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Nov 20, 1520
Amerindian Chiefs
In Amerindian tradition, one person can't make executive decisions, but there can be a chief. The chief was a spokesperson who represented the group. If an Algonquian hunter was particularly well spoken he might be chosen as a chief for trading with other Aboriginals. Iroquoian chiefs had to be excellent warriors as well as good orators. -
Nov 24, 1550
Animism
Aboriginal people were animists meaning they believed that everything had an immortal spirit. This was seen in their relationship with the environment, especially when hunting and fishing. They took special care of animals that they had just killed because they believe that the animal had given itself to them. They also believed that certain spirits were evil and had the power to cause harm. To avoid the disfavor of these spirits, Aboriginal peoples tried to appease them in a variety of ways. -
Nov 25, 1550
The Shaman (Shamanism)
The shaman was used to communicate with the spirit world since most aboriginals couldn't but could not impose their will on the group like the chief. The shaman would be summoned to explain the meaning of a dream that the dreamer could not understand.They were considered to be people who had special access to the world of spirits, -
Nov 20, 1551
Cultural Consequences with the Europeans
There were many consequences on Amerindian culture with the arrival of the Europeans. The Europeans brought with them tools and utensils made of iron, steel and brass which gradually became integrated into Aboriginal culture. Amerindian groups started wearing wool and cotton clothes, European materials. As for food, sedentary Aboriginal peoples slowly introduced new vegetables such as onions, cucumbers as well as bread. They also started waging war with metal weapons instead of bows and arrows. -
Absolutism
Absolutism is a political ideology where the ruler "receives" his power directly from God and was God’s representative on earth.
Before 1663, royal absolutism was the control the king had over the chartered companies. They had to answer to the king, who had the power to stop them. Royal absolutism also was apparent on the design of the colony. The doors of the fort of Quebec City were decorated with the coat of arms of the French Monarchy. -
Everyday Practices Of The Residences Of New France
The colonists changed the French Style of living to a Canadien-Style. They wore a winter coat with a hood and fastened at the waist with a belt. They wore moccasins instead of shoes and clogs. Most colonists wore a hat or a woolen tuque. The colonists also used Aboriginal means of travel such as snowshoes, sleds and canoes. they introduced native products into their diets such as squash, corn and maple syrup. They also discovered pipe tobacco. -
The Catholic Church
The Catholic Church was present in almost every part of New France culture. The Church had the power to excommunicate those who didn't have the same viewpoint as them. The priests were in charge of parishes and worked as missionaries while the Nuns worked in Hospitals and in schools. Sunday was a no work day so people went to church where they would socialize. The Church also collected money through the church tax called a tithe. -
The Catholic Church In Aboriginal Communities
Representatives of the Catholic Church were present from the beginning of colonization. and tried to convert Aboriginal peoples to the Catholic faith to make New France a Catholic society. In order to do that, catholic missionaries settled in Aboriginal villages to teach them the Catholic faith. But, in order to convert Aboriginal people, they had to learn their languages. Therefore, this was the first case of Europeans documenting Aboriginal languages. -
Conciliation and Collaboration from 1760 to 1840
With the new British authorities the colony had to modify its policies to suit the new colony. The Royal Proclamation was to make the Canadiens British colonists but they had to make changes in order to secure loyalty to the Crown. Therefore the new leaders decided to only partially implement the proclamation and allowed for a bishop to be appointed. This made the recruitment of priests possible. In return the church threatened excommunication for all people who supported to the American Revolts -
British Merchants’ Demands from 1760 to 1840
Thanks to the press, liberal ideas spread and soon turned into political demands. French laws were still present in the colony, which did not allow for a political representation of the people. British Merchants wanted the same rights as British subjects in Britain: the right to be represented in Parliament, the right not to be detained without reason, freedom of expression and of the press. However, they would deny these rights to the Canadiens because they were not Protestants. -
Demands of the Canadien Professionals and Merchants
Towards the end of the 18th century, liberalist ideas in population was connected to the growth of liberal professions. Some of those people were Canadiens and demanded the establishment of a legislative assembly through petition. Liberal Canadiens made their ideas public through the press. But only one paper defended the separation of Church and state and denounced the Canadien nobility and clergy, who were against the establishment of a legislative assembly. -
The Development of the Partisan Press After 1791
During 1784 and 1785 British authorities granted a legislative assembly. However a Canadien majority was elected during the Lower Canada elections. Conflict quickly grew between Canadien and British representatives and lead to the formation of Parti Canadien and British Party. They attacked each other in the House and in newspapers. Quebec Mercury encouraged the fusion of the two Canadas to make Canadiens a minority. Le Canadien promoted reformist liberalism through a responsible government. -
The Church in the 19th century
In the 1840s, the bishop of Montreal obtained permission to summon monks and nuns from France. This Increased the number of Church representatives in the colony. The Catholic Church was able to be involved in all levels of education due to the educations laws in the 1840s. Higher education was accessible to only a few people.
Girls were not allowed in school but The few run by nuns that were open to girls concentrated on domestic life. The Church imposed its values by way of these institutions. -
Anticlericalism
Despite the growth of Ultramontanism, some people continued have liberal beliefs. In 1844, intellectuals in Montreal founded the Institut Canadien de Montreal, a place for intellectual discussion. This organization offended the church and the bishop requested members to conform to Church Degrees, which caused some to leave. Those who stayed began to push for the separation of Church and state. They believed that the clergy shouldn't meddle or censor political cultural and intellectual life. -
Feminism
During the 19th century, charitable associations start up. They're made up of British and French women who believed that they had to concern themselves with education and health as mothers but they were limited because they couldn’t vote. Therefore, they added feminists views to their demands. This didn't go so well with opponents like The Church and survival nationalists who saw the education of women and the granting of political rights as threat. Despite that women obtained the right to vote -
Church Conservatism and Mass Culture
The 20th century saw many technological advancements such as the invention of motion pictures, the radio and the expansion of sports teams. However, This clashed with the Catholic Church's traditional way of life. Therefore In the 1920s, the bishop published several letters in which they shunned dancing movies and theatres. They also tried to close theatres and tried to keep sunday as a holy day. It was mostly a failure but they did manage to ban some films. -
French Canadian Nationalism between 1920 and 1950
French Canadian nationalists blamed capitalism and industrial development for the Great Depression. In response, nationalists brought back the themes of survival. Beginning in the 1920s they viewed Agriculturalism as a way to counter urbanization and insisted that French Canadians control their economy to reduce their economic dependence and ensure survival. However, rural life was only possible through agriculture and colonization so they counted on cooperatism to raise the capital. -
Americanism
After World War 2, Quebec's economy was very prosperous. Since there was more money, people had a better lifestyle and more time to spent. This brought new habits of consumption like many people buying televisions and going more to dances and music and theatres shows. This is what is known as Americanism. -
Secularism
With Americanism, People started questioning traditionalism and the influence of the Catholic Church on Quebec's society. The main critics of traditionalism were artists and intellectuals who believed that the Catholic Church was responsible the province's cultural backwardness. They wanted the separation of the Church and state but Duplessis defended the Church. However, The death of Duplessis brought interventionism where the state took over education, health and social services. -
Nationalization and Secularization of education
With Duplessis gone, Jean Lesage’s Liberal provincial government introduced new measures concerning education. School was made free and mandatory until 15 and in 1964, the Ministry of Education was created. With this creation, the Catholic Church lost its grip on education. However, the creation of Catholic and Protestant private schools was still allowed since the education system remained confessional. -
The State and Culture
During the mid 20th century, the state began to encourage creative activity in visual arts, music, theatre, etc. Production agencies began to emerge in the fields of television broadcasting and film. In 1961, the Government of Quebec set up a film board and encouraged the hosting of events that promoted Quebec’s cultural influence. This exposure led to Montreal hosting of the 1967 World’s fair, and the 1876 Olympics. This brought Quebec to the attention of the rest of the world. -
Nationalism from 1950 to 1995 (Part 1)
In the 1960s, the idea of “nation” was associated with the territory of Quebec. Inspired by the decolonization movements found in Africa, the rally for national independance (RIN) was founded in 1960 and promoted nationalism.They argued that independence would free them from colonialism and viewed the French language and culture as the main characteristics of the nation. -
Nationalism from 1950 to 1995 (Part 2)
RIN also followed socialism and believed that an independent Quebec should intervene in order to control the economy and correct the distribution of wealth without eliminating private business. In 1967, Levesque founded SAM who believed that an independent Quebec would allow to defend the economy, culture, and political interests of French Canadians. The two groups ended up merging to form the Parti Quebecois. They held two referendums to separate Quebec From Canada but both failed. -
Feminism from the 1960s to the 1980s
Feminist groups demanded pressured for equality between men and women. The Front de Liberation des femmes were radical feminists and supported an independent Quebec. They did this because they believed that women should fight for freedom from oppression. They saw this as inseparable from women’s liberation. Feminists didn't only fight for themselves, they fought against discrimination of color, sexual orientation, age appearance or physical disability, as well as the fight against poverty. -
Aboriginalism
Starting in the 1970s, Aboriginal peoples began to assert their concept of the nation. They felt put to the side due to large hydroelectric projects which required the flooding of lands of Aboriginal people. They hoped that Canada would recognize their rights and consider their point of view. In response, the provincial government signed the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement in 1975 as well as the promise to consult the Inuit and that Innus regarding events that concern them.
