Transcript New France

NEW FRANCE
Canada’s First Permanent European
Settlement
Quick Review
Which French Explorer had previously tried to settle
N.A.?
2. When?
3. What was the result?
4. Why did France turn its attention elsewhere for over 60
years?
1.
Overview
1759 A.D.
Quebec falls – Plains
of Abraham
1758 A.D.
Louisbourg falls
1763 A.D.
1755 A.D.
1534 A.D.
Cartier lands in
Montreal
1453 A.D.
1608 A.D.
Champlain
founds Quebec
1607 A.D.
Mehmed takes
Constantinople
1492 A.D.
Colony of
Jamestown
established
Columbus doscovers
Hispanola
1499 A.D.
Amerigo Vespucci
lands on the
mainland
Expulsion of the
Acadians
1754 A.D.
French-Indian
Wars
Treaty of Paris
1774 A.D.
–
Quebec Act
1791 A.D.
–
Constitutional Act
1834 A.D. Rebellions
1867 A.D.
1756 A.D.
French Indian
Wars become 7
Years War
–
Confederation
1776 A.D.
American
Declaration of
Independance
Samuel de Champlain
• By the early 1600s, after decades of warfare, France
needed new sources of wealth
• They looked to N.A., especially its beaver pelts.
• King Henri IV founded a company to create a colony in
N.A.
• The company was given a monopoly—the exclusive right to
trade—over Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia and New Brunswick).
• In 1604, Champlain who would later became known as the "Father
of New France“ arrived in N.A. for the first time
Quebec City
• The French established a colony at Ile Ste. Croix in
1604, then Port Royal in 1605, then abandoned Port
Royal in 1607
• Champlain then turned his sights to the St Lawrence
River where Stadacona had once stood.
• The site was now abandoned
• This site was a great location for trade, had fertile
ground, and could be defended
• He named his new colony Quebec, which he took from
the Algonquian word Kebec, meaning, "where the river
narrows"
Mercantilism
• The purpose of the colony was:
1.
A source of raw materials (ex: furs) to be shipped back to
France, where they would become manufactured (finished)
goods
2.
A market in which to sell back those finished goods
• The colonies primary purpose (as was the purpose of all
of the European colonies in the Americas) was to enrich
the Mother Country and this system made New France a
profitable enterprise
• Quebec experienced growing pains in the early days and
between 1604 and 1759, the colony underwent dramatic
changes
Mercantilism
• A relationship between a mother country and it’s
colony in which the colony supplies raw materials to
the mother country where they are processed and
shipped back to the colony as finished goods.
• The colony cannot be allowed to develop their own
manufacturing industries
• They must not be allowed to consume goods from
anywhere but the mother country.
• The colony becomes a captive market for the other
country.
The Disadvantage of Mercantilism
• Secondary industries were not allowed to
develop, keeping the colony weak
• Colonists did not get a voice in how the colony
developed
• Development was always in the interest of France
itself, not New France
• Trade with other countries and their colonies was
not allowed
• The colony remained small and highly dependent
on France
Mercantilism: Good or Bad?
Pros
• Who benefitted from mercantilism?
Cons
The Fur Trade
• Initially, the French relied on the Huron and
Algonquin to bring the furs to Quebec
• Furs would later be supplied by other tribes
deeper in the interior of the country
• The Huron were at war with the Iroquois and
they asked for Champlain’s help
• This alliance began to upset the power
balance among Aboriginal tribes
• As soon as we had landed, they began
to run for some two hundred paces
towards their enemies, who stood firmly,
not having as yet noticed my
companions, who went into the woods
with some savages. Our men began to
call me with loud cries; and, in order to
give me a passage-way, they opened in
two parts, and put me at their head,
where I marched some twenty paces in
advance of the rest, until I was within
about thirty paces of the enemy, who at
once noticed me, and, halting, gazed at
me, as I did also at them. When I saw
them making a move to fire at us, I
rested my musket against my cheek,
and aimed directly at one of the three
chiefs. With the same shot, two fell to
the ground; and one of their men was so
wounded that he died some time after. I
had loaded my musket with four balls.
• When our side saw this shot so
favorable for them, they began to
raise such loud cries that one could
not have heard it thunder.
Meanwhile, the arrows flew on both
sides. The Iroquois were greatly
astonished that two men had been
so quickly killed, although they were
equipped with armor woven from
cotton thread, and with wood which
was proof against their arrows. This
caused great alarm among them. As
I was loading again, one of my
companions fired shot from the
woods, which astonished them
anew to such a degree that, seeing
their chiefs dead, they lost courage
and took to flight, abandoning their
camp and fort, and fleeing into the
woods, whither I pursued them,
killing still more of them.
• Our savages also killed
several of them, and
took ten or twelve
prisoners. The
remainder escaped with
the wounded. Fifteen or
sixteen were wounded
on our side with arrowshots; but they were
soon healed.
• The Voyages of Samuel Champlain 1604-
1618 – by Samuel Champlain (William
Adams ed.)
Economic Alliances = Military Alliances
• Champlain did not want to offend the Huron, and he had to
maintain his trading relations with them.
• The result of this was that the French acquired a new enemy
on the continent, the Iroquois.
The Importance of the Fur Trade
• It has often been said that a rodent, not people, built
Nouvelle-France.
• It was the fur trade that established the economic viability of
Nouvelle-France.
• In Europe, hats made from beaver pelts were in high
demand
• The source of the best beaver pelts was N.A.
• It was Europe's increasing demand for beaver furs that
brought the French farther into N. A. , and into trading
relationships with more First Nations.
• The demand for fur altered the course of history for
everyone involved.
Consider the Following
• If there had not been a fashion demand for beaver pelts in
Europe, how do you think this would have affected
colonization efforts in Nouvelle-France?
New France’s Early Growth
• Champlain needed French investors to harvest
natural resources and develop the Colony
• In 1627, Champlain along with Cardinal Richelieu
(one of the most powerful people in France)
established the Company of One Hundred Associates
• Its purpose was to establish a French Empire in
North America for the purpose of :
Trade
2. Settlement
3. The conversion of First Nations people to
Catholicism.
1.
• The Company was given administrative control over
all of the territory that France claimed
Early Growth
• Early on New France grew slowly and faced
attacks by the Iroquois
• The Iroquois were allied with the British and were
disrupting trade between the French and the Huron
• Colonists lived in fear, trade did not develop, land
was not cleared or farmed
• Then King Louis XIV came to the throne of
France.
• Louis X IV was determined to make New France an
important part of the French Empire.
New France Becomes a Colony
• Louis XIV dismissed the Company of One
Hundred Associates and made New France a
Royal Colony in 1663.
• A system of Royal Government was implemented
and every aspect of life came under the control of
the French monarch
The Sovereign Council
• French monarchs would never travel to New
France, but they received reports from the key
officials who represented them on the Sovereign
Council.
• The council was composed of:
• an intendant, who was responsible for
administering the justice, policies, and finances of
the colony
• a governor, who controlled military matters and
external policy
• a bishop
• Five counsillors.
Growing Independence
• Over time New France became increasingly more
independent
• France became involved in European wars
• There were also geographic challenges
• Communications from Quebec were often sent in autumn
before the St. Lawrence froze over
• Responses from France could not reach Quebec until the
following spring.
• New France often had no alternative than to begin to
act independently
Militia and Defense of Nouvelle France
• Over time the relationship between the French Colonists
and the Iroquois worsened
• Defense of the Colony became increasingly important
• 1100 French soldiers were sent Quebec.
• The regiment undertook two expeditions against the Iroquois in
1666 and on the second they burned villages around Lake
Champlain and destroyed the Haudenosaunee winter stock of
grain.
• This forced the Iroquois to sign a Peace Treaty
Militia
• The Colony also had its own
militia
• After 1669 all able bodied males
in New France between 16-60
belonged to the militia
• Many had experience in the
N. A. environment from the fur trade
or from hunting, and became an
effective group of fighters
• Besides defense, the militia also
built roads, bridges, and buildings
The Growth of New France
• Within twenty years of Royal Government, French territory
•
•
•
•
•
•
grew dramatically
Despite warnings of overextending their resources,
France took control of areas such as the Mississippi
Valley in the south
In the north, French territory stretched from Newfoundland
to the eastern region of what is now Manitoba.
By 1682, Nouvelle-France controlled a large section of the
continent.
The colony had a small population but a massive frontier
Populations and trading centers were very distant from
each other.
This made the colony difficult to defend
THE SOCIAL
ORGANIZATION OF NEW
FRANCE
The Church and Daily Life
• Church = religious and social center
• Colonist supported their church by giving them a
portion of their income called a tithe
• the head of the church was the Bishop
• The Church operated the schools and hospitals
• Nuns cared for the poor, orphans or families who
did not have support($)
• With the help of the Church, the colonists were
generally better cared for than the citizens back
home in France
The Seigneurial System (1627 - 1854)
• The seigneurial system was a form of land settlement modeled
on the French feudal system
• It began in New France in 1627
• The land was divided into five by 15 kilometer plots, usually
along major rivers like the St. Lawrence
• Land was then further subdivided into narrow, long lots
suitable for farming, providing everyone who lived on them with
equal access to neighboring farms and the river
• The seigneur was expected to build a manor house, be present
on the land for much of the year, and build a gristmill
• The habitant was expected to pay tithes (taxes) to support the
Church, as well as annual fees for the land, for having his grain
ground at the seigneur's gristmill, and for fishing and hunting
rights
Seigneurs
• They were the most privileged colonists, as they were
usually in the military or aristocracy prior to being a settler.
• The seigneurs then were charged with the task of
subdividing large parcels of land and renting it to les
habitants.
• They were essentially feudal landlords with guaranteed
income from taxation
• The seigneur could also set up a court of law, set up a mill
on his land and organize a commune.
Soldiers
• The Carignan-Salieres regiment were dispatched in 1665
from France to end the Iroquois threat by force.
• The King offered them free land to go and about 400
stayed to enjoy the simple peace of farming.
Habitants
• A variety of Frenchmen were encouraged to immigrate
and settle New France with incentives like free passage,
free land, farming implements, etc.
• Farmers were called habitants and had a difficult life at
first
• They had to clear the land, till the soil and build shelter before their
first winter
• They grew wheat, corn, oats, barley, and tobacco and raised
livestock
• They had to pay rent and taxes to the seigneur, though they coowned the land with the seigneur, and even had to work entirely for
the benefit of the seigneur a few days each year.
• The women and children cooked made clothing and furniture
• This group included les Filles du Roi and indentured
labourers.
Les Filles Du Roi
• Young French women, as young as 12-16
• Either orphans or beggars, who were sent to the colony at
the state’s expense in order to marry colonists.
• WHY? Population Growth
• This was a colony of fur traders and farmers- a colony of
men
• They were brought to New France to even out the
male/female ratio and populate the colony
• There were monetary incentives for couples to marry young
and have large families of 10-12 children
• In total, 1000 were brought to New France
Indentured Servants
• Indentured Servants or Engagés came to New France for
•
•
•
•
three-year contract periods to work as farmers
They couldn’t marry, be involved in the fur trade, leave the
colony, or work for anyone else during their contract
Their contract could be bought or sold without their
consent
They could be publicly flogged, shackled, branded, or
hanged for violating the contract
50% returned to France after the contract expired
Les Coureurs de Bois
• In the late 1600s, beaver became scarce along the St.
Lawrence lowlands forcing French traders began to travel
farther north
• Large numbers of young men left their settlements to go
live and trade with First Nations in northern areas.
• They became known as coureurs de bois, or "runners of the
woods"
• They spent hunting seasons living among the First
Nations and developed an understanding of and
appreciation for First Nations cultures
• Many came to prefer life among First Nations people to
life in the settlements
The Jesuits
• As early as 1625, the Society of Jesus (Jesuits),
worked in New France to converting First Nations
people to Christianity
• These missionaries were known as the “Black Robes”
• Their goal was to “humanize” the “savages”
• the Jesuits lived among First Nations and learned
their languages and cultures.
• Their hopes for mass conversion failed, however
they did bring disease, the break up of families,
and conflict
Consider the Following:
Converts
• The Jesuits did get some converts,
and those that became Christians got
guns in exchange
1. What does the supply of arms to
converts tell you about early First
Nations Converts?
2. What Would You Do In Their Shoes?
British-French Hostilities
• While New France struggled to grow, other forces were at
work that directed its future.
• During the eighteenth century, Britain and France began
to intensify their fight for land and power in North America
The Treaty of Utrecht
• Between 1701 and 1713, Britain and France were
engaged in the War of the Spanish Succession in Europe,
and were fighting in N.A.
• In 1713, the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht—ended both
the War of the Spanish Succession in Europe as well as
fighting in N.A.
• This Treaty drastically changed the balance of power and
size of territory for Nouvelle-France
• France surrendered possession to almost all of Newfoundland
(except some fishing rights), the Hudson Bay, and Acadia to Britain
The Expulsion of the Acadians
• The first successful French settlement in Acadia was
established at Port Royal (present-day Nova Scotia) in
1605.
• The settlement was largely composed of French colonists.
• Acadia was part of the French Empire but not part of New
France
• Its early Settlers were known as Acadians
The Effect in Acadia
• By the early eighteenth century, the Acadians were caught
between the French and British Empires
• After the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), Acadia was British
possession
• Overnight, Acadians were asked to switch their allegiance
from the French to the British.
• The Acadians took an oath of allegiance to the British, but
that oath had a neutrality clause
• It guaranteed that in times of war Acadians would not be forced to
fight against France.
Loyalty
• In 1754, Charles Lawrence was named the governor of
Nova Scotia
• Lawrence did not like the idea of the Acadians being
neutral and demanded another oath of loyalty without a
neutrality clause
• When the Acadians refused, he ordered, the mass
expulsion of all Acadians from Nova Scotia in 1755.
• The homes and crops of the Acadians were destroyed,
and the land was later occupied by the British
The Ethics of Expulsion
Picture it, Winnipeg, 2025. You are in your late
20s, you have completed post secondary
education, you are beginning your career, you own
a car, and a home; some of you are even starting a
family. There is a shortage of fresh water in the
USA. The USA invades Manitoba for the purpose
of securing our freshwater resources. You are
asked to swear allegiance to the USA or face
expulsion. What do you do???
• Discuss with you table partner and be
prepared to share with the class
From Acadian To Cajun
• Over a period of seven years from 1755 to
1762, over 10 000 Acadians are expelled
• Some dispersed throughout the Thirteen
Colonies (controlled by Britain) to the south
• Some Acadians managed to escape and found
freedom in other French communities as far
away as Louisiana.
• The Acadians in the south became known as
"Cajuns," and they continue to form a sizable portion
of Louisiana's population
New France vs Thirteen Colonies: Why
Were They Fighting?
• Territorial rivalry – The Thirteen colonies
were expanding into fur trading country and
threatened France’s control
• Commercial Rivalry – Both had a common
desire to dominate world shipping and
commerce
• Conflict in Europe – France expected New
France to bother the Thirteen colonies in order
to draw English troops away from the
European front
Final Battles For Control: The Seven
Years War (1756-1763)
• By the mid-1750s, Britain and France were at war (globally)
• France's attention was focused on winning the war in Europe
• Britain, however, began to concentrate on winning the war in
North America
• The main area of contention in N.A. was the Ohio Valley
• The French had constructed a series of forts and were allied
with First nations in the fur trade
• The British colonists, hoped to develop land in the valley for
their growing population and began building their own forts in
the Ohio Valley
• Influential colonists such as George Washington had
claimed land in this region
The British Take the Upper Hand
• French troops in N.A. relied heavily on supplies
shipped from France
• The British could supply their troops from N.A and
used their naval superiority to block French supply
lines
• By 1758, most of the Ohio Valley was in British hands
• Later that year, the fortress of Louisbourg (a large
French naval fortress in present-day Nova Scotia)
was taken over by the British
• they could now attack the heart of New France
through the St. Lawrence, as well as from the south
The British Conquest of Louisbourg
• In the spring of 1758 the British massed a huge fleet of
160 ships with 27 000 troops at Halifax
• The fleet blockaded the harbor, while soldiers scrambled
ashore and besieged the town from any outside support.
• The cannon fire went on for 49 days until the French
surrendered
Louisbourg
British Conquest of Quebec
• General James Wolfe sailed from England in 1759 with orders
to conquer all of New France
• Wolfe brought almost 180 ships carrying 15 000 soldiers
• Wolfe first set his sights on Quebec, and began what has been
described as a reign of terror
• British troops began bombarding the town on July 12, 1759, and
continued to attack for nine weeks.
• British troops and artillery fire destroyed homes, churches, and
businesses (80% of buildings destroyed)
• Wolfe also ordered farms and livestock to be destroyed in and around
the town for about 240 km.
• As this constant barrage on Quebec took place, Wolfe planned
for the final attack against the French General, the Marquis de
Montcalm
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham
• The final attack came in the early hours of September 13, 1759
• Wolfe's men were stationed below the 50m cliffs outside
Quebec
• In the dark, the British soldiers scaled the cliffs and positioned
themselves in a field known today as the Plains of Abraham
• Montcalm believed that the British would be launching an
attack from Beauport, so he sent all of his men there.
• This left the cliff top undefended
• When Montcalm got word that the British were outside
Quebec's walls, he had to march his soldiers back into town
• They arrived exhausted for their battle with British forces
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham
• Wolfe tried to tempt Montcalm into a quick fight that
morning
• Since Montcalm had a French force several kilometers
away, he could have waited and forced the British to
assault the thick walls of the city.
• Instead, he emerged from Quebec at the head of 4500
soldiers and the battle began.
• The Battle lasted only 15 minutes
• Wolfe, Montcalm, and 1300 of their men died in action, and the
British won control of Quebec.
War and Conquest
►West, Benjamin. The Death of General Wolfe; oil on canvas 1771
The Articles of Capitulation
• Over the next year British troops battled their way toward
Montreal
• Knowing that three contingents of British forces were
converging on the city, Governor Vaudreuil admitted
defeat and, on September 8, 1760, signed the Articles of
Capitulation
• His signature surrendered New France to General Jeffrey
Amherst and the British
• France gave its French colony little support during the British
attack
• Many people of Nouvelle-France felt that France had
abandoned them
The Fall of Quebec
The French and Canadien survivors of the Battle of the Plains of
Abraham escaped to Montréal. They returned in April 1760 and
defeated the British at St. Foy, driving them back behind the
fortifications of Québec. The arrival of a British fleet in May
forced the French and Canadiens to retreat. That summer, three
British armies converged on Montreal. One came from Quebec,
another sailed up Lake Champlain, a third came down the Upper
St. Lawrence. With no hope of reinforcements from Europe, the
French surrendered on 8 September.
The Anglo-French struggle for supremacy in North America was
almost over. In 1763, the Treaty of Paris ended the war and
ceded New France to Britain. This marked a crucial turning point
in Canadian history.
Canadian War Museum
The Treaty of Paris
• In 1763, the Seven Years' War ended with the
signing of the Treaty of Paris
• New France was now officially British, except for
2 small islands off Newfoundland, St. Pierre and
Miquelon
• Spain gained the French colony of Louisiana and,
in exchange, Britain got Florida
Why did the French lose so quickly to the
English in New France?
►The geography of the colony left only one access route,
the St. Lawrence, which could easily be blocked
►The economy of the colony was made very weak and this
kept the population low
►The colony was so large and the small population was
too spread out
►Montcalm and the governor could not agree on how the
colony should be defended and many government
officials raised prices to take advantage of siege
shortages
►Montcalm made several tactical errors like leaving the fort
to fight in the open and dividing his forces
►The British navy was the most powerful fighting force in
the world
Population: 13 colonies vs. NouvelleFrance
Year
New France
1660
1710
1720
1750
1760
3 000
18 000
24 474
53 000
64 041
13 Colonies
90 000
331 711
446 185
1 170 760
1 593 625
Reason for Disparity
• Landscape
• Milder climate
• Fertile Land
• Fur trade did not require large population
• Immigrants more opportunity to survive
• British did not follow mercantilism quite as much
• 13 colonies traded crops with Europe