1760-1763

The Change of Empire:New France after the

Conquest

Vocabulary

Assimilation: The process whereby a people adopts the culture of another people

Constitution: A collection of fundamental laws that regulate the relationship between the members of society and those that govern it.

Ordinance: A decision or a measure taken by the governor that has the force of law.

Legislative Assembly: A collection of people elected by a part of the population in order to represent it in government.

Military rule (1760-1763)

The British took control of New France and placed it under military rule.

The Treaty of Paris (1763) makes Great Britain’s conquest official and reorganizes the territory on North America.

Aboriginal people rose up against the British led by Chief Pontiac. In 1766, Pontiac signed a peace treaty with Great Britain.

The Royal Proclamation (1763)

Instead of New France, there is the new Province of Quebec which is mainly the St. Lawrence Valley.

British Civil and Criminal law are imposed. A different system than the Canadiens are used to.

The power was in the hand of the British governor.

Assimilation

The British try to assimilate the Canadiens by having them:

Adopt the English language and British culture

Adopt the Protestant religion and educationImposing the Test Act for those who wanted

to work in the British administrationFavouring British immigrationDistributing land in townships, not

seigneuries

The effects of the Conquest on the Canadiens

Most Canadiens try to overcome their distrust of the British. Most of the nobility left to go back to France and most peasants wanted to get back to farming.

The Catholic priests in Quebec tried to convince Canadiens to accept the British as their rulers. The Church does this mainly to protect their own position of power in Quebec.

The “economic engine” of Quebec was still the fur trade. Canadiens not involved in the fur trade return to their seigneuries to farm.

Quebec City after the Conquest

Quebec City after the Conquest

Seigneury Château-Richer near Quebec City

Château-Richer