Mr Wilson History - 404

“The sea there is full of fish that can be taken not only with nets but with fishing- baskets” – Jean Cabot ( )

“so thick by the shore that we hardly have been able to row a boat through them.” - English Fishermen

Consider Jean Talon and King Louis XIV – what was their goal? But once war in Europe took away King Louis attention, Private business in New France started doing really well… Especially companies that had “monopolies” over their respective industry. (Add to your Vocabulary!)

The Fur trade required very little labour – most of the furs were brought to trading posts by the Natives, and then moved down river by the Europeans. As a result, New France’s population was growing very slowly. The Amerindian population, economically, was doing very well!

During the first half of the 17 th century, the French and the Indians met each spring at huge trading fairs. The main spots were Quebec, Trois- Rivières and Tadoussac. The Hurons and the Wendats were the largest fur suppliers and they collected their furs all around the Great Lakes region.

The Five-Nations Iroquois were in competition with the Huron. The Iroquois primarily traded with the British and sometimes the Dutch. When the French founded Ville-Marie in 1642, the Iroquois destroyed all of the Huron villages in the area.

The French were left without their “middle-men” and were forced to go further in-land to the Algonquians. Traders would issue a licence to the voyageurs or the Engagés and send them into the Amerindian territories. You also had the Coureurs de Bois who were basically “fur smugglers.”

Because the Fur Trade was doing so well, the King of France decided to get in on the action 0 and he imposed a 25% tax on furs from New France. This of course, made it much easier for the British and the Dutch to get their hands on furs, as they could offer more for less. Basically, the competition for fur was heating up!

The price of pelts in Europe was being commanded by a few companies who had a virtual monopoly on the Fur Trade coming out of the New World. Trading companies in New France: Company of One Hundred Associates – Founded by Cardinal Richelieu, it was largely responsible for the establishment of Quebec. (1627 – 1645) The Compagnie des Habitants – created in New France, it took over from the Company of One Hundred Associates. (1645 – 1663) The French West India Company – This one took over from the Compagnie des Habitants, but it was dissolved in 1674 due to strong competition form the Dutch. (1645 – 1674)

During the 17 th century, Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Médard Chouart Des Groseilliers, explored the Hudson Bay Area and tried to establish fur trading posts. With no support from France, the turned to Britain, which helped them found the Hudson’s Bay Company in With help from the Cree nation, the HBC establish trading posts all over the Bay area, which eventually led to many land and sea battles over the territory – between England and France.

The demand for fur escalated to the point where explorers would go further and further abroad in search of new areas to exploit. The Great lakes, the Prairies, the Rocky mountains, the Hudson Bay, the Ohio Valley, and the Mississippi all the way to Louisiana were all explored and charted for the Fur Trade. Many, if not all, major North American cities were at one point a trading post or a fort established in the interests of the Fur Trade.

By the 1690’s, fur related fashion was out! Naturally, the demand for furs decreased overnight. But it takes the market a bit of time to catch up with demand – as a result beaver pelts started to pile up in warehouses, in the hopes that the prices would rise again. The price of pelts went up again in 1715, but that was only because the supply dwindled with the lack of demand.

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The “Mother Country” and the trading companies did not share the same opinions about the land as the settlers and the religious community. According to France and its companies, the purpose of the New France was to make money. The settlers and the clergy, however, thought New France should be made into a colony (i.e. with its own form of decision making – or government.) Either way, New France was only made into a “full” colony in 1663.

Throughout the French Regime (1535 – 1763), agriculture was the main economic activity in which most settlers were engaged. Wheat was the main crop as it was essential for feeding the populous. As the population increased, so did their need for cultivatable land. (Think about the Economic questions I asked you before…) Children were also an essential part of the workforce – so farmers naturally had big families!

Jean-Talon (Intendant and ) tried to make the colony economically independent through self-production. How? Jean Talon brought in lots of cows, sheep and horses to encourage different types of agriculture. The introduction of different types of grain also helped: barley, oats, rye, corn, flax, etc. Plus the addition of small workshops for turning hemp into rope and linen for sails Other workshops included leather, wool and naval / ship production.

In 1665, New France (now a colony) decided to sell some of its surplus inventory to places OTHER than France (Good Lord Heaven Above!) Some flour was exported to Cape Breton Island, and fish was sent to the Caribbean. These exports, although expensive, helped to stimulate the now diversifying economy in New France. E.G.: selling the surplus flour led to the need for more flour mills.

Currency = the physical representation of a nation’s money supply. (Vocabulary!) When CASH is lacking – people often turn to other means – such as BARTERING. During the French Regime money could have been: The French Pound = 20 sols = 240 deniers Card Currency – actual playing cards! Certificates or promise notes However, after the War of Conquest, the French inhabitants only got ¼ of the value of their money back from the British.

The lack of specialized labourers! Higher production costs Lack of Capital (what is capital?) The weakness of the local market Competition from the “Mother Country” N.B. Businesses that targeted the local economy did much better!

Because the waterways were frozen for a good portion of the year, road construction started almost immediately after settlement. In 1737 a packed dirt road was built between Montreal and Quebec – it was known as the “Kings Road.” Small bridges were constructed across small waterways. All inhabitants were responsible for road maintenance – and they would be organized by the government into “chore” groups to do the repairs.

New France tried to diversify the economy in many ways, but for the most part – they were unsuccessful – and they remained a resource supplier for the “Mother Country.” (Dun duh DUH!) After the British conquest in 1763, Canada was taken over by England, and the economy changed drastically! Who knew that the skinny, pasty, tea-loving British would be the next dynasty to follow the Romans?

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