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Period: Nov 20, 1500 to
Culture and currents of thought
Everything to do with both culture and currents of thoughts and how they progressed or changed. -
Nov 19, 1510
Amerindian Expression of Spirituality (1/3)
The culture and traditions of the Amerindians are expressed in their beliefs. For example, their conception of the circle of life naturally leads them to believe in the immortality of the soul after death. This is why during burial ceremonies, the dead are buried with numerous objects that will accompany them in the afterlife. The Hurons, just prior to relocating a village, would transfer all skeletal remains of the deceased into a pit so that the souls might be liberated. -
Nov 20, 1510
Amerindian Expression of Spirituality (2/3)
Dreams were seen as the visions of the future, they predicted ex. the success of failure of an upcoming hunt or announced the potential success of war with another nation. Shamans were responsible for interpreting dreams as they had the reputation for understanding their significance. Thanks to their knowledge of plants, they were able to organize rituals to heal the sick. They also made offerings in order to harness the healing powers of supernatural beings who were represented by their masks. -
Nov 20, 1510
Amerindian Expression of Sprituality (3/3)
A wide-spread Amerindian tradition still in practice today, is the ritual of the sweat lodge where the goal is purification and contact with nature. Water is poured over hot rocks that saturate the tent with steam and encourage sweating. The ritual is symbolic,: the tent represents the womb of the mother and the stones represent the ancestors. The ceremony is accompanied by chants that encourage introspection and reflection. -
Nov 20, 1515
Amerindian Expression of Social Relationships
In the conception of the world shared by Amerindians, all beings are equal and interdependent. Their social values evolved by witnessing the equality and generosity between members of the community, the search for group consensus and individual freedom. Chiefs did not impose their authority nor did any individual profit at the expense of another. Exchanges between nations were always an occasion to improve relations. The idea of quality carried over into the education of children also. -
Cultural Interaction Between the French and the Amerindian Peoples
After the arrival of the French, the Amerindian nations began cultural exchanges with the new arrivals. The latter introduced products to the Americas that transformed the Amerindian way of life; these included copper pots, iron tools, knives, tissue, bread, alcohol and more. -
The Stronghold of the Church on Society (2/4)
The clergy in New France were, therefore, members of a very powerful European institution. The top religious appointments were always given to French clergy, but usually the Parish priest was Canadian. The clergy imposed its catholic authority and morality on the inhabitants of the colony. These believers were forced to respect fasting and daily prayers schedules and they had to confess their sins to the priest who could exercise control over their daily lives. -
The Stronghold of the Church on Society (1/4)
In the 17th century, the political regime in France was an absolute monarchy granted by divine will; the power of the King was total and given to him by God. The King and the Church worked in tandem: the clergy inciting their congregation to submit to the authority of the King. In return, the King allowed the Church to manage education, social services and healthcare. -
The Stronghold of the Church on Society (4/4)
The Church used its influence to suppress multiple forms of artistic expression that didn't conform to religious boundaries. For example, the Bishop rebuked comedy and dances between men and women at the popular evening social events. Plays and other French literary works were also censured by the clergy. -
The Stronghold of the Church on Society (3/4)
Towards the end of the 17th century, a new current of thought called Gallicanism began to circulate in France and then in New France. This outlook advocated the submission of the Church of France to the power of the King and not that of the pope in Rome, Italy. -
Education
Education in New France was generally provided by religious communities. These communities ran the primary schools in Montreal and Quebec. Skilled professions, however, were not taught in school but by master workers. -
The Affirmation of a Truly Canadian Culture
During the French regime, a Canadian culture, distinct from that of France began to develop. This new culture was characterized but the need to adapt to the natural environment and showed signs of the Amerindian influence. Canadians adopted to Amerindian means of travelling, and began growing vegetables like squash, corn, and beams. Even the education given to children was filled with Amerindian ways of doing things. -
Popular Culture
During this period, Canadian culture was rampant with illiteracy. Cultural facts were passed on orally. Thousands of popular songs circulated throughout Quebec. Story telling was exceedingly important to the popular culture of this time. The habitants would pass on their culture during social gatherings and celebrations. They would gather in homes to play cards, listen to storytellers and dance to fiddle music. These events usually happened when the weather wouldn't let them work in fields. -
The Beginning of a Dual Identity and Culture.
After the British Conquest, the Province of Quebec became one of many colonies in the immense British Empire which was spread out over many continents. The loyalist and the British who came to settle in the colony identified with the British Empire. Most French Canadians however, were a lot less willing to identify with the British. They were afraid that they would lose their culture and their rights as French people and therefore took initiatives to "protect themselves." -
Opposing Opinions on the Role of the Clergy
During the French regime, the Catholic clergy had a large influence on society. After the Conquest, James Murray, the first British governor, warned the clergy not to interfere in matters other than spiritual. -
Liberalism and its Expression
Economic liberalism was the dominant school of thought under the British regime. This movement advocated individual and business freedoms, and limitations to the government's role. The colony' s prosperity was used by the proponents of liberalism as an argument in favour of this ideology as progressive economics. To benefit from this progress, they also demanded a modernization of the education system, notably schools for professionals. -
The First Newspapers
Under the British regime, ideas were expressed primarily through the newspapers. The first of the colony's newspaper was "The Quebec Gazette" which appeared in 1764 in both English and French. In 1775, Fleury Mesplet, founded the Montreal Gazette which discussed the liberal ideas of the time and criticized the bishops and the catholic clergy in general and also demanded a Legislative Assembly. -
Anticlerical Movement
The clergy also had to face hostility from those who supported liberalism and who wanted to further separate Church and State, especially with respect to education. During the same time period, French Canadian intellectuals, a great number of whom frequented the Institut Canadien, exercised a greater freedom of expression in the wake of the separation of the Church and State. -
Education
Under the British regime, there continued to be parts missing in the education of young French Canadians. In 1841, the Government weakened the control of the clergy on education by adopting the Bill on Public Eduction which gave the government the mandate to coordinate and supervise the public education system. Schools therefore became more accessible to French Canadians as the networks were divided into Catholic and Protestant sectors. -
Ultramontanism
From the middle of the 19th century, the clergy rediscovered its vigour, thanks to ultramontanism, a school of thought developed in France in opposition to Gallicanism. Ultramontanism affirmed the primacy of the spiritual power of the Church over the state. Ultramontanists wanted the domains of education, healthcare, and social work to remain exclusively under the Church. It was a conservative ideology. -
Liberalism and Capitalism
In the 19th century, liberalism and capitalism triumphed. Newspapers had huge subscriptions; these newspapers replaced newsletters, and praised these ideologies and the social and economic progress that came with them. The main political parties in Quebec also supported the principals of individual liberties and private property. A certain part of Quebec's heritage was built thanks to the capital of big business. Successful business gave capital for building of art decoration and buildings. -
Important Currents of Thought
The 19th century was dominated by two economic ideologies, liberalism and capitalism, that stemmed from industrial development. Both were challenge in the 20th century. Catholic ideology remained all powerful until the 1960s. -
Agriculturalism
At the end of the 19th century, the Quebec clergy tried to ward off the negative effects of industrialization by proposing a new way of thinking known as agriculturalism. This movement promoted rural life and the traditional agricultural way of life. Its supporters advocated the advantages of farming. They persuaded French Canadians to settle in the undeveloped regions of Quebec. Priests organized the settlement of the Laurentians, the Lanaudiere, and Lac St. Jean regions. -
Expression of a Collective Identity
In Quebec, nationalism takes a variety of forms; several movements have been established because there are many different ways of expressing national identity. Diverse representations of nationalism have bee expressed by the media, by artists and through other different organized groups. -
French Canadian Nationalism
After the Seven Years' war, French Canadians saw themselves as a nation distinct from the rest of the British colony. They had strong ties to their language, their religion, their customs and their institutions. As the British and the Americans began to settle in Canada, French Canadians found it necessary to claim political powers to maintain their culture and their identity. This nationalism was validated in politics and in arts. -
Feminist Movement
The Feminist movement slowly began to gather momentum at the end of the 19th century and gained the favour of the general public in the early 20th century. Canadian women hoped to obtain political rights and equal access to education. English Canadian women were the first to unite and then some French Canadian women joined these groups. -
Socialism, Communism, and Cooperatism
Up until the 1920s, the general prosperity of the population was sufficient proof for supporters of economic liberalism. After the stock market crashed in 1929 and the subsequent crisis, the living conditions of workers worsened. New ideologies, like socialism, communism, and cooperatism emerged and there were questions about capitalism and its principles and effectiveness. -
Liberation Movements
There were various movements during the 20th century including secularization which questioned the role of the Church within society, and feminism which advocated a redefinition of women's roles in society. -
Secularization Movement
After WW2, the power of the Church was strongly contested. While supporters of conservatism defended tradition, rural life and respect for the Church's authority, a growing numbers of the citizens, intellectuals in particular felt let down by this dominant of this ideology. Supporters of this ideology wanted the clergy to withdraw from education and hospital care. This eventually resulted in the government taking over a lot of these areas. -
Aborginalism
In parallel with English and French Canadian nationalism, the First Nations Peoples also had the need to define and affirm their identity. They too turn to their past and their traditions to express their own nationalism and culture. This Aboriginalism encompasses recognition of the distinctiveness of the First Nations People and the attainment of more autonomy especially with education.
