filles du Roi:  Groups of Orphan girls (800 of them in total)  Young single men in the colony were expected to marry these women within 15 days of their arrival  If they did not, they could lose their hunting, fishing and trading rights Les Engages:  A colonist who agreed to work for a company for 3 years  Ships had to be full of engages in order to leave France Les Carignan-Sallieres:  Troops who were sent to help prevent native attacks  Given free seigneuries if they would stay in New France

23. Despite Les Filles du Roi, most immigrants were still single men:  Transportation costs were lower  Needed men’s labour to clear forests and defend the land  In 1681, more than 90% of men in the colony were single

24. High birth rate helped increase the population despite low immigration levels  There was an abundance of food in the colony  Colonists were mostly in good health  Population was spread over the territory so epidemics were less common than in France

26. New France had few very wealthy people  The Governor and Intendant were nobles who held most of the power The Bishop was the head of the Catholic Church in the colony and also held a lot of power (clergy) Merchants and the Bourgeoisie (working class and soldiers) could move up in society and gain more power  Some were granted seigneuries 90% of the population of New France was made up of common people (farmers, artisans, small merchants)

27.  Visits from French people exposed natives to European diseases  Small pox, typhus, cholera, chickenpox... Natives were not able to battle these diseases and this caused them to die in great numbers

28.  Warfare was common between native groups  The fur trade fuelled tensions between native peoples  Iroquois fought and traded with English and Dutch  Huron and Algonquians traded and fought with the French

29. Lived North of Lake Ontario Completely wiped out by famine, disease and Iroquois attacks

30. There was a shortage of labour in New France  To try to fix this problem, slavery was legalized There were 2000-3000 slaves during the French Regime  Most were from aboriginal nations  Some were of African origin These men, women and children could be bought and sold Most worked as servants for officials, officers, religious orders and rich merchants

31.  Natives were interested in some of the material goods brought by the European explorers and settlers (including iron, steel and brass materials that soon became integrated into native culture – ie: brass pots that were stronger than native clay)  Wool and cotton were adopted for native clothing (previously they had only used fur and animal pelts)  Sedentary native groups grew Europeans foods such as cucumbers, onions, and apple orchards  Domestic animals became more common for natives

32. Other consequences were more detrimental to native culture:  Firearms replaced bows, knives and clubs, which made native wars much more deadly  European epidemics and diseases had a significant affect on native populations (ie: small pox and tuberculosis)

33.  Travel: The French used native means of travel including snowshoes, sleds, and canoes (These were particularly useful for navigating through the thick woods during the fur trade)  Diet: The French also introduced native produce into their diet including squash, corn and maple syrup  Customs: The French adopted the native custom of smoking the tobacco pipe

34. This war would put an end to New France as a colony The British capture and take over the territory for good forcing French society to deal with new Anglophone immigration