Chapter 3 – New France: A Royal Government (1663-1760)

Chapter 3 - Outline

1. Establishment of Royal Colony & Royal Government

2. Colonial Government in NF/Royal Government Structure/Important Officials

3. Seigneurial System/Women/Life in NF4. Church in N/F

Royal Colony: 1663

Why did France make New France a ROYAL COLONY?

• The Company of Habitants were in debt (owned money) and couldn’t pay for the colonies expenses

• The Iroquois attacked the colony and blocked fur trade

King Louis XIV - • He was the King of France• He was in power from

1643 to his death in 1675, making him the longest monarch to hold power in Europe.

• When he was in power France was one of the most powerful countries in Europe

• He made New France a Royal Colony

Absolute MonarchyWhat is a Absolute Monarchy???• They have unlimited power over

their people and were not restricted by a set of rules (constitution) or a group of people (aristocracy).

• They believe their power and right to rule comes from GOD.

• They were suppose to govern their subjects.

• People had no control or influence over government decisions.

• The King appointed groups/councils that made decisions for the King

Absolute RuleThree (3) Characteristics of an Absolute

Monarch1.The people in the Government is selected

by the Monarch2.One person (the King) has the power to

make the decisions3.Majority Rules does not exist Minority

Rule does exist

1. Absolute Selection

The King selects the people who are allowed to participate in government. They are the King’s advisors. They had influence on the king but he did not have to listen to them.

2. Absolute Power• The King believes his power to rule

over the people is inherited from his ancestors and it was their responsibility to rule over the people

• The has final decision on matters, but ruling a country is a lot of work. The King let others make decisions for him. If he didn’t like their decisions they would be fired and replaced

• In New France, the governing officials had a lot of political power. WHY? (see page 45)

3. Minority Rule - Definition: Minority rule is

when a small majority of the country controls a country. An absolute monarchy is an example of Minority Rule because the King controlled everything. A democratic government is an example of Majority Rule.

Day 2 – Colonial Government and Important

Government Officials

Topics Today:1. Jean Baptiste Colbert2. Women of New France3. The Colonial Government4. Government Structure5. Government Officials

Jean – Baptiste Colbert

Who is he?He was appointed by King Louis

XIV and one of his advisors.What was his responsibility:He was in charge of France’s

economy and made decisions concerning France’s colonies. He was interested mercantilism and attaining raw materials.

Improving the Royal ColonyIncrease Population:• Government grants were given to

families that had more than 10 children.

• Monetary ($$) rewards were given to couples who marry early (under 20 for men – under 16 for women)

• The French Government paid the expenses for 4000 people to immigrate to New France. 1000 were single women called the filles du roi (The King’s Daughters).

• Militia companies were formed to help protect the colony.

• The French Army attacked the Iroquois villages – which lead to negotiations and peace for 20 years.

Colonial GovernmentThe Colonial Government had more

power than government officials in France:

• It sometimes took 6-7 months for communication to reach N/F. This gave local officials more power.

• The Senior members of the government were the Governor General, Intendant and Bishop.

• The people had no influence over government officials.

• Women were excluded from the governing process.

• This system of government was inexpensive and efficient.

Royal Government KING

Advisors in the French Government

New France Asian Colony

African Colony

IntendantIntendant

Governor GeneralGovernor General

BishopBishop

IntendantIntendant

Governor General

Governor General

BishopBishop

IntendantIntendant

Governor GeneralGovernor General

BishopBishop

Governor General He Represented the King in New

France He served as a figurehead, a living

symbol of the King’s authority. Was appointed by nobility. He was the highest ranking official in

N/F Previously worked in the Military Responsible for:

Military Planning Native Relations Watching over other officials

Comte de Frontenac (1622-1698)

The Bishop

He represented the Roman Catholic Church in N/F

He ruled over the local priests and nuns

Was responsible for the missionaries, churches, hospitals and schools

To be chosen for the job, he must be part of the Nobility and was appointed by the King

Francois de Laval (1623-1708)

The Intendant

Acted as Master of New France in the King’s Name

Informed the King of colonial activities and ensured harmony among the people

Was appointed from the nobility

Supervised the day-to-day running of the colony (law and order) and matters relating to finance (money).

Jean Talon (1625-1694)

Improvements Made in New France Jean Talon (The Intendant)

tried to make N/F more independent by creating industries such as shipbuilding, brewing, and shoemaking.

The Comte de Frontenac met with Iroquois chiefs to encourage friendships and develop peace. This allowed the French to continue the Fur Trade

Day 3The Seigneurial System

Topics Discussed in this Lesson:1.Seigneural System2.Women in the Seigneuries3.Life in New France

Think/Pair/Share - Chinese Ancient

Farming Practice• How was land divided?• How were important

decisions made?• What did the farmers

give the landlords?• What did the landlords

provide the farmers?

Seigneuries - What is the Seignurial

System?Is the semi-feudal system of

land distribution used in the North American colonies of New France. It was the way the people divided land for people to farm. This system of farming was used both in France and N/F.

Seigneuries - Why was the land divided in

long strips?• The St. Lawrence was an

important transportation route and every farmer needed access. In the winter, the river froze and was used as a road; the summer, boats would go up and down.

• The land was passed down from parents and divided. When the land was completely used the colony would start a new set of rows.

Seigneur

The King owned all of the land in France and N/F. He allowed people named Seigneurs to use the land. The Seigneurs were responsible for dividing the land and getting settlers called Habitants to farm it.

Duties of the Seigneur• Subdivided the seigneury

into 32-hectar parcels and grant land to the habitants

• Build a house and flour mill on the Seigneury

• Help build a church (provide money $$)

• Report to the Intendant information about the population of the seigneury, the amount of land under cultivation, and dues paid (taxes).

Duties of the Habitant

• Paid taxes• Build a house• Farm the land• Performed unpaid labour

for the Seigneur a few days a year (corvee)

• Give some of their produce (fish, crops, animals) to the seigneur annually.

Women and the Seigneuries

• French Women were allowed to hold (own) land (unlike other European countries).

• Women were encouraged to marry by 16

• Women usually inherited the land when their husband died; others handed it over to their sons when they become of age.

New FranceHow was life different between New France

and France?• Even though the government structure and

institutions were modeled after France, there was a large difference in lifestyle between France and New France.

• In France, the seigneurial system worked to the seigneur’s advantage and made them great profit. In N/F the seigneur did not make large profit, they only gained status.

Vs France

New France 1. Seigneur’s made less

money and were not much richer than the Habitants

2. Seigneur’s had social status.

3. The Habitants had more independence, land and wealth.

4. Habitants rarely had to pay taxes and often kept all of their produce.

5. Habitants did not have to perform corvee.

France1. Seigneur’s made more money

and were much richer than the Habitants.

2. Seigneur’s had high social status.

3. The Habitants had less independence, land and wealth.

4. Habitants paid high taxes and often handed over a large portion of their produce.

5. Habitants had to perform corvee.

QUIZ

• Remove all books from your desk

• Use Black PEN while writing test

• Looking at your book/papers/electronic dictionary or your partner’s work will result in a ZERO (0).

1. Absolute Monarchy is:a) Is a political position granted through votesb) Is a leader who holds power but grants people the right to vote.c) Is a leader who has unlimited power of their people. Power is not

restricted.2. King Louis XIV took control of New France because:

a) He was born in Quebec and had a deep love for the countryb) He wanted too make it his vacation propertyc) The colony was failing and wanted to increase France’s power and

wealth.3. What is not a characteristic of an Absolute Monarch

1. Only the people selected by the King are allowed to participate in the government.

2. The people have the right to vote for their leader.3. Only the King has the power to make decisions.4. Majority rule does not exist in an absolute monarch.5. Minority rule and one person rule exist in an absolute monarchy.

4. The 3 important officials in New France were:a) The Governor General, Jesuits and Priestb) The Governor General, the Bishop and Intendantc) The Governor General, governor and Kingd) The King, Council and Governor General

5. The Bishop is a:a) Is in charge of missionaries, churches, hospitals and

schools.b) Is appointed by the priestsc) Is appointed by the nobilityd) Is in charge of the day to day running of the colony.

6. Farmer’s property was long and narrow because:

a) It was easier to walk to your neighbor’s house if they were in long lines.

b) The land was on a slope making it easier for water to run down hill.

c) Each farmer wanted access to the St. Lawrence River.

7. What is not a duty of the seigneura) Subdivide the seigneury into 32-hectare parcels and

grant land to the habitants.b) Give a percentage of his produce (fish, crops, animals

to the seigneur annually)c) Build a house and flour mill on the seigneury.d) Report to the Intendant about information

population etc.

8. The Coureurs de bois are:a) French people who were farmersb) They were people that lived in Acadiac) Were French hunters working in the fur traded) Worked for the Catholic Church

9. The Huron could be best described as EXCEPT:a) They are a native group in the St. Lawrence Regionb) The were middlemen for the Frenchc) They had a trading and military alliance with the Iroquois

peopled) They had an alliance with the French

10. The native people called the Jesuit Priests the:a) Black robesb) The Crazy menc) God’s soldiersd) Nuns

Day 4 – The Church in New France

1. Role of the Church2. Towns Established in N/F

3. Role in the Seigneuries4. Education

5. Health Care

Importance things to remember!

• Most of all the people in N/F were Roman Catholic

• The Role of the Catholic church changed when N/F became a royal colony. Missionary Caring for French Settlers

• More priests were needed to deal with the increase number of settlers.

• The church was responsible for education, hospitals and charity.

• The bishop was an important influence in making decisions in N/F

Three Main Towns - By the mid-1600s, N/F had

established 3 main cities. • Quebec• Trois Rivieres• Montreal

Quebec was the oldest of the three tows and military centre

Montreal was established as a missionary and became the centre for the fur trade

Trois Rivieres was known for birchbark canoes

Churches on SeigneuriesIt was the Seigneur’s

responsibility to provide the habitants with a church. The church was the centre of the Habitants social life. They provided many services such as:

• Spiritual Service• Legal Service• Government Service• Personal Service

Role in EducationThe Church was responsible for

education in the Royal Colony. They taught children the Roman Catholic religion, how to read, write Latin and English, and do arithmetic.

Many children didn’t receive education because they were needed to work on the farm. Boys interested priesthood were taught how to read and write. Girls often received a better education than boys.

Role in Health Care

The Catholic Church was also responsible for caring for the sick, the elderly, orphans, and people with disabilities. This type of work was usually done by the nuns and had to work in very difficult conditions.