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Aug 30, 1500
Land Bridge
The Land Bridge is the most popular theory of how the First Occupants settled in North America. The First Occupants travelled from the easternmost region of present day Russia to present day Alaska and North America. After the Ice Age, the sea levels rose and then fell, allowing the people in Asia to travel to North America by the Bering Strait. The population of North America increased very slowly. -
Period: Aug 30, 1500 to
Population
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Sep 2, 1500
Relationship with the Native People
Alliances between the Native people and the Europeans were formed through trade.
The Natives taught the Europeans how to survive the winters and about foods like corn and pumpkins. The Europeans showed the Natives their metal tools (like weapons) and foods like bread.
The Natives population suffered because of diseases and alcohol brought by the Europeans. The two groups also became engaged in war.
There was also breeding between the Natives and the Europeans. -
Aug 30, 1534
Jacques Cartier's Three Voyages
Jacques Cartier travelled to North America with the goal of finding a new route to Asia; bringing back gold and other riches; and claiming land for the king of France.
On his first voyage, Cartier mapped the Gulf of the St-Lawrence. He found lots of fish, fur, and timber.
On his second voyage, he reached Stadacona and learnt how to survive the winter and scurvy.
On his third voyage, he unsuccessfully attempted to set up a colony. France abandoned North America for the next 60 years. -
Samuel de Champlain
The King of France decided to return to the New World after 60 years. In 1605, the establishment of a settlement in Port Royal was attempted, but it was unsuccessful.
Samuel de Champlain returned to the New World in 1608 to establish a trading point in Stadacona (Quebec). This would be called New France.
New France grew rapidly in size because of the fur trade. Trois-Rivières and Ville-Marie, two other trading posts, would also be founded over the next 30 years. -
Composition of the Population
New France's population was composed of Europeans, Aboriginals, Métis, and slaves.
The vast majority of the population was composed of men, as they were needed for the fur trade. Women and children also populated the colony.
Social classes emerged. They were, in order of prestige, the nobility (the governor); the bourgeoisie (seigneurs and the working class); and the peasants (censitaires). -
Seigneurial Regime
The Seigneurial regime was the first incentive to populate New France. The land was divided into sections so it could be cultivated.
French men (seigneurs) would be granted these lands to be developed and then sold to peasants (censitaire). The peasants would live on this land and pay rent in return.
The Seigneurial regime in New France attempted to encourage immigration. Unfortunately for France, Great Britain's Thirteen Colonies had a much larger population. -
Jean Talon, Part 1
In New France, towns and villages were being created along the St-Lawrence river.
However, the population was still not developing. Most of the people who lived in the new colony were men who were there solely to trade fur.
When the King of France took control over New France, he sent Jean Talon to New France to be its the first Intendant. Jean Talon's main responsibility would be increasing the population. -
Jean Talon, Part 2
Jean Talon offered free land to soldiers in New France.
Minor criminals were encouraged to immigrate to New France to avoid prison.
Young orphan girls (Filles du Roi) were taken to New France to be married and have children.
Couples who married young and had many children were paid.
Fathers of unmarried girls paid fines, as did unmarried bachelors over the age of 21.
Jean Talon's methods were successful and resulted in an increase, as well as a diversification of the population. -
British Regime
After the War of the Conquest, The British take over New France. When the British take control, only the French aristocrats leave New France. Other French people remain in New France and the French make up 99% of the population. The first British immigrants to come to New France are wealthy business men. The British create incentives like providing land to shipping companies and the creation of propaganda to encourage British immigration.
They also discourage American immigration after 1781. -
The Loyalists
After the Revolutionary War, some American citizens remain loyal to Great Britain. Since America is no longer a British colony, these people (called Loyalists) immigrate to Canada. Thirty-six thousand loyalists immigrated to Canada, while 6000 immigrated to Quebec. The English population in Quebec increased from 1% to 10%. They divided their land based on the British township system. The Loyalist presence also lead to the division of Quebec into two colonies: Lower Canada and Upper Canada. -
Irish Immigration
The Province of Quebec experienced a wave of immigration from Ireland, due to the Irish Potato Famine.
The conditions during their travel were difficult. Diseases spread easily and the Irish experienced a cholera epidemic. Upon arrival, the Irish stayed at Grosse-Île for quarantine. The French liked that the Irish were Catholic, however the Irish were willing to work for cheap, which threatened French employment.
English and Scottish immigrants also settled in the cities. -
Emigration to the United States and the West
Due to overpopulation in the seigneuries and the miserable living conditions in the cities, some inhabitants of Quebec emigrated to other regions. Some people moved to the forest regions of Quebec, in exchange for land. Others emigrated to the United States because there were more opportunities there. The Church encouraged the colonization of forest regions. If some natural resources were found there, they would be mined. The region would be abandoned once there were no more resources. -
Composition of the Population
Some territorial concessions were made to the Amerindians in the Proclamation of 1763. The fur trade continued.
At this time, the population was still mainly composed of French-Canadians. However, the English-speaking minority was growing. Different ethnic groups form in the cities. -
Immigration Policies Part 1
In 1878, John A. MacDonald's National Policy and the Canadian Pacific railroad company attempted to recruit Europeans to populate Western Canada, by granting land to rail companies to settle in the west. They also used false advertising to make Western Canada seem like the ideal farmland. International wars and economic crises promote Canadian immigration. -
Rural Exodus
The population migrated en masse to the city.
The country became overpopulated and there weren't many jobs which spawned a rural exodus. Also, industrialization and the creation of new factories and neighbourhoods in the cities favoured migration to urban areas.
Over time, the cities also became overpopulated, as well as filthy and unhygienic. -
Immigration Policies Part 2
In the 1920s, during the Great Depression, Canada became more selective of its immigrants. Only after World War II was immigration encouraged again to ensure the growth of Canada's economy. In 1945, discriminatory immigrations policies were abandoned. French, German, Italian, and Jewish immigrants came to Canada to escape poverty and persecution. -
Emigration and Colonization of New Regions
Emigration to the United States and Western Canada continued due to the lack of employment in the agricultural sector. To counter emigration to the United States, new communities were created in rural regions. The Quebec government also encouraged unemployed people to settle in the rural regions and grow their own food during the economic crisis of 1930. -
Relations with the Natives Part 1
In 1876, Native Americans were given some rights via the Indian Act, however the act's main goal was to assimilate the Amerindians and erase their culture. This kind of inconsonance still permeates the Canadian government's relationship with Native people. The government has allotted land to the Natives, but are eager to exploit it for natural resources. This has spawned many negotiations between the government and the Amerindians, as well as protests and demonstrations. -
Relations with the Natives Part 2
In 1975, the government flooded Native land to build the James Bay dam. The natives allowed this in return for donations. In 1990, a golf course wanted to expand its land onto an Oka reserve. This provoked a stand-off between the government and the Natives that lasted 78 days and ended without violence. -
Composition of the Contemporary Population
Today, In Quebec, the population is still mostly French-Canadian. However, the population is also diverse and multicultural, especially in the cities. Since 1945, the diversity in Quebec continues to increase.
