New France: A Royal Colony

New France

1524-1763

New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534

After the French & Aboriginal alliance was destroyed by weapons, alcohol, disease and forced religion, King Louis 14th of France did not want to loose the colony of New France on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec; he took complete control making it a Royal Colony, governed directly by him; he was an Absolute Monarch with unlimited power over anyone and anything - no constitution, no parliament of politicians, no rich or powerful individuals could restrict his rule in any way.

King Louis of France appointed 3 important officials to manage and direct his Royal Colony of New France, they were: Frontenac as Governor General , Laval as Bishop and Tallon as Intendant

Frontenac

Governer General

Chateau Frontenac

Laval

Bishop

Laval Quebec

Tallon

Intendant

Statue of Jean Tallon in Quebec in front of the parliament building

Official Duties

Governor General represented King Louis and his authority in New France

Intendant managed day-to-day activities of colony & finance

Bishop was head of Catholic Church, schools, missionaries, hospitals in New France

Jean Tallon sent women known as "le filles du roi" (the kings daughters) to marry and populate New France

The Seigneurial System

Land in the colony of New France was divided into long strips that ran from the shore of the St.Lawrence River back into the wilderness.

The people that settled cleared and farmed, these plots of land were known as "habitants". They were managed and reported to the bossof the plots known as the "Seigneur", who would be accountable to the Itendant, Jean Tallon.

Habitants helped build homes, a flour mill and a church on the Seigneury

Food & Clothing

Food:

The people in New France had to produce as much of their own food as possible. They ate a lot of meat from farm animals such as cattle, pigs and some wild life like moose, deer and fish. They also grew a lot of vegetables such as peas, beans, asparagus, corn and cucumber. They also got some of their vegetables from berry bushes and nut trees.The people of New France had to learn how to preserve the food that they have hunted and gathered. They learned theses techniques from the First People. During the winter the people of New France ate the food that they had learned to preserve throughout the winter. In the spring and summer the people of New France used ovens made out of stones and held together by clay to make bread.

Clothing:

The people of New France had to use animal skin to make clothes for themselves. They also used sheep wool. The spun the wool to wove cloth.

In the spring summer the women and girls wore long dresses or skirts with a white bonnet or cap on their heads and usually wore aprons or shawls as well.

In the spring the men and boys wore leather breeches, woven shirts, leather jackets and tuques.

Both men and women wore moccasins or wooden clogs as shoes

The people of New France had to build their own homes out of stone, mortar and timber. They built their furniture out of Birch and pine. In the center of every home was a large stone fireplace.

3 Roles

The Églis or Church in New France

By: Gabby & Bruno

Priests:

The priests job was to perform different for the people of New France. The priest would perform spiritual services, legal services, government services and personal services

The church had a very important role in health care by caring for the sick, elderly, orphans and people with disabilities

The church was also the only source of education in New France. All schooling in religion, reading, writing, arithmetic, seminary training, Latin and French languages came directly from the church