Emergence of a Society in New France

PANORAMAS P. 64-79

The Fur Trade • Earlier attempts to set up a colony failed• In the early 1500s, N.A= Not as profitable as the King

had wanted.

The Fur Trade • However, many countries still sent boats to fish cod

in the St-Lawrence Golf & in the Grand Banks near NFLD. • Fishermen lived on the East coast while they fished drying fish and trading with Aboriginal people.

FUR!!!!

The Beaver• Beaver pelts highly prized and beavers were scarce in

Europe. • North America had A LOT of beavers.

The Fur Trade Europe 1580s FUR WAS ALL THE RAGE.

Fur hatsKing realized... N.A.= Fur= $$$$

Plan: Get beaver fur from N.A, sell fur hats to other countries and get gold!!! (Mercantilism: Increase exports)

Mercantilism/Triangular trade• Triangular Trade / Mercantilism • Mother country (France) takes raw materials to sell in

Europe. Makes money for mother country, but colony doesn’t profit.

Mercantilism: MMM (Make Money for the Mother country)

Monopolies and Settlements France wants to set up a colony in New

France... But has no money.

IDEA!

He asked wealthy entrepreneurs (business men) to set up colonies.

THE DEAL:

The wealthy entrepreneurs try to set up colonies for the King of France

in return for…

The rights to be the only people to bring back furs for North America (monopoly)

From Trading Colony to permanent Settlement • New France started as a

trading colony but slowly people started to settle.

• Pierre Chauvin- first trading post in Tadoussac (1600).

The role of the Aboriginal peoples They were interested in:

Metal, Cloths, Guns, etc.

They realized the importance of the fur started to demand a lot more goods in exchange for the fur.

QUESTION• Which Aboriginal group participated more in the

fur trade and why???

Nomadic Algonquians or Sedentary Iroquoians?

Answer• The nomadic Algonquians• Why? Because they survived on hunting. They needed the

animals to survive and used their pelts to exchange with the Europeans.

• The sedentary Iroquois survived with farming and agriculture.

• The Iroquois would exchange food for furs with the Algonquians but it was for their use only.

Alliances • The French traded mostly

with the Algonquians.

In Tadoussac, the French make a trading alliance with the Montagnais.

Deal: Guaranteed supply of pelts but the French had to fight against the Montagnais’ enemy: The Iroquois.

Acadia • The first monopoly was granted to Pierre Du Gua de Monts.• In 1604, settled in Acadia(Nova

Scotia) and he called his settlement Port Royal.• It was the first permanent

settlement.

Permanent settlements are founded to exploit the fur trade

QUEBEC CITY• 1608: Champlain founds QUEBEC

CITY• He builds the “L’Habitation” trading

post and fort near Stadacona (Quebec City).• A center for the fur trade and a

crossroads for commerce.

Quebec CityLOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

It was easily accessible and well known by the Europeans. Strategic for overlooking the St-Lawrence River A good place for trading

Trois-Rivieres • 1634: TROIS-RIVIERES

Laviolette was sent by Champlain (1634) to . establish a trading post. He founded Trois-Rivières.

• This was also a strategic location

The Church and colonizationCatholicism was a major part

of the French value system.

Missionaries established themselves in N.F.

- 1611, the Jesuites - 1615, the Recollets

Evangelization of Aboriginal peoples • Catholic Church in NF convert the Aboriginal peoples to Catholicism.•Missionaries’ plan: populate New France with French. This would serve as a model for the Aboriginal people.

•Wanted to civilize them

Evangelization of Aboriginal peoples •Missionaries made missions close to French settlements.

• 1638: the first mission at Sillery near QC City.

Ville-Marie Jerome Le Royer created the Société de Notre-Dame in 1639.

They wanted to set up a settlement at Hochelaga(Montreal).

This settlement was to be a religious mission, a place where missionaries would convert Aboriginals.

Ville-Marie• Maisonneuve founded Ville Marie (Montreal) in 1642.Advantages• The region had many animals (beaver, fox, etc.) that

could be trapped for the fur trade• Access from the St-Laurence River

Disadvantages• Near the Iroquois, who the French were at war with.

Religious OrdersCome into the colony and begin to offer services such as

education and health care for the colonists.

• Jesuits• Recollets• Ursulines• Etc.

Champlain’s Society PlanIn 1618, Champlain presented a few strategies to the King to help

create permanent settlements in the Saint Lawrence Valley: - Entire families immigrate- Administration- Found cities (Qc city, Mtl, 3 Rivieres)- Bring Christianity over- Open a route to Asia

• This idea did not follow through as quickly as Champlain would have liked and the population still remained small.

Revitalizing the Settlement• The chartered companies did not live up to their

responsibilities to settle the colony because this would reduce their profits. • France needed to take matters into its own hands. • Thus, the Company of One Hundred Associates was

created.

Company of One Hundred Associates

• 1627• Set up by Cardinal de Richelieu (King Louis XIII’s chief minister)• Recruited 100 investors and created this company. • Same deal as before was made (settle, evangelize, exploit the resources= trade monopoly).

Company of One Hundred Associates

•Obligations:- Establish 4000 catholic colonists in 15 years

- Provide them with the essential living supplies for three years

- Help craftspeople to set up shop

It was responsible for the administration of the colony in the name of the king.

Life in New France

•Most people lived in the country.• Families were self-dependent.• Activities• Spring: collected & boiled maple sap, cultivated the land and sowed crops• Summer: made hay and harvested crops• Fall: Preserved food, butchered animals and collected firewood•Winter: Cared for animals in the barn, visited family & neighbors, made furniture & clothing

The Seigneurial System• The territory was organized by the French model known as the seigneurial system. • Did not cost ($) much to operate.

• It developed the land in an orderly way.

The Seigneurial System• Objectives: - To promote the

distribution of the land

- To encourage settlement in New France

More food = Can feed more people = Happy and Healthy

Who lived in the seigneuries?

•The Seigneurs: a lord who receives land called a seigneury. •Seigneuries were located along rivers– mainly the St. Lawrence.

The Seigneurial System•Seigneur’s would live on a large piece of land called the domaine and would build a manor

•The land on the river were divided into lots (rectangular lots) and given to censitaire (settlers).

The Seigneurial System • Seigneurs divided the land into ranges and lots. •He would build roads called montees which connected the ranges of farm.

Seigneurs

Benefits to the Seigneur (very rich)• Being allowed to sit in the front pew • To be served first during mass• To be buried inside the House of God• Received money and produce from the Censitaires

(farmers, Habitants!!!!!)• Received yearly homage (show of respect) from the

people

Seigneurs• Duties of the Seigneur• Be faithful to the King• Keep an account ($$) of the Seigneurie• Bringing in settlers• Making sure the land got cleared• Build Windmill for wheat (bread)• Build a church for the Censitaires (Farmers, ie: Habs)• Paying church taxes (called a tithe)• Making roads, building a mill for the Censitaires’

grain, and to hold a court to settle minor disputes

Censitaire• Benefits to the Censitaire (tenant farmer)– The Censitaire was allowed to use the land– They had the opportunity to grow crops and raise cattle– Received milling

support for his grain

– Was given the chance to attend church

Censitaire• Duties of the Censitaires• To clear his lot and grow crops• To maintain the road near his lot of land• To give 3 to 4 days of free labour to the

Seigneur per year• To pay homage to the Seigneur• To pay church taxes (a tithe) equal to

1/26th of their grain harvest; used for building and operating the church.• To grind his grain at the Seigneur’s

flourmill

The problems with the Company of 100 Associates • Franco-English rivalries • Beginning in the 17th century, English settle on

the east coast. • They had the same goal as France: • Acquire territory and resources

CONFLICT

Franc0-English Rivalries • There were several attacks and the company

suffered because of them. • Debt: they were unable to send ships to Canada

and couldn’t fulfill their obligations.

Engages • To pay debts: • Leased monopoly to other traders

who also must help to settle the colony.

• These other traders bring in engages• Engage: craftspeople, domestic or

agricultural workers. • Must stay for three years and then

they could stay or leave. • 50% of the engages left.

Communaute des Habitants• 1645: C100A Leased its Monopoly to the Communautes des Habitants.

• PROBLEM: conflict between the leading families and the colonists, as well as wars with the Iroquois.

PROBLEM• 1648-1649: Iroquois wipe out the Huron (trading partners of the French in the Great Lakes). Attack other trade allies of the French.

• This made trade of fur extremely hard.

1663: Company of One Hundred Associates handed the colony back to France.

Company of 100 Associates• 1608-1663 – Company didn’t bring settlers as they promised the King. This led to a large, under populated & undefended New France.