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Part 3New France from 1663 to 1701

HIS304 - Chapter 2

Establishment of a royal government in 1663

• The Company of 100 Associates failed to fulfill its obligation to populate the colony

– It’s trade monopoly was revoked in 1663

• 1663: Louis XIV est. royal government in New France

• It had two objectives:

1. Increase population of the colony

2. Stimulate the exploitation of the colony’s resources AND diversify its economy

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Animated Chart

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Absolutism (the divine right of kings)

• An ideology according to which a sovereign holds absolute power bestowed on him or her by God.

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Absolutism cont.

• Even though New France was 1000s of kms away, it was still under the complete control of the king of France

• All key political, economic and military decisions were made in France

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Minister of the marine

• Under the authority of the king, he supervised the colonies

• Gave directives to the governor general (military) and intendant (administrative) about:

– Economy, administration, diplomacy with Indigenous peoples, strategies for population, etc.

• The GG and the intendant had to submit a yearly report to the minister on these objectives

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Royal jurisdictions

• Quebec

• Trois-Rivieres

• Montreal

• Each was led by a regional governor AND a sub-delegate of the intendant

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Military organization and the security of the colony

• Governor General oversaw New France’s military affairs

• Two types of soldiers:

– Regular soldiers

– Militia men

• REGULAR SOLDIERS were trained for official warfare

• They wore official uniforms and were paid wages

• During peace, they acted as police

• MILITIAMEN were not part of the army

• They responded to the governor general’s orders

• They were rarely paid.

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The security and defence of the colony

• In 1665, the king sent 1200 soldiers to New France

• Principal mission was to ensure the security and defence of the colony, and to fight the Iroquois

• The king also ordered the militiamen to build forts to defend the colony’s vital cities (Quebec and Montreal)

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The Iroquois threat

• With the arrival of the Carignan-Salieres regiment, three nations in the Iroquois Confederacy finally proposed a peace agreement

• The Mohawk and Oneida remained hostile

• The French retaliated by burning Mohawk villages

• A peace treaty was finally signed with the Mohawk and Oneida in 1667

Peace with the French

recommended by 3 out of 5

Iroquois Nations!5 out of 5

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Population growth

• Because men greatly outnumbered women, Jean-Baptiste Colbert (Minister of the Marine) and Jean Talon (the first intendant) recruited young, unmarried women to come to the colony

• These women were called the Filles du Roy

• From 1663-1673, some 770 Filles du Roy came to New France

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Filles du RoyA young French woman, orphaned and poor, sent to the colony at the state’s expense to marry a colonist.

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Consequences of the Filles du Roy

• Population growth nearly doubled (from 3000 to 7659 residents)

• French became the standardized language in the colony, because the filles du roywere from Paris

Filles du Roy by the numbers

• 15-40 years old (avg. 24)

• 41% were given a dowry of 50 pounds by Louis XIV

• Usually married within a few weeks

• Each given a “hope chest” filled with necessary provisions

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The social and geographic origins of immigrants

• Most individuals were farmers, labourers or craftspeople from France

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Rate of natural increase

• Population growth was mainly a result of natural increase

• The quality of life in the Vallee du Saint-Laurent (lots of food and quality water) encouraged a high birth rate and a moderate mortality rate

Rate of Natural IncreaseThe difference between the number of births and the number of deaths per 1000 of a population in one year

Birth RateThe number of live births per 1000 of a population in one year

Mortality RateThe number of deaths per 1000 of a population in one year

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Economic diversification efforts

• Fur was New France’s number one resource

• But, it also had other resources like timber and metals

• France was eager to develop these other resources

– A more prosperous colony = a wealthier kingdom

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Tar WorksA place where tar is made.

TanneryA place where animal hide is transformed into leather.

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The results of economic measures

• Jean Talon’s efforts did not work

• Agricultural surpluses did not exist

– Farmers were too busy clearing their land to produce enough for export

• Transportation of timber was too expensive

• France was the only market; when she stopped buying, New France had no other buyers

• So, the economy was still largely based on fur

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Well, I’ll be dammed…

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Reorganization of the fur trade

• In 1663, all residents could take part in the fur trade

• Some colonists became coureurs de bois

• In fact, so many participated, the fur trade was threatened with overproduction

• To remedy this, in 1681, the Minister of the Marine began issuing conges de traite (trade licences) to regulate the fur trade

• The Governor General issued 25 licences per year

• Some licence holders contracted the work to voyageurs

• Some colonists still participated in the fur trade illegally

Coureurs de boisColonists who participated in the fur trade

Conges de traiteA licence granted by the governor general to individuals engaged in the fur trade.

VoyageursA person hired by someone who holds a conges de traite to trade with the Indigenous people

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The beaver crisis

• Fur was still overexploited

• Supply exceed demand and prices dropped

• In 1696, the French authorities responded by closing hunting territories and trading posts

• Some people condemned these policies, who felt that these posts and forts should be preserved in order to maintain relations with the Indigenous people

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I feel used… Kind of chewed up and… oh… I finally get how trees

feel….

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Territorial expansion of New France

• During the 2nd half of the 17th century (1650+) the French began exploring the interior of the continent

1. Merchants wanted to expand the trade networks

2. The French state wanted to control the territories before the English got there

3. Catholic church wanted to evangelize the Indigenous peoples

• Toward 1700, New France expanded down the Mississippi to Illinois Country and Louisiana

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Video: French Explorations in the Second Half of the 17th CenturyHIS304 - Chapter 2

Indigenous warfare and diplomacy

• To achieve their goals, France had a network of alliances with Indigenous peoples

• These Indigenous peoples were generally from the Pays d’en Haut

• The main French enemy was the Iroquois Confederacy

• In 1701, The Great Peace of Montreal was signed by the Iroquois Confederacy, ending the Iroquois wars

– Accepted by 4o Indigenous nations

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