History 2201E Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Sovereign Council Of New France, Jean Talon, Tadoussac
2 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
September 19th, 2017
Life in New France
Part I. The Introduction: New France — a feudal theocracy?
- The once-dominant historical explanation
o French established a carbon copy of France in the new world
o Applied what happened to France in the 1600s to New France
o Significant differences
- The newer scholarship
- Founded by Champlain
o Established the 2nd permanent establishment in Canada in Quebec
o 1604 #1, port royal
Part II. Origins of New France: 1608-1663
- early history: primary accounts of native foods
- during explorations or war expeditions, and when food was scare, the French ate
Native foods. In the winter, Champlain was happy when the Indians bought him
moose or elk meat
- they had come over with inadequate supplies from the king and the Indigenous
ensured their survival
o kept in decent health
o gave them corn, squashes, pumpkin, fruits, fish, eels, etc.
▪ without that, there likely would have been no New France without
these essential provisions
‘Order of Good Cheer’
- periodic celebration of those who came with Champlain and has company would
come together and celebrate a person
o kept people’s spirits up
Champlain on the first winter
- chain around your neck identified you as the chief celebrant
- invited natives to celebrate with them
a) purpose: to make France stronger
a. by having dominance over trade
b. creating wealth over raw materials like fur, fish, timber
c. aims of the colony: permanent settlement for power; riches for France; spreading
Christianity
d. converting Indigenous people
e. Jesuits and Missionaries given a lot of power in colonies in the early years
b) growing pains
a. economic building and economic wealth
c) the colony flounders 1627-1632
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
d) the Company of 100 Associates (1645) and more troubles in New France
a. supposed to attract 4000 settlers to New France
b. only got 20 settlers a year
i. didn’t happen
Mercantilism:
- Sending raw materials out to mother country and parent country send back finished goods
that you purchase
o One colony serves the needs of the main state
- No real engagement in industrialization in New France
Kirke Brothers:
- A pirate group
- Captured a part of new France and terrorised New France for a couple of years
1663
- have 3,000 people living in New France
- 13 colonies – 100,000 (Britain)
- New France now becomes a state colony
- instead of businessmen, have civil planners and bureaucrats
Names and Terms: Canadiens; mercantilism, Kirke Brothers; Tadoussac; Company of Habitants
Part III. The Royal Colony: Canada, 1663-1763
- The King takes over
- Colbert’s compact colony policy
o Key advisor to the king
o A specific approach to getting people and ensuring the success of New France
▪ Improvement of population
▪ motivating that population to work
▪ providing a form of government
▪ providing for the defense of the colony
▪ self-sufficient: develop a strong agriculture base
• cannot rely on provisions being brought over from France
▪ compact: easier to defend a smaller space
o 1660s
▪ brought militia over to protect the colony
▪ controlled the threat the Iroquois and indigenous people posed frequently
to New France
▪ 1667, Iroquois made formal peace with New France
o 1665
▪ 3,215 Inhabitants
• 2,034 men and 1,181 women
a. political structure: authoritarian/paternalistic
- governor-general
o wage war and conduct diplomatic relations with indigenous people
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
- intendant
– internal affairs
– providing economic opportunities
– Jean Talon: gave out land in the colony and encouraging immigration
▪ Population growth program
• By 1763, there were 60,000 people in New France
o See the population increase by 10-fold in 100 years
o By that point New France, a well-established colony
- sovereign council
– similar to a supreme court
- bishop
– bishop of the catholic church
– role to advise the people of the colony of religious affairs
- Colbert
– Minister of colonial affairs in France
- No elections going on
– No women or Indians
– Could not protest
- Not a judicial democratic system
– Lawyers were banned
– Had to plead your own case
– No juries, sovereign council conducted investigations
– Presumption of guilt before innocence
Government system interfered regularly to ensure that settlers had basic staples at a reasonable
price to prevent revolt
Businesses regulated to ensure they weren’t gauging prices
Names and terms: filles du roi; corvee; fabriques; question ordinaire; question extraordinaire;
Carignan-Salieres regiment
Question Ordinaire
Accused of something
Asked the same question over and over until you confessed
Question Extraordinare
Tortured until you gave up an answer
– Jean Talon: gave out land in the colony and encouraging immigration
▪ Population growth program
• By 1763, there were 60,000 people in New France
o See the population increase by 10-fold in 100 years
o By that point New France, a well-established colony
Filles du Roi
Demographics 1663-1673: 57% 16-25, 10% 12-15, 11% unknown, 22% 26+
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Life in new france: french established a carbon copy of france in the new world, applied what happened to france in the 1600s to new france, significant differences. Founded by champlain: established the 2nd permanent establishment in canada in quebec, 1604 #1, port royal. Origins of new france: 1608-1663 early history: primary accounts of native foods. During explorations or war expeditions, and when food was scare, the french ate. Periodic celebration of those who came with champlain and has company would come together and celebrate a person: kept people"s spirits up. Sending raw materials out to mother country and parent country send back finished goods that you purchase: one colony serves the needs of the main state. No real engagement in industrialization in new france. Captured a part of new france and terrorised new france for a couple of years. Have 3,000 people living in new france.
