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Aug 30, 1500
Land Bridge
The Land Bridge Theory explains that the first people to populate North America traversed from the eastern tip of Asia to modern day Alaska across a land bridge. There was no immigration after the Land Bridge crossing until the European arrival. -
Period: Aug 30, 1500 to
Population
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Sep 2, 1500
Relations with the Native People 1500
The the arrival of the French impacted the native aboriginal population and their occupation of territory. The Aboriginal population was majorly wiped out because of diseases and wars. There were crossbreeding between different cultural groups (“Métissage”). The aboriginals migrated which changed their occupation of territory. There were also reciprocal influences. -
Sep 2, 1500
Positive/Negative Influences That the Europeans/Natives Had on Each other
Europeans learned how to survive winter (clothing and travel) and how to eat Corn, Pumpkins and maple syrup.
Natives were shown weapons and iron tools, how to eat foods like salt and bread however, they suffered because of alcohol and disease. -
Aug 30, 1534
Jacques Cartier's 1st Voyage
In 1534, Cartier explored and mapped the Gulf of St-Lawrence. He thought he would find riches however he found lots of fish, timber, wheat and furs. -
Sep 20, 1535
Jacques Cartier's 2nd Voyage
In 1535, Cartier sailed up the St-Lawrence and reached Stadacona (now Quebec). Natives showed Europeans how to survive winter and scurvy. They return to France with native captives. -
Sep 20, 1541
Jacques Cartier's 3rd Voyage
In 1541, Cartier attempted to set up a colony which was unsuccessful. Missionaries attempted to convert the natives. France lost interest of New France for 60 years because there was no riches and no passage to Asia. -
Samuel de Champlain
The king first sent a voyage in 1605 to establish a settlement in Nova Scotia called Port Royal. Samuel de Champlain was a part of Port Royal which failed because of its position (it was too far away). Champlain returned in 1608-09 to establish a trading post near Stadacona (Quebec City), a point where the river narrows. Which would be called New France. Early New France was minorly populated however, because of the Fur Trade, New France would grow quickly. -
Composition of the Population 1608
The effect of natural and migratory movements on the formation of the population were the distribution between men and women. The vast majority were men, as they were required in the fur trade. The population were Europeans, Aboriginals, Métis and Slaves. The social classes were based off of a social pyramid. The Nobility/Elite (Governor) were at the top, followed by the Middle Class/Bourgeoisie (Seignuers) and ended off with the Peasants/Habitant (censitaries). -
Seigniorial Regime 1
This was the first incentive to get people to live in New France. In order to cultivate this new colony, they needed a method of land division which would be called the seigniorial system. The king would grant pieces of land to rich French men (Seigniors or Lords) which they then would have to develop and receive rent from the peasants (censitaire) who lived on it. -
Seigniorial Regime 2
The purpose of this new system was to entice new settlers to come to New France and keep them organized…but it wouldn’t be enough to catch the 13 Colonies who were growing much faster. This happened along the St-Lawrence River: First Quebec, then Trois-Rivere and then Montreal. Their way of life was vastly rural with only small towns as urban center. -
Settlement Policy and Birth Rate
King put Intendant Jean Talon in charge of population growth in N.F.. Soldiers were offered free land if they agreed to stay in N.F. after their service was done. Minor criminals had the option to stay in N.F. or return to France as a prisonner. Talon brought over Files du roi who where immediately married. Payments were given to young married couples and fathers of unmarried girls. However, bachelors over 21 paid fines. The population increased rapidly from 1663 (3000 ppl) to 1760 (70000 ppl). -
Slavery
Canadian First Nations owned or traded in slaves. Black slaves lived in the British regions of Canada in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Imperial Act of 1790 assured prospective immigrants that their slaves would remain their property. It was never mentioned in any act nor treaty that it slavery was illegal. Slavery remained legal until the British Parliament's Slavery Abolition Act finally abolished slavery in all parts of the British Empire effective in 1834. -
Immigration Policies of the British Regime
After the battle of Abraham, very wealthy French had the option to leave. However, whoever stayed was now considered a British subject. The population was 99% French and 1% English. 1763, British immigration began with business men looking to take over businesses. 1791, granting land to shipping and railroad companies was offered. 1812, laws discouraging American immigration were put into place in Upper Canada. In 1840, in London, they had a permanent job to encourage immigration. -
The Effects of the Loyalists
36000 loyalists came to Canada (Maritimes)
6000 loyalists came to Quebec (West of Montreal) The English population of Quebec had a sudden increase (1% →10%). The loyalists settled according to the Township system and gave their settlements English names. After 1815, there were waves of Irish immigration due to the Irish Potato Famine. Conditions during the passage were difficult (there was a quick spread of disease). If you arrived ill, you were quarantined in Grosse-Ile until cured. -
Emigration to the United States and the West
There was an overpopulation of the seigneuries (plus the miserable living conditions in the cities) led to-
Emigration to the forest regions of Quebec: Outaouais, Témiscamingue and Western Canada (because they gave free land to the people in those areas thus populating the west)
Emigration to the United States (1840) was high since there simply existed more opportunities in the USA -
Colonization of New Regions
Overpopulation and exploitation of forests leads to the opening up of new areas: Saguenay, Laurentides, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Mauricie and Outaouais. These new areas opened up that were encouraged by the church because they believed that the city had more opportunities to sin. However, these areas were not always successful unless some natural resources were present. -
Relations With the Native Population 1850
The Native population was vastly over taken with with the Proclamation of 1763. However business alliances for the fur trade continued between the Natives and the European settlers. From 1850, designation of land was reserved for indigenous people. -
Composition of the population 1855
The effects of natural movements and migrations on the composition of the formation of the population and the settlement of the territory were: The French-Canadian remains the majority due to their high birth rate, the English-speaking minority is growing in response to various waves of immigration and there was territorial groupment of different ethnic groups in big cities. -
Different Policies to Promote Immigration
Federal-provincial powers were shared because of the British North-American Act. Immigrant recruitment was established to populate the Canadian land, handed over land to rail companies to settle the west and there were waves of immigration following international events (economic crises, wars...). However, there were discriminatory immigration policies which slowed the immigration process. These policies only lasted until the end of WW2 and since 1945, there was a diversification of immigration. -
Increase of the Urban Population
First, the rural exodus which was when the population migrated from the countryside to the city in the search of better conditions of life. Second, the development of working class neighbourhoods. Third, the reversal of urban and rural populations. Last, the urban sprawl which was the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city -
Colonization of New Regions
Opened up new regions such as the outlying regions like Côte-Nord, Abitibi, Gaspésie and the Laurentians on the society and territory to counter emigration towards the United States. -
Composition of the Population 1945
The French Canadians remain in the majority. In the 20th century, the pluriculturality (having different cultural groups) increases in the big cities. Diversification of the population has been happening since 1945. -
Oka Crisis
In the summer of 1990, Mohawk warriors established road blocks on the borders to their reserves in Oka just outside Montreal, when a golf course wanted to expand its nine holes onto native land. The natives militarily organized themselves and the Canadian Forces were called in to handle the situation. The Oka crisis lasted 78 days, when the stand-off finally came to an end with out armed conflict, however the issues still remained. -
Emigration to the United States and the West
The reason so many people were emigrating towards the United States and the west was because of the lack of employment in the agricultural sector (end of the 19th century, beginig of the 20th century). The living conditions in other industrialized cities were better than the ones in East Canada. The effect on the population was that all the most educated and skilled workers left to seek better opportunities (starting in 1990s). -
Relations with the Native Population 2000
The Indian Act was put in place in 1876 which started to give the natives rights and reservations. Aboriginal claims related to the exploitation of natural resources by the government were also imposed. They also recognized all the treaty rights (James Bay (huge hydro-dam) Agreement (1975) and the Peace of the Braves (2002)).
