Building a New Identity in New France

Where do you come from? My ancestors came from Germany, Denmark, Ireland, and Scotland Yet over the years my family developed a Canadian identity

Creating a New Identity The First immigrants to New France were all French citizens. They brought their culture, language, and beliefs Over the years and generations, a new people began to emerge

Creating a New Identity The people of New France were always loyal to France kept customs and traditions Yet they developed an attitude of independence Representatives in France began to think the colonists had forgotten their place and purpose

The Ursuline Nuns Some of the first female immigrants to New France Came to help convert First Nations people

Marie de L’Incarnation An Ursuline Nun who established the Ursuline Convent at Quebec Ran a school teaching girls reading, writing, needlework, and domestic arts The first school for girls in NA

Limited Rights for Women Women were the property of her father until marriage when she became property of her husband Required her husbands permission to Carry on business Sell her property They did and could not: Vote Run for office Divorce husbands

What’s Love Got To Do With It- NOTHING! A good marriage was not about love it was about status and economics Husbands formed alliances through marriage A wife’s status was dependent on her husbands success

Marry Up and Down Among upper classes, a marital match had to be equal or better Marry up is to marry above your social class or marry down is to marry beneath you A man could marry down, but a woman could only marry up because she took on the status of her husband

Roles and Duties of Women Caring for children Partners in running a farm sewing, preserving, baking, husbandry skills Worked alongside husbands in business - Purchased supplies, sold goods, kept the books, ran the business when husband gone