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Period: Jan 1, 1500 to
Population
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Jan 2, 1500
Land Bridge
Native Americans originated from Asia by following wild animals across the Bering Strait, which was a land bridge during the ice age, into North America. -
Jan 3, 1500
First Occupants
The First Occupants didn't believe in private property and shared their resources with each other. In Québec, there are 3 Native groups: the Inuits in northern Québec, Nomadic Algonquins in the Canadian shield and the Iroquois farmers in the St. Lawrence Lowlands. The Algonquins have a patriarchal society and the Iroquois have a matriarchal society. -
Feb 1, 1534
Jacques Cartier's Voyages
King of France was searching for a route to Asia, gold and more land for the kingdom so he funded Jacques Cartier's voyages. In 1534, Jacques Cartier mapped the Gulf of the St-Lawrence, discovered lots of fish, fur and timber. In 1535, Jacques Cartier reached Quebec City and natives taught his men how to survive the winters. In 1541, attempted to set up a colony but failed, missionaries attempted to convert natives. -
Foundation of Quebec
After sixty years, France was interested in setting up a colony in the New World to rival the other Super powers in Europe. Port Royal was founded in 1605, but failed because of its position far away from the Natives. In 1608, Samuel de Champlain founded a trading post in Quebec City on the St-Lawrence river due to its strategic position. -
Seigneurial Regime
To cultivate the new colony of New France, a method of land division was created to promote immigration. The king would give these pieces of land to rich French men called Seigneurs. French immigrants (censitaire) would be given a piece of land to live on. The Lords had to provide a mill for the peasants, a plot for animals to graze and he has to maintain the road system. The censitaire's gave to their lord 3 free days of work, their church tax, percentage of their crops and fish. -
Foundation of Trois-Rivières
Samuel de Champlain put Sieur de Laviolette in charge of creating a second settlement where the St-Lawrence and St. Maurice rivers meet. The settlement allowed furriers to communicate with each other and prevent the Iroquois from taking their trades. -
Foundation of Ville-Marie (Montreal)
Paul Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve founded Ville-Marie close to the native village of Hochelaga in 1642. The purpose of this settlement was to evangelize the Amerindians, but because it was located in the heart of the Amerindian territory, it became a major trading post. -
Jean Talon's measures to increase the population of N-F
To increase the population of New France , Jean Talon wanted anybody to come to New France except French Protestants. He offered free land to soldiers who stayed after their service in New France, Minor criminals were sent to New France instead of prison in France by choice, Orphan girls from France called Les Filles du roi were sent over to marry the men in New France, Bachelors over 21 paid fines, fathers with unmarried girls payed fines and young married couples were given payments. -
Composition of the population of New France
There were more men living in New France than woman because the fur trade needed hard working men. The population was made up of Europeans and Aboriginals but also Métis and Slaves. New France was a social pyramid, the majority of the French in New France were Peasants, there was a fair amount of Bourgeoisie and little Nobility. -
Deportation of Acadians
In 1755, the British started to deport 10 000 Acadians from the old French territory of Acadia, now Nova Scotia. They deported these french citizens to increase the British population in Acadia. -
British control New France
In 1760 the British defeated the French in New France. French people could leave if they wanted to but the majority stayed because they were born in Canada and France was a foreign country to them. Rich British merchants were the first to arrive in Quebec to make lots of money. Even after the initial wave of British immigration, 99% of the people living in New France were French and 1% English, but the French became British Subjects -
The Loyalists
During the American Revolution, thousands of people left the United States because they were still loyal to the Crown and wanted to stay British. Two thousand loyalists chose to settle in the Province of Quebec. Most of them were farmers who settled in Sorel and Gaspésie. Many of them settled on the St-Lawrence close to the American border and divided the land into townships, thus establishing the Eastern Townships. -
Constitutional act of 1791
In 1791, the British government signed the Constitutional act of 1791 which divided the Province of Quebec into Upper Canada and Lower Canada. This was passed after the arrival of the Loyalists who didn't want to live under French laws. -
Religious diversification
Under the British regime, the majority of new people arriving were Protestants. The Irish were protestants or catholics and the British were Protestant or Jewish. -
Increase of British immigration from 1815
In 1815, Great Britain won the Napoleonic wars in Europe. At the same time, Great Britain's population was increasing very rapidly, 15% of the population was affected by poverty and epidemics and famines were common. The government encouraged unemployed families to emigrate to Canada. -
Increase of Irish immigration from 1815
In the 1840's, many Irish moved to Canada due to the potato famine in Ireland. Their potatoes were full of disease and didn't grow properly creating a large food shortage, the Irish were encouraged to move to Canada. -
Emigration to the United States and West
Due to the over crowding of the seigneuries and the terrible working and living conditions in cities, 700 000 French Canadians left the province of Quebec. Some settled as farmers in Ontario or in the new provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan which were accessible due to the railroad that crossed the country. Many settled in New England and tried to preserve their french culture but were assimilated into American culture -
Development of new regions
Since the middle of the 19th century, the government of Quebec had tried to keep the population that wanted to move to the United States or out west. It gave access to new regions for colonization and offered land to French Canadians who wanted to settle in these regions. Thats how the population of Saguenay Lac St. Jean, Bas St. Laurent, Témiscamingue, Abitibi and the Laurentian's. They chose these regions also for natural resources such as mineral deposits and for Hydro electricity. -
First phase of the industrial revolution
The first phase of the industrial revolution was mainly focused on raw materials. Many factories were opened in the provinces large cities. Thousands of people left the country side and moved into poorly built neighbourhoods. The life was very poor for workers in cities: long hours, low pay, poor living conditions and epidemics were common. -
Second phase of the industrial revolution
The second phase of industrialization in Canada revolved around natural resources such and hydroelectricity and mines. Many areas were developed around the province for workers to live in. For example, Témiscamingue and Lac St. Jean. -
Urban Sprawl
Due to urbanization, cities couldn't fit everybody in the central core so neighbourhoods around major cities were built to accommodate the masses moving in. These neighbourhoods were built on farmland. -
Immigration diversification
In the 1960's, the federal government put an end to discrimination in immigration based on ethnic origin. By the 1970's immigrants were arriving from all around the world -
Brain drain
Starting in the 90's, the most educated and skilled workers left the province to seek better opportunities. Many of the intellectuals moved to the United States to work. -
Oka Crisis
In the summer of 1990, Mohawk warriors in Oka established road blocks on the border of their reserve, after a golf course wanted to add nine new holes on the natives reserve. The Canadian army was called in and the natives military organized themselves. The crisis lasted 78 days with no actual armed conflict occurring.
