History of New France and Quebec City

The process of claiming land and establishing settlements for the benefit of a mother country.

A territory ruled by another state, which exploits its resources.

A state that possesses colonies or territories outside its own territory.

A territory taken over by Europeans to exploit natural resources and trade goods. Only a small number of people who live temporarily.

A territory taken over by Europeans to exploit natural resources and settle permanently.

Samuel de Champlain established the first permanent settlement of New France in 1608, marking the beginning of French presence in North America.

Quebec City was strategically located on a hilltop where the St Lawrence River narrows, making it easy to control trade and navigation.

The first fortified trading post built in Quebec City by Champlain's group was named L'Abitation. This made New France primarily a fur trading colony.

Louis Hebert and his family were the first settlers to cultivate crops in New France. Their arrival signalled the development of agriculture in the colony.

Champlain explored the region, discovering several important waterways. He is remembered for his extensive explorations and role in establishing New France.

Samuel de Champlain, a French explorer, established the first permanent settlement in New France, known as Quebec City, back in 1608.

The strategic choice of Quebec City's location was influenced by a combination of factors that favored the fur trade and secured the colony's safety. Accessibility on the St. Lawrence River, the natural defense provided by a hilltop, and the proximity to Indigenous allies made Quebec City an ideal location for fur trade operations.

Champlain's contributions to the colony extended beyond exploration and trade. He played a crucial role in establishing a diverse community featuring farmers, religious orders, and soldiers, all of whom contributed to the growth of New France.

Louis Hebert, the first farmer in New France, arrived in 1617, bringing agricultural expertise to the colony. Hebert's presence marked a crucial step in establishing a self-sufficient community.

The Company of a Hundred Associates, founded in 1627, played a key role in managing the fur trade, contributing substantially to the colony's economic development.

The most important economic activity for exports in a certain time and place.

An economic theory where a country's power is measured by its gold supply. It emphasizes exports over imports and the control of colonies for resources.

The principle of selling more goods than you buy. This was a key aspect of mercantilism.

Colonies are seen as suppliers of raw materials to the mother country, contributing to their wealth and power.

Under mercantilism, all manufactured goods were made in the mother country and sold to the colonies, keeping them dependent.

Mercantilism was practiced through the fur trade in New France, with the fur trade being the primary economic activity.

The goal of Mercantilism. Maximize wealth for the Mother Country by acquiring resources from colonies and selling manufactured goods to them.

A visual representation showing the flow of goods and resources under mercantilism. Colonies provide raw materials to the mother country, which produces manufactured goods and sells them back to the colonies.

The French wanted to strengthen relations with Indigenous peoples to obtain more furs and convert them to Christianity.

The French forged alliances with various Indigenous groups, including the Innu, Maliseet, Algonquian, and Huron-Wendat, in order to secure fur supplies and expand their territory.

French missionaries lived among Indigenous communities to learn their languages and spread Christianity.

The alliances with the Huron-Wendat Confederacy and other groups led to conflicts with the Iroquois Confederacy, who allied with the British, creating a rivalry between the French and British.

The fur trade had a significant impact on the expansion of New France, but also led to conflict and tension.

A land distribution system implemented in New France by the Company of One Hundred Associates designed to develop the land, increase population, attract settlers, and diversify the economy (farming).

Large rectangular plots of land in New France, usually located along the St. Lawrence and Richelieu Rivers.

The river system in New France played a vital role in transportation, communication, and irrigation.

A wealthy individual who owned a seigneury and leased out land to censitaires.

Peasants who rented land (censives) from the seigneur. They comprised the majority of the population (98%).

The fur trade involved Indigenous people hunting animals, bringing the furs to French trading posts, and the French transporting the furs back to France, where they were processed into hats and sold throughout Europe, generating profits that were sent back to France as gold.

The French King granted the Company of 100 Associates a monopoly over the fur trade in New France, giving them exclusive rights to trade furs in exchange for money and bringing settlers to the colony.

Despite the Company of 100 Associates' efforts, the fur trade generated more profit than colony settlements, resulting in a slower growth of the New France population.

The fur trade was a vital economic activity for New France in the 17th century, contributing to the French King's finances and the development of the colony.

The fur trade in New France involved a complex network of people, from Indigenous trappers to French merchants, all contributing to the flow of goods and profits.

Unpaid labor that a Censitaire owed to the Seigneur, typically for three days each year.

Land that was shared by all Censitaires living within a seigneurie, used mainly for grazing animals.

The obligation of a Censitaire to use the Seigneur's flour mill for grinding grain.

The Iroquois, allied with the English, sought to eliminate the Huron from the fur trade. They attacked and destroyed Huronia in 1649, forcing survivors to relocate near Quebec City.

The French, after the Huron's demise, aimed for new fur sources, propelling New France's expansion across the continent.

The intense competition for fur among French and British colonies ignited recurring conflicts.

The 1645 map portrays New France as a confined territory in the St Lawrence River Valley, while the 1745 map shows its expansion towards the Great Lakes and westwards.

The maps depict New France, the Thirteen Colonies, and Spanish Colonies, highlighting the different colonial powers vying for control of North America.

New France's expansion into North America brought it into conflict with the English Thirteen Colonies, who also desired to profit from the fur trade.

The English colonies saw New France's westward growth as a threat to their own expansion and control over the valuable fur trade.

The competition for resources and territory between New France and the English colonies eventually led to armed conflicts, ultimately culminating in the conquest of New France by the British in 1760.

The English Thirteen Colonies wanted access to the west for expansion and feared losing control of the lucrative fur trade to New France.

The rivalry over land, resources, and especially the fur trade, escalated into open warfare between New France and the English colonies, leading to the eventual British conquest of New France in 1760.