Culture and Currents of Thought

First Occupants [1500-1608]

Nov 3, 1500

The culture of these different groups was closely related to the environment (nature) in which they lived. The material production and cultural practices of the first occupants were also influenced by their conception of the world, their values, beliefs and their spirituality. Finally, it was impacted through their social relationships and exchanges with other nations.
Communication and exchange
Oral traditions
Song and dance
Ceremonies/feasts

Culture and Currents of Thought

Period: Nov 3, 1500 to Nov 4, 2016

Environment and Social Relationships

Nov 17, 1500

Environment
Had great respect for their environment because they realized it was the reason they were able to survive. They only took what was needed.
Social Relationships
They had respect for elders,
Traditions,
Freedom of actions: (No written laws or private property)

Chiefs

Nov 17, 1501

In nomadic societies, the chiefs were the best hunters and usually had a certain amount of influence. If an Algonquian hunter was particularly well spoken he might be chosen as a spokesperson for the group in trading with other Aboriginal communities. He had no decision-making power. Iroquoian chiefs had to be excellent warriors as well as good orators. Aboriginal nations’ chiefs were not rulers who imposed their decisions and will on those they ruled; rather, they were spokespersons.

Gift Giving and Reciprocal Relationships

Nov 17, 1502

The principle of trade was reciprocity: a gift had to be given in return for every gift received, a practice whose goal was to maintain harmonious relationships between groups. These trades were an occasion for festivities. During the feasts, Chiefs would exchange gifts. These rituals were designed to preserve friendly relationships between groups.

Aboriginal Spirituality

Nov 17, 1503

Aboriginal people were animists (Belief that the spirits of all objects were immortal, and existed outside of the bodies housing them.) They took care of animals that they had killed because they believe that the only way it was killed was because the animal gave itself to them. Aboriginal peoples believed that certain spirits were evil and malicious and had the power to cause harm to humans. Dreams and smoke were ways they used to communicate with spirits.

The Shaman (Shamanism)

Nov 17, 1504

The shaman was an intermediary between aboriginal peoples and the spirits whose goodwill they hoped to attract. The shaman would be called upon to explain the meaning of a dream that the dreamer could not understand. Shamans were considered to be people who had special access to the world of spirits, which showed themselves to the shaman more frequently and more clearly. Shaman, like chiefs, could not impose their will on the group.

Cultural Consequences with the Europeans

Nov 17, 1506

The Europeans brought with them tools and utensils made of iron, steel, and brass. These objects slowly found their way into Aboriginal culture. The Europeans also introduced the wearing of wool and cotton. For food, sedentary Aboriginal peoples slowly introduced new vegetables that the Europeans already knew about. Aboriginal peoples fought their wars with bows, knives, and clubs. Rifles made their Aboriginal wars more deadly. However, it was more specifically epidemics that killed them.

French Regime [1608-1760]

Nov 18, 1608

The French imported many elements of their culture, including the catholic religion. This state religion, which the French tried to impose on the Aboriginal peoples through missions, had a significant influence on the colony’s social organization and culture.
The colony was also under royal absolutism, which characterized the political organization of France.

Absolutism in the Colony

Nov 18, 1636

Before 1663, royal absolutism made its mark mostly through the control the king exerted over the chartered companies that he granted exploitation monopolies. The extent of the powers of the governor and the intendant, who were appointed by the king, were also indicative of royal absolutism. Royal absolutism also left its mark on the visual landscape of the colony. The doors of the fortifications of Quebec City were decorated with the coat of arms of the French monarchy.

The Catholic Church and Aboriginal Missions

Nov 20, 1637

Representatives of the Catholic Church (missionaries or Jesuits) came to convert Aboriginal peoples to the Catholic faith, to instruct the population and to make New France a Catholic society. The Church had all the Power and if you did not obey you would be excommunicated.
Priests job(s): parishes and missionaries.
Nuns job(s): Hospitals and schools
Priests were trained at the Seminary and only the brightest could go there to study.
Money was collected through the church tax called a tithe.

The Clergy among Aboriginal Peoples

Nov 20, 1639

The Ursulines settled in Quebec City in 1639, where they founded an institution intended for the ​religious education of young Aboriginal women. They also looked after teaching the city’s young French women.

British Regime [1760-1876]

Nov 20, 1760

The conquest entailed a change of empire and a growing number of British people were immigrating. These changes went hand-in-hand with the spread of new intellectual movements such as liberalism and nationalism. The 1837-1838 uprisings and the subsequent passing of the Act of Union in 1840 enabled the church to increase its influence over colonial society. The presence and influence of the Church promoted expression of ultramontanism which led to the transformation of nationalism and liberalism.

Conciliation and Collaboration from 1760-1840

Nov 20, 1763

The catholic church benefited from privileges under the French but now British authorities had to modify their policies. The objective of the Royal Proclamation and instructions sent by the king in 1763 to Governor Murray was to make the Canadiens British colonists and, therefore, Anglophones and Anglicans. The British Government had to make concessions in order to secure loyalty to the Crown.

Continuation

Nov 20, 1764

Catholic clergy and Canadian nobility were the population’s elite. They were capable of influencing and exerting some authority. The new leaders partially implement the Royal Proclamation and allowed for a bishop to be appointed in Quebec City in 1766. This appointment ensured the Catholic Church’s survival.
Between 1774 and 1776 (American Revolution) the church threatened excommunication for all Canadiens who offered support to the rebel army.

Liberalism in the Colony

Nov 20, 1765

Thanks to the press, liberal ideas spread and soon turned into political demands. These demands were formulated by the British - merchants, among others, who had immigrated to the colony after the Conquest, but also by some Canadien professionals and merchants who followed liberal ideas. Meanwhile, during the 1830s, some Canadiens adopted a radical position, which led to the rebellions of 1837-1838.

The British Merchants’ Demands

Nov 20, 1766

These merchants noticed that the French laws were still in effect in the colony and didn't allow for a political representation of the people. Under the constitutional monarchy, the following fundamental individual rights were guaranteed by law:
Sharing of power between the monarch and the people.
The right to be represented in Parliament
Habeas corpus (which granted British subjects the right not to be detained arbitrarily or without due process)
Freedom of expression, and freedom of the press.

Imperialism

Nov 20, 1767

(Ideology that advocated the political, cultural, economic and/or military domination exerted by the Mother Country on the Colony.)
With the change of empire, the English Canadians were imperialists, meaning that they believed in Great Britain exerting its control over the colony.

Demands of the Canadien Professionals and Merchants

Nov 20, 1770

The expression of liberalism among the population was connected to the growth of liberal professions. These professionals (joined by some Canadiens) demanded through petition the establishment of a legislative assembly. Liberal Canadiens made their ideas public through the press. One early 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

Nov 20, 1792

Between 1784 and 1785, British authorities granted Habeas corpus. In 1791, the Constitutional Act passed and legislative assembly was granted to the colony. In 1792, the first elections in Lower Canada. A Canadien majority was elected. In the Legislative Assembly, tensions developed between Canadien and British representatives. This leads to the formation of two parties, Parti Canadien and British Party. The parties attacked one another in the House and in newspapers (creation of partisan press)

Nationalism and Republicanism in 1830s

Nov 20, 1830

French Canadians got the idea of Canadien Nationalism, they wanted their own government and wanted to live in a French Catholic nation. English wanted the Canada to be run like a British Colony with English and Protestantism. After the failure of the Patriotes rebellions, some of the French Canadians adopted a more radical point of view when it came to nationalism. This became known as republicanism. Like nationalism, French Canadian republicans wanted to protect the French language and culture.

Ultramontanism from 1840-1867

Nov 20, 1840

After 1840, as liberal ideas were gaining traction, the Church wanted to reclaim its authority. So, ultramontanism came to be. Ultramontanists wanted the Church to dominate in every way. In the 1840s, the bishop of Montreal obtained permission to summon new monks and nuns from France. Ultramontanists believed that Catholics should leave not only religious and moral matters but also those concerning culture and politics, up to the Church.

The Church, Education and Social Services

Nov 20, 1840

Denominational school system was established and remained in place until the Quiet Revolution. The Catholic Church was involved in all levels of education. Education was not compulsory at the time but the literacy rate among the French Canadian population increased. Higher education remained accessible to only a minority of peoples, and girls were not admitted. The few schools open to girls concentrated on domestic life. They were run by nuns. The Church imposed its values in these institutions.

Anticlericalism After 1840

Nov 20, 1844

Anticlericalism is the opinion that the clergy had no right to meddle in political life or censor cultural and intellectual life. After 1840, liberal ideas continued to spread through the press. In 1844, some French Canadians opened the Institut Canadien de Montreal, a place for intellectual discussion. The Church was very much opposed to this. This offended the church. In 1858, the bishop requested members to conform to Church Degrees, which caused some to leave the Institut.

Contemporary Period [1867-present]

Nov 20, 1867

Industrial development required the investment of large amounts of capital as well as an abundant labor​ force (to work cheaply).
British Elite = Capital Needed
Rich get richer = capitalism
Capitalism and industrialization left their mark on the cities, which began to be divided into districts based on socioeconomics, language, identity, and culture.

Reformism

Nov 20, 1867

Encourages social change that fights poverty and other consequences of industrialization. People wanted to combat the effects of industrialization on society, and so this meant fighting for equality and against poverty. So, mainly women created organizations in which they wanted to involve themselves in health and education because they still saw women as having their traditional role (homemakers, educators, etc.)

Capitalism and Mass Culture

Nov 20, 1906

Newspapers made information and businesses could then resort to newspapers to publish advertising in order to encourage readers to consume their products.
Early 20th century were marked by:
1)The invention of motion pictures. The first movie theater in 1906, by 1933 Quebec had 134 theaters, where films, as well as news programs, were shown.
2) The radio: In 1919, Montreal was the first city in the world to inaugurate a radio station
3) Expansion of Sports teams → lacrosse, hockey

Church Conservatism

Nov 20, 1920

Catholic church promoted traditionalism and values essential for the survival of French-Canadian culture.
As society was evolving and becoming more liberal and secular, the Church wanted to promote a traditional way of life that would allow for the survival of French-Canadian culture. For example, they tried to close movie theaters​, keep Sundays as the holy day, and ban films.

French Canadian nationalism

Nov 20, 1920

Due to industrialization, many French Canadians began to leave the Quebec countryside and go work in factories in the US. So, French Canadian Nationalism became survival nationalism, because they wanted to keep their culture alive. They also wanted Quebec to control its economy. This led to agriculturalism.

Canadian Imperialism in the early 20th Century

Nov 20, 1923

Henri Bourassa → BNA act was meant to protect the Catholic faith and the French language within Canada. Henri Bourassa thought that Canadians should unite to defend Canada’s autonomy with regard to Great Britain. Imperialists viewed Canada as part of the British Empire and believed that English should be the only official language ​and Protestantism the only official religion in Canada.
WW1 Conflict:
Imperialists: Conscription
Henri Bourassa + Nationalists: Voluntary Participation.

French Canadian Nationalism between 1920 and 1950

Nov 20, 1924

French Canadian nationalists judged capitalism to be the cause of social injustices and moral ills related to industrialization. While they still considered the “return to the land” as an economic solution, they also maintained that in a capitalist economy, rural life was only possible through agriculture and colonization. In order to raise the capital necessary for rural development, they counted on cooperatism, which would allow for the pooling of savings.

Socialism, Communism, and Fascism from 1920 to 1940

Nov 20, 1930

Socialism: was meant to be a critique of capitalist industrial development. Socialists were against the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few and no private ownership
Communism: wanted the end of the capitalist system and social classes. By sharing the means of production ex: young communist league of Canada.
Fascism: promoted the restoration of a traditional order by authoritarian means. Required an all-powerful leader and Military life and discipline.

Americanism After the Second World War

Nov 20, 1945

Influence of American ideas and culture on Quebec’s society.
After the Second World War, Quebec was prosperous, and people had more money to invest in entertainment. Thanks to TV, movies, songs, dances, etc., American culture made its way into Quebec society.

Secularism After the Second World War

Nov 20, 1948

Although this idea had been in place since the British Rule, it became relevant once again as society became more liberal. In 1948, the Refus Global was published, a manifesto written by artists and intellectuals denouncing the Church and the traditional way of life. Politicians such as Pierre-Elliott Trudeau and Gerard Pelletier also denounced traditionalism.

State Intervention after 1960

Nov 20, 1959

The death of Maurice Duplessis in 1959 allowed governments who advocated Interventionism to obtain power. The state took control of education, health, and social services, and also became active in the area of culture.

Nationalization and Secularization of education

Nov 20, 1960

Jean Lesage’s Liberal provincial government, elected in 1960, introduced a series of measures. In 1961, school attendance was made free and compulsory up to the age of 15. In 1964, the year the Ministry of Education was created, the Catholic Church lost its stronghold on education. However, the education system remained confessional.

Nationalism from 1950 to 1995.

Nov 20, 1967

In 1967, Rene Levesque founded the sovereignty Association Movement. Unlike RIN supporters, they believed that the independence of Quebec would allow them to defend the economy, culture, and political interests of the French Canadian Nation. In 1968, the SAM and RIN united, forming the Parti Quebecois. They held two referendums to obtain permission from the population of Quebec to negotiate independence with the Canadian government.

The State and Culture

Nov 20, 1967

Production agencies began to emerge in the fields of television broadcasting and film.
In 1961, the Government of Quebec set up a film board, the provincial counterpart of the National Film Board of Canada, created in 1939.
The state encouraged the hosting of events that promoted Quebec’s cultural influence so Montreal hosts the 1967 World fair and the 1976 Olympics.

Feminism from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Nov 20, 1970

The Front de Liberation des femmes, founded in 1870, described their brand of feminism as radical. Inspired by socialism and the struggles against colonialism, radical feminists believed that women should fight for freedom from oppression. For this reason, the FLF also campaigned for Quebec’s independence, which it believed was inseparable from women’s liberation. In the late 1970s and 1980s, feminism diversified and opposed other types of discrimination.

Neoliberalism

Nov 20, 1980

Idea that the government shouldn’t intervene in the economy and should let it function on its own.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the Quebec government started privatizing companies because they were in debt. In reaction to this, this ideology emerged.

Aboriginalism and Oka Crisis

Nov 20, 1990

In the 1970s, hydroelectric projects expanded and required the flooding of traditional Amerindian land. The Aboriginal peoples hoped that they could get their rights recognized, and the government signed the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement which promised to consult the Innus and Inuits concerning these conflicts.
Oka Crisis
Mohawk nation upset that a golf course wants to expand on ancestral land. The mohawks fought for their rights and wanted the government to acknowledge them.