Early Settlements: Quebec & Montreal

1608 - 1642

Module 2 – Canadian Society During The French Regime

The Need For Land

The heat was on for France to acquire a solid foothold to “officially” claim the land they would later call New France; France’s colony in the new world.

The Early YearsBy the 1600 the St. Lawrence River was bustling with activity – the major European nations were fishing its waters.

Sailors and fishermen only occupied the shores seasonally ; no permanent settlement created. Champlain was going to change all of that.

Under Champlain, the St. Lawrence was going to become a fur-trading artery and a highway into the heart of the continent.

The St. Lawrence would be Canada’s central transportation system and the focus of economic expansion. Control the St. Lawrence and you controlled the interior. Control the interior and you controlled Canada.

Unsuccessful Attempts To SettleTadoussac (1600-1610) First attempt to settle by French. Set-up as a fur-trading post / settlement along north

shore of the St. Lawrence River.Result: Failed – Post too far from main sources

of fur and soil not fertile for farming.

Port Royal (1605-1607) Second attempt to settle by French. Settled in fertile area of Nova Scotia. Result: Failed – Few furs in the area, alas the post could not support itself financially.

Tadoussac

Founding of Quebec (1608)Champlain sent to locate a better site for a fur-trading post.

Chose site along the St. Lawrence “where the river narrows” (from the Algonquian kebek).

The site was better sheltered making it easier to defend and to control fur-trade traffic.

Built L’Habitation (present day Quebec City) atop a cliff overlooking the St. Lawrence.

Founding of Quebec (1608)cont’d

Land west of L’Habitation was rich in furs.Became the fur-trade centre.Missionaries (Recollets 1615, Jesuits 1625) arrived to convert natives; mainly the Algonquians and Hurons.Iroquois attacked the French and their native allies (Algonquians & Hurons).In 1632, the English (Kirke brothers) briefly captured the Quebec settlement until1632).Carignan-Salieres regiment (special forces) came from France to defend the colony.

L’Habitation (Quebec)

Founding of Trois-Rivieres (1634) Founded by Laviolette who was sent by

Champlain in 1634. Used as a fort and fur-trade post (mid-point

between Montreal and Quebec). Two missionaries sent to convert natives.

French Settle in Montreal (Ville Marie) 1642

Group of religious visionaries set up Societe de Notre-Dame in Paris in 1639.

Their motive was to set up a New Jerusalem in the wilderness; a mission devoted to the conversion of natives.

Leader was a soldier named, Paul de Chomedy de Maisonneuve who would lead an expedition to establish a settlement upriver from Quebec on the island discovered by Jacques Cartier (Mont Royal).

French Settle in Montreal (Ville Marie) 1642 cont’d

The expedition arrived on the island (1642) re-naming it Ville Marie. They built a fort to defend themselves against Iroquois attack.

Jeanne Mance, a nurse and administrator, set up the first hospital – Hotel-Dieu. (She is known as the Angel of the Colony).

Marguerite Bourgeoys opened first school. Ville Marie went from being a “spiritual” place

to a money-making fur trade centre called Montreal ($$$ cha ching $$$)

Ville Marie 1642

Ville Marie Settlement

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