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Divine right of kings
Absolutism is a political ideology according to which the ruler was said to receive his or her power directly from God's representative on earth. The king and the Church therefore have strong ties. Since the king represents God on earth, nobody could contest or challenge the will of God (or the king). -
Catholicism
During the French regime, it is the Catholic Church who has the most influence on ideas or culture. The Church is responsible for: education, hospitals and health care, poor and orphans and converting amerindians. Also during this time period, the bishop is a member of the Sovereign council, which is the highest tribunal in the colony. The Catholic Church played an important role in the governing of the colony. In New France the citizens have to fast and spend many hours in prayers. -
Founding of the College des Jesuites
During the French regime, two Quebec institutions took charge of higher education in New France, one being the College des Jesuites, which is a school for elite boys. -
Founding of Ville-Marie by the Société de Notre-Dame de Montréal pour la conversion des Sauvages de la Nouvelle-France
The Catholic Church's mission was to convert the Amerindians. Many religious orders believed that the Amerindians had no God and that their mission in life was to guide them into the right religion. -
Founding of the Grand Séminaire de Québec
During the French régime, two Quêbec City institutions took charge of higher education in New France, one of them being The Grand Séminaire, where priests are trained. -
Publication of the Catéchisme du diocèse de Québec
To ensure that the dogma of the Catholic Church is followed, the clergy printed the catechism. This book explained the faith and practices of the Catholic Church -
British imperialism
Imperialism, in Canada, is when many partisans believed that Canada should maintain and reinforce its ties to Great Britain. They were proud to be in the British Empire and saw no need to be more independent. -
Creation of La Gazette de Montréal/ The Montreal Gazette newspaper
In 1775, Fleury Mesplet, Montréal's first printer, founded The Montréal 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. In the context of the French and American Revolutions, this newspaper became the voice of Canadian intellectuals who supported liberalism. At first bilingual, this newspaper became English only and was eventually called The Gazette. -
Rise of liberalism in Lower Canada
The change of empire was also characterized by the rise of liberalism in the colony. Liberalism is a political ideology to which all individuals have equal and fundamental rights including protection from the abuse of the monarch's power. -
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French Canadian nationalism leads to the Assembly of the Six Counties which leads to the Patriotes' Rebellions
The main ideas of French Canadian nationalism by spokesman Henri Bourassa, are: Canada should have more autonomy and become more independent from Great Britain, the provinces should have more autonomy within Canada, minorities should have their rights respected and French Canadians and English Canadians should be equal and form one nation. This lead to the creation of the Assembly of the Six Counties, which was an assembly of Patriote leaders. This lead to the Patriotes' Rebellion in 1837-38. -
Ultramontanism
Ultramontanism affirmed the primacy of the spiritual power of the Church over the State. Ultramontanists preached submission to the authority in Rome and promoted rigorous religious practice. They wanted the domains of education, healthcare and social work to remain exclusively under the Church. -
Anticlericalism
Anticlericalism is an attitude consisting of a refusal of the Church's influence over any sphere of life other than the religious sphere. -
Rise of Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that encourages the concentration of wealth and the control of the means of production by a small number of people, as well as free competition. Capitalism was one of the causes of major social inequalities. Workers earned very low wages and worked in difficult conditions. -
Canadian and French Canadian nationalism
The French Canadian nationalism of Honoré Mercier emphasized provincial autonomy and Québec's responsibility to protect French Canadian minorities across Canada. Wilfred Laurier's Canadian nationalism aimed to create a new national identity that would unite the two founding peoples, French and English and help them live together in respectful harmony. The nationalism of Henri-Bourassa, both Canadian and French Canadian, was based on Canada's political autonomy in relation to the United Kingdom. -
Agriculturalism
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. The Church persuaded French Canadians to settle in the undeveloped regions of Quebec, such as the Laurentians, the Lanaudière and Lac St. Jean regions. -
Rise of feminism
The feminist movement slowly began to gather momentum at the end of the 19th century. Women obtain the right to vote in 1918 in federal elections. Quebec women will be able to vote in provincial elections as of 1940. After world war II, feminism became more demanding. Women claimed political rights and objected to the traditional vision of society in which men dominated. In 1955, with the arrival of birth control pills, women will be more in control of their bodies. -
Rise of the cooperative movement
To prevent the rise of socialism, the government and the clergy promoted the cooperative movement, a social and economic movement based on solidarity and the creation of cooperative businesses. Agricultural cooperatives sprang up, encouraging more industrialized farming. -
Founding of the Caisses populaires Desjardins
Alphonse and Dorimène Desjardins founded the Caisses populaires Desjardins. This financial cooperative allowed farmers to obtain funds to invest in their farm equipment. -
Birth of fascism
Fascism is an ideology that first appeared in Europe after the First World War. This ideology promotes tradition and totalitarianism, as well as extreme nationalism. They believe in the instauration of only one political party. This party is led by the leader and all must obey him. One example of fascism is Adolf Hitler. -
Rise of socialism
Socialism is a political ideology that criticized capitalism and the industrial development. Socialists denounced the concentration of wealth in the hands of few and defended the interests of the majority, in particular by demanding a fairer distribution of wealth. They advocated state intervention in order to protect business form private ownership. Some socialists went even further, desiring the abolition of the capitalist system and social classes by sharing the means of production. -
Growing American Influence
Quebec's culture was greatly influenced by Americanism. It refers to the principles of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". In the 1950s, the living and working conditions of the Quebec population improved, Credit cards become more accessible, therefore people can purchase more goods and services such as: automobiles and home appliances. The beginning of the 1950s marked the arrival of television. Everyone wanted one! This is all from the American culture. -
Rise of secularism
After World War II, the power of the Church was strongly contested. Many believed in the separation of Church and State, which was the beginning of secularism. -
Rise of Quebec nationalism
The French Canadian nationalism of Lionel Groulx focused on the cultural and religious independence of Quebec and on the protection of the French language. -
Neoliberalism
Neoliberalism is an ideology that advocates a laissez-faire approach to the economy and calls state interventionism into question. -
Aboriginalism
Aboriginal people are mobilizing and asserting themselves to demand respect for their rights. The Aboriginal peoples hoped that Quebec and Canada would recognize their rights and consider their point of view, interests and cultural characteristics. The main objectives are the preservation of Aboriginal culture, maintaining the traditional way of life and the protection of Aboriginal territories, resources and language.
