Life in New France

1
Life in New France

• Canadian History XI

2
Key Points in this Power

• I. Quebec and the fur trade (1608)
• The Company of 100 Associates (Company of New
  France)
• II. Louis XIV and the Creation of New France
• Government
• Military
• The Seigneurial System
• Engagés and slaves
• Filles de Roi
• III. Population growth
• IV. Women in New France
• Gender roles
• Women and the Law
• Women Religious

3
Company of 100 Associates

• Created in 1627 by Cardinal Richelieu
• Given control of fur trade
• In return had to populate New France

4
Cardinal Richelieu
5
Company of 100 Associates

• Cancelled in 1663 by Louis XIV
• They had not fulfilled their part of the bargain
• Appointed Jean-Baptiste Colbert

6
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
7
Government of New France

• Hierarchical and rigidly structured
• 2 most powerful people
• Governor
• Intendant
• Third most powerful was the Bishop

8

• Louis XIV/Colbert?
• Governor (Military)Intendant (Justice/Finances)
  ?
• Bishop of the Catholic Church?
• Military officers, merchants, church leaders,
  seigneurs ?Habitants (Filles de Roi)
  (96.5-97 of population)?Engagés/Domestic
  Servants/Slaves

9
Catholic Church

• Bishop appointed by King
• Church disproved of sin
• Rules of the Church often reflected in secular
  law as well
• Church and state therefore linked

10
Military

• An important institution
• Officers were part of New France elite
• Non-officers were not
• Military also hierarchical

11
Seigneurial System

• A system of land distribution
• Seigneurs noblemen owned the land and
  rented it to habitants
• Seigneurs had to
• be loyal to the King
• bring settlers to NF from France to settle and
  farm this land called a seigneurie

12
Seigneurial System
13
Seigneurial System
14
Responsibilities of Seigneurs

• Build roads
• Build a mill and an oven for making bread
• Held a court where he was responsible for
  settling any disputes that might arise
• Habitants could not be evicted from their land
  nor could they be prevented from selling their
  lands.

15
Habitants

• The habitant owed his seigneur three or four days
  free labour each year this obligation was called
  a corvée. This was considerably less than
  peasants in France owed their lords.
• The habitant was responsible for keeping the
  section of road (built by the seigneur) which
  crossed his land in good condition.
• The habitant gave one bag of flour for every 14
  in payment for the use of the seigneur's mill
• The habitant had to pay rent in money, if it
  was available, but more often in the form of farm
  produce or fish or some material good
• The habitant also paid a tithe for the upkeep of
  a church and its priest.

16
Engage

• Not habitant or soldier
• Poor unmarried young men
• Worked as servants 3 year contracts
• Could not marry
• Could not conduct trade
• Could be beaten or killed
• Many left, but many stayed in New France

17
Slaves

• New France had slaves
• 300 in Montreal
• Some Africans, but most were Natives
• Not like slavery of US south

18
Filles du Roi

• Most in New France were men
• 1663-1673 King brings over women to marry men
• 770 in total
• Most young (under 25), most orphans

19
Population Growth

• 1660s 3,000
• 1680s 10,000
• 1750s 75,000

20
Reasons for Population Growth

• High fertility
• Low mortality
• Social conditions
• Longer life spans

21
Gender in New France

• Society was patriarchal
• But habitant life sometimes blurred the
  boundaries between mens and womens work
• Gender roles more sharply defined for nobles

22
Women and Law

• Women had some protections under French law

23
Religious Women

• 3.7 of women in New France joined religious
  orders
• Were not cloistered
• The Ursuline Nuns ran a hospital

24
Ursuline Nuns