The Colony’s Political and Social Organization Review Nouvelle-France The Colony’s Political and Social Organization Review

Political Organization of Nouvelle France Company of One Hundred Associates Cardinal Richelieu and 100 investors Goal: to establish a French Empire in North America Trade Settlement Conversion to Christianity

Royal Government in Nouvelle-France The Company of 100 Associates did not achieve their goals for settlers and income King Louis dismissed the company and made Nouvelle-France into a royal colony in 1663 Governed by Royal Government Under control of King and appointed council

Royal Colony of New France Ultimate control by King Sovereign Council was appointed by King Eventually there was greater autonomy from France Leadership from France, then from people born in colony Early years of royal rule: great interest; later: war took focus The distance from France was a challenge Permission for actions had to go by mail which took a long time Quebec would make decisions on its own rather than wait

Government in Nouvelle France

Who were these people? King of France Governor Intendant Bishop Louis XIV Governor Military matters and external policy Intendant Administered justice, policies and finances Bishop Handled religious affairs, clergy, education, welfare/sick Captains of the Militia Citizens selected by peers, reported concerns of habitants to intendant, informed citizens of government plans Seigneurs Soldiers, merchants, or nobility who rented land grant to habitants Had to build manor house, be present on land, build grist mill Habitants Paid taxes (tithes) to Church and annual fees for land, fishing and hunting rights, and use of grist mill

Daily Life in Nouvelle France Seigneurial System Long narrow river lots Each lot had access to water, a roadway, to the mill/church/ other lots. Could be divided lengthwise again, or new lots could be put on the edge of existing ones.

Daily Life in Nouvelle France Role of the Church Religious (Catholic) services Focused on conversion of First Nations to Christianity (seen as a “need” for both parties involved) Recollects were the first to arrive in 1615 Social needs Jesuits (Catholic) Arrived in 1625 for conversion mission Lived in the First Nations communities in order to understand the culture and learn the language, which would result in better success in conversion. Material benefits to conversion (gifts from Church, eg. Guns/metal goods) Role of the Church Provide religious services to colony & conversion of FN to Christianity (a “need”) Roman Catholics also helped with social needs (education, hospitals, assistance to poor) Recollets were first missionaries in 1615 Jesuits Larger missionary group 1625 came to NF to convert FN, as it was believed to be a service to mankind Lived in FN to learn language and culture and have better success in conversion Catholic converts given guns, non-catholics were not Father Jacques Marquette

Daily Life in Nouvelle France Ursuline nuns Managed first schools and hospitals Conversion was not their main goal

What kind of people do you think were interested in coming to Nouvelle-France? Rich? Poor? Men? Women? Old? Young? Merchants? Farmers?

Daily Life in Nouvelle-France Les Filles du Roi – The King’s Daughters Imbalance of 1 woman per 6 men Single and widowed women from France offered money (50 francs and travel expenses; baby bonus if you had over 10 kids) Move to Nouvelle-France, find a husband and raise a family as colonist By 1671 there had been ~700 births in Nouvelle-France

Daily Life in New France Role of the military Unfriendly relationship with Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) who had an alliance with British In 1666 a 1100 man regiment was sent to Quebec Two expeditions against Iroquois, the second led to the burning of villages and destruction of winter supplies (such as a stockpile of grain) This influenced the Haudenosaunee to sign a peace treaty with colonists Quebec also had a militia for defense, consisting of all able-bodied men age 16-60 who trained for defense and undertook public works projects (roads, bridges, buildings)

Geography of North America Two theories: Expansion Keep it small Mercantilism, colonization, a trade route to Asia, and dominance in the competition for power relied on expansion to the west. Staying close to Quebec would mean that the small population would not be stretched so thin to protect a very large land mass. By 1740, the territory of New France went all the way to the Gulf of Mexico – this region was called Louisiana

The Fur Trade- was one of the great items in the mercantile triangle, which led to further exploration into the interior and more series of battles between the French and British. Offered economic strength to New France System of mercantilism (First Nations trapped & hunted fur-bearing animals, prepped them, and sold them to the French and English to be shipped back to Europe. Economic viability = ability for New France to survive economically without France Mercantilism = beaver leaves community and New France, heads to France, sent back as hat FN men trapped beaver, FN women prepared it for market French made business and cultural contact with people further in further into North America as they sought out new sources of the fur Increased trade relationships as French migrated deeper into the interior due to the Beaver being ‘over trapped’ near Quebec. How would colonization have been different if beaver hats weren’t en vogue in Europe?

Coureurs de Bois Young men who left settlements to go live/trade with First Nations in N. areas where fur was plentiful and in good quality. “runners of the woods” Beaver scarce along St. Lawrence lowlands What would you do to get the beaver you need for trade? Leave settlement, live and trade in northern areas with First Nations Living in colonies meant they were under the eye of the priests and French officials. Counterproductive to Christianization. Young men left the watchful eye of the community officials and religious Jesuits, and went to live in FN communities in the North Many men began to prefer the freedom of that life, and understood/appreciated the culture of the First Nations, staying to live with them Were not in good favor with government officials, as they went against what missionaries were teaching