Administrative Structure Quiz (1663-)

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Questions and Answers

What was the primary role of the governor general in the administrative structure under the Royal government?

Responsible for drafting laws and overseeing court decisions

Responsible for defense and relations with outside groups/nations (correct)

Responsible for managing trade and economic policies

Responsible for civil administration and financial matters

What was the main function of the Sovereign Council in New France's administrative structure?

To manage local disputes through seigneurial courts

To train and drill militia units

To oversee the collection of taxes from merchants

To create minor laws and serve as an appeal court (correct)

What characterized the assemblies convened under the Royal government?

They were advisory bodies with no obligation on authorities to act (correct)

They had the power to legislate on behalf of the governor

They represented the interests of the clergy only

They were fully democratic institutions with binding authority

How many levels of court were established in New France, from least to most authoritative?

Three: seigneurial courts, royal courts, Sovereign Council (D) Signup and view all the answers

What was one of the consequences of crime in New France according to the judicial system?

Serious crimes sometimes involved torture for information (D) Signup and view all the answers

What role did nobles play within the social system of New France?

They received military positions and seigneurial grants (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was a characteristic of merchants in New France?

They established good relations with the government for contracts (A) Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes tradesmen in New France from those in France?

Anyone could offer services without regulation (D) Signup and view all the answers

What was the situation for day laborers in New France?

They primarily did seasonal, unskilled work (B) Signup and view all the answers

What legal privilege did clergy enjoy in New France?

They were exempt from military service (D) Signup and view all the answers

What role did indentured servants play in the population growth of New France?

They worked for a specified number of years before receiving land. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What was one reason for the negative perception of New France in France?

It was viewed as cold, inhospitable, and dangerous. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How did the French government encourage the settlement of military men in New France?

By awarding them permanent discharges for settling. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What demographic trend was observed in New France by the year 1700?

There was an average of five to six surviving children per family. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why did fewer people migrate to New France compared to other colonies?

French inheritance laws ensured children received land. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How did the policies regarding marriage and childbirth contribute to population growth in New France?

Land availability encouraged early marriages and many births. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the gender ratio like in New France before the 1660s?

A six-to-one ratio of men to women. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the impact of the high birth rates and stable living conditions in New France?

The population increased significantly over the century. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which group was largely excluded from settling in New France?

Protestants from France. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What consequence did the relatively small population of New France have for its military value?

It weakened its military capability and bargaining power. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What impact did the fall of Huronia have on French colonists?

It created a significant market for agricultural products. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was Bishop Laval's stance on the liquor trade with Indigenous peoples?

He tried to stop it but faced strong opposition. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What event is Adam Dollard des Ormeaux famous for?

Leading a failed ambush against a large Iroquois force. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What led to the Iroquois signing a peace treaty with New France in 1701?

Their economy was devastated by disease. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary goal of Jean-Baptiste Colbert for New France?

To make it a prosperous and self-sustaining colony. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What was a duty of the seigneur under the seigneurial system?

To provide plots of land to every applicant. (C) Signup and view all the answers

How did the French fur trade evolve after the Huron's decline?

French traders began to go inland themselves. (C) Signup and view all the answers

How successful were Jean Talon's initiatives in New France?

They were unsuccessful due to resource deficiencies. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What strategically significant measure did Louis XIV take regarding New France in 1663?

Established it as a royal province. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was one major challenge the mast industry in New France faced in the 1680s?

High transportation costs for overseas shipping. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What factor contributed to the animosity between the Iroquois and the Huron?

Rivalry in the fur trade (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was one consequence of the Iroquois attacks on Huronia in 1649?

The Huron Confederacy was destroyed (B) Signup and view all the answers

Why did many Huron believe Jesuits were responsible for diseases affecting their population?

Huron accepted Jesuits as shamans (A) Signup and view all the answers

What impact did the economic and military incentives from French officials have on Huron conversion?

They improved the fur trade for Christian Huron (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was a primary reason for the Huron's inability to defend against Iroquois attacks?

Internal divisions among the Huron (C) Signup and view all the answers

What motivated the Iroquois to seek control over Huron territories according to neo-liberal scholars?

To secure new fur-hunting territory (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which factor did NOT contribute to the decline of the Huron Confederacy?

Successful diplomatic relations with Iroquois (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about Jesuit missions among the Huron is true?

Jesuits adopted some Huron beliefs in their teachings (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was the aftermath of the Iroquois attacks for the remaining Huron population?

They assimilated into Iroquois tribes (B) Signup and view all the answers

What was one of the reasons the French did not supply the Huron with more guns?

They believed it would lead to further conflict with Iroquois (A) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Administrative Structure (1663-)

Governor General: Top official, responsible for defense and relations with external groups.
Intendant: Second-in-command, handled justice, finances, civil administration, policing, defense construction, and soldier provisions/pay.
Sovereign Council: Main administrative body, created minor laws and acted as an appeals court. Composed of the bishop, attorney general, colonial executives, governor general, and intendant. Mostly judicial, legislative functions delegated to the intendant.
Captain of Militia: Led and drilled militia units, sometimes carrying out intendant's orders. Unpaid, yet prestigious position.
Assemblies: Bodies occasionally called for public input, representing a limited form of consultation, but authorities were not obliged to listen. This system was not democratic, only providing some limited avenues for public input.
Judicial System: Three tiers: seigneurial courts, royal courts, and the Sovereign Council (final appeals court). Decisions from lower courts could be appealed. Torture was used for serious crimes and punishments for convictions were severe (fines, flogging, hanging).. Crime rates in New France were low.

Nobles: Held key government and military positions and most seigneurial grants. Involved in trade to a lesser extent. Income from grants was often insufficient for a living standard; primarily sought prestige, hoped for increased land income in the future, and some engaged in trade. Often became dependent on government assistance, aristocratic daughters became nuns.
Clergy: Enjoyed legal privileges, including exemption from military service.
Merchants: Cultivated good relations with the government to secure contracts. Generally hard-working, frugal, and invested in businesses. Provisioning the king's troops was a means for financial gain. Not many merchants amassed great wealth.
Tradesmen: Small-scale contractors (e.g., stonemasons, tanners, tavern keepers, metal workers, wig makers). Unlike France, trades were not heavily regulated in New France, practically anyone could offer services. Surgeons required licenses.
Day Laborers: Engaged in unskilled, often seasonal work (e.g., carpentry, unloading ships). Struggled to make ends meet, often relying on charity due to seasonal nature of employment.
Regular Soldiers: Possessed few rights and received very low pay. Came from France, and had less rights than day laborers. Could potentially earn money by working for individuals, but had little personal autonomy and promotion prospects were limited. Primarily lower class.
Slaves: Predominately of African heritage, and many Native captives. Brought in, worked as domestic servants for the elite.

Indigenous Relations and Conflicts

Iroquois Confederacy: Formed before European contact, between 1475 and 1525. Huron's refusal to join fueled Iroquois hatred; fur trade rivalry exacerbated tensions.
Jesuits and Huron: French demanded Huron allow Jesuits into their villages; some Hurons viewed Jesuits as evil shamans, and disease attributed to them.
Huronia Destruction (1649): Iroquois attacked and eliminated Huronia; missionaries Jean de Brebeuf and Gabriel Lalement were tortured to death. Hurons fled; many died of starvation or were absorbed into Iroquois tribes.
Reasons for Iroquois attacks on Huronia:
- Historical animosity between the Huron and Iroquois Confederacies.
- Economic motives (neo-liberal arguments) to access or control fur trade.
- Striving for tribal security (relativist arguments) and desire for territorial buffer zones.
Iroquois Success: Disparity in weaponry (Iroquois had significantly more firearms). French policy favored Huron converts, resulting in their under-armament. Failure of French officials to anticipate the Iroquois’ strength.
Consequences of Huron Fall: Provided new agricultural markets for French settlers, stimulated farming, and opened inland fur trade routes for Europeans.
Bishop Laval: Unsuccessfully opposed the liquor trade with Indigenous peoples; opposed by governors.
Marguerite Bourgeoys: Established schools in Montreal, founding the Congregation de Notre Dame. Reduced illiteracy in the colony.
New France Besieged (1650-1653, 1658): Iroquois attacks on settlements; peace treaty in 1653, renewed hostilities in 1658.
Adam Dollard des Ormeaux: Led a small group in an ambush against Iroquois; considered a hero, but may have also been motivated by a desire to steal Iroquois furs instead.
French Response: French troops committed to protecting New France. 1666 offensive against Mohawk; 1667 treaty, enduring tensions with Iroquois. Resumed hostilities in 1684, culminating in reprisals and war against Seneca Iroquois. Iroquois, with support from New York, attacked Lachine in 1689, resulting in settler deaths and captivity.
Madeleine de Verchères: Defended her family farm from Iroquois attack, symbol of colonial resilience

New France's Economic Development (1663-)

Royal Province (1663): Louis XIV designates New France a royal province, aiming to integrate it into France's mercantile economy. Colonial raw materials and captive markets to boost France's economy.
Colbert's Plan: Minister of colonies, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, established a triangular trade model (France, New France, West Indies). Focused on creating a self-sufficient "compact colony" centered along the St Lawrence River.
Colonist Initiatives: Attempts to develop the timber industry, mining, beer/footwear manufacture, and shipping fish/agricultural products – mostly unsuccessful. Colonial resource limitations and market distances. Challenges in transporting goods and issues with resource suitability for ship building, preventing colony's economic expansion.
Seigneurial System: King owned land, grants given to seigneurs who then granted land to censitaires (tenants). 1663, reduced land grants and returned uncultivated land to the Crown to encourage production. Seigneurs’ obligations included land grants to farmer applicants, and building grain mills. Rents and other payments were exchanged.
Population Growth: Encouragingly, French tried to increase population by sending engages (indentured servants), military men, and filles du roi (young women) to increase the population of New France; This significantly contributed to population growth. However, few Europeans moved to New France due to availability of land and inheritance rights in Europe, a negative perception of New France as well as religious limitations. Despite this, marriages were younger than in France and birth rates were unusually high. This demographic success increased the population from 3,000 in 1663 to 70,000 a century later.

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Description

Test your knowledge of the administrative structure established in 1663 and understand the roles of key officials such as the Governor General and Intendant. Explore how the Sovereign Council functioned and the limited role of assemblies in governance. This quiz provides insights into the non-democratic features of the system.