To 1663

FRENCH EXPLORERS & NEW FRANCE

French ExplorersThe first French

explorer was Jacques Cartier. He made three trips to North America; the first was in 1534.

On his third trip he tried to start a colony on the St. Lawrence River in what is now Quebec City (but the settlement failed after only one year).

The French tried again in 1604 in New Brunswick. The next year it was moved to Port Royal (Nova Scotia). At this time the area was called Acadia. It didn’t last long either.

Watch: Canada – A People’s History Disc 1, Episode 1 segments: “Land God Gave to Cain”, “Hochelaga”, “A Star Was Lost in the Sky” (about 7 minutes each)

•In 1608, the colony was moved to the site of Quebec City on the St. Lawrence River due to the huge numbers of beaver being trapped for their fur. The colony grew very slowly since the king of France was not interested in Quebec.

Problems facing French ExplorersIn the 1530’s France

began to send explorers to find new lands. The area around the St. Lawrence saw extensive exploration on the part of the French, but settlement faced three main difficulties:

They knew very little about what crops could grow in the new land or if they would be able to survive by killing and eating the wildlife.

They new nothing about the harsh winter climate (France averages +7 Celsius in January).

They didn’t know whether or not the First Nations peoples would welcome them.

Standing Orders Jacques Cartier was sent

by King Francois I on a voyage of exploration, and had two standing orders:

Find a shipping route to the Orient to allow French traders to import silk and other fine products to Europe.

Bring back precious gems and metals (such as gold) to make France rich.

He made three trips to North America; the first being in 1534.

On the first voyage it took Cartier three weeks to arrive with his two ships: the Grande Hermine and the Petite Hermine.

Cartier named Canada "Kanata" meaning village or settlement in the Huron-Iroquois language and set up a 10 meter cross with three fleur de lis and “God Save the King of France” written on it (he convinced local natives this was only a navigational marker).

After reporting back, he was given another commission to sail to the new land.

Where the name "Canada" came from:

Second Voyage On the second

voyage Jacques Cartier travelled across the Atlantic and explored some land around Montreal before returning to spend the winter at Stadacona (Quebec), near some friendly native villages.

The winter saw an outbreak of scurvy which cost the lives of 25 of the men. Chief Donnacona’s son shared the cure and saved most of Cartier’s men – tea made from white cedar leaves.

Third Voyage of CartierOn his third voyage

he tried to start a colony on the St. Lawrence River in what is now Quebec City (but the settlement failed after just one year). He did believe he had achieved one of his primary goals by filling his ships with riches.

The King was ecstatic over the cache of 'gold and diamonds' Cartier had brought with him from the New World. However, the gold turned out to be worthless iron pyrite - fool's gold. The diamonds were nothing but quartz. Cartier was sent into retirement.

French Colonization

Unlike Britain, France had done little colonization around the world. It had been too busy fighting wars with other countries.

There was also the problem that any French trading was controlled by the French king who allowed companies to have a MONOPOLY over certain areas (like beaver furs).

Jacques Cartier Study Questions1.  Why did Cartier travel to North

America?  Who sent him and why?

2.  What did the Native people think of the newcomers?

3.  What was different about Cartier's third voyage?

4.  How do you think Donnacona would feel about travelling from his homeland to France?

5. A stamp featuring Cartier was issued by the Canadian government in 1934.  Why do you think it was issued in that year?  What does it show?

 

6.  Cartier's own account of his first voyage tells us some important information about his thoughts of what he saw.  Reread his account and try to answer the following:

7. What is 'prosperous weather'? 8. What is a haven? 9. Why did Cartier like about the

north shore of the Strait of Belle Isle?

10. What did he dislike about the north shore?

11. Why do you think Cartier would write in his journal about the suitability of the land for farming and the quality of the harbours?

Quiz Time!

Samuel de ChamplainSamuel de Champlain

Born 1570, died 1635 Samuel de Champlain was

a gifted man, and was many things in his life: explorer, map-maker, writer and governor of New France. From 1603 until 1635, he made twelve voyages to New France. He is credited with starting the first permanent colony at Quebec City.

In 1605, at Port-Royal, Nova Scotia, Champlain started the Order of Good Cheer. He didn't want his men to get bored and restless on long winter nights. Each man in turn was responsible for organizing an evening of good fun. They feasted, put on plays and danced.

Order of Good Cheer

Early LifeSamuel de Champlain was born about 1570

at Brouage, France, a small town by the sea. His father was a sea captain and as a boy, Samuel learned seamanship and navigation. He is thought to have travelled to Spain and the West Indies with an uncle. Champlain had learned to be an excellent map-maker by the time he first reached the shores of North America.

Transportation

The names of the ships on Champlain's voyages are not all known. Most were probably galleons, a sailing ship that was built in many different sizes. These ships were crowded and the food was not very good. Many men became ill on long voyages.

Transportation

Once in New France, Champlain used a canoe to explore. Canoes were made with a wooden frame and covered with the bark from a birch tree. They were very light and could be carried past dangerous rapids and waterfalls.

Champlain first went to Canada in 1603 to explore the area called New France. He was part of a trading mission. Just like Cartier, he learned about the Great Lakes and hoped that this would be a route to Asia.

First Voyage

By mid-July, Champlain was in Gaspé. He hoped that Acadia was the key to the route to Asia. In September, Champlain was back in France.

In early May of 1604, Champlain returned to Acadia. He explored the east coast until winter started. The winter was very cold and many fell ill with scurvy, a disease that comes from a diet without vegetables and fruit.

When he returned to France in 1607, he had mapped the Atlantic coastline from Cape Breton south to Cap Blanc (known today as Cape Cod, Massachusetts).

Second Voyage

Quebec

After 1620, Champlain worked to improve the settlement at Quebec and in the colony. He brought his wife, but she only stayed four years. By 1625, the colony was producing food but not enough to feed everyone, so he sent some of the settlers to Gaspé.

Then, in July of 1629, English ships arrived and took control of the colony. Champlain was forced to leave Quebec for four years.

The Fur TradeChamplain was one

of the first fur traders. In 1627, the French government allowed the Company of 100 Associates to form a monopoly in Quebec. Their main job was to bring more settlers to farm the land.

The initial fur traders were the coureurs de bois( aka runners of the woods). They went as far west as Manitoba (such as Pierre La Verendrye) . Once the monopoly was in place only licensed voyageurs could legally trade furs!

Coureurs de Bois Assignment

In 1633, Champlain went back to command New France. The habitation was deserted and damaged. He repaired it and began construction of new settlements at Richelieu and Trois-Rivières. By 1635, his health was quickly getting worse. He died on December 25, 1635 in Quebec.

Death of the Father of New France

When Champlain returned to New France in 1608, he and his crew began building the habitation at Stadacona. This would one day become Quebec City. The next spring, Champlain started exploring the territory of the Iroquois Nation.

In July 1609, Champlain and his allies (the Algonquin, Huron and Montagnais Nations) had a battle with the Iroquois. Champlain's forces won. This started a war that lasted 90 years.

Exploration

In the battle between the Huron and the Iroquois, Champlain wrote, "The whole night, was spent in dancing and singing, in both camps, with many insults being profferred. Our men told the Iroquois they would see a kind of warfare they had never seen before."

And they did.

Prepare to Battle!

"Champlain stood behind his own warriors with his musket. His two French companions were in the woods, waiting for the signal. The strategy was simple: 'Our men told me that the men with big head-dresses were chiefs and there were only three of them. We recognized them by their feathers that were much larger than those of their companions. They told me to do what I could in order to kill them.' "

Three shots that changed New FranceChamplain shot

two chiefs (with one shot) and one of the other Frenchmen shot the third. The Iroquois took to the woods.

With those three shots, Champlain had made France the Iroquois' enemy. This would have consequences for years to come.

Preparing the GroundworkDuring his three-year

stay in the settlement, Champlain became an explorer and geographer. Much of what we know about this time comes from his writings that were published later.

Champlain went between France and New France many times in the next few years. In May of 1613, he became the first European to travel the Ottawa River.

After ChamplainChamplain's work was

very important. His maps of the Atlantic coast were the first accurate maps of that area and helped many explorers after him. The war with the Iroquois lasted for 90 years. As for the habitation at Stadacona, it would one day grow into the city of Quebec.

Watch: Canada – A People’s History Disc 1, Episode 2 segments: “Champlain’s Gamble”, “Prize of Friendship, “A Frenchman Among the Huron,” “A Precarious Colony” (about 7.5 minutes each)

Summary of Champlain’s efforts 1570 Born in Brouage, France 1603 Goes on trading mission to

New France 1604-7 Voyage to Acadia with

settlers 1608 Voyage to New France; starts

habitation at Stadacona 1609 First battle with Iroquois

1610 Returns to France to marry

Hélène Boullé 1613 Travels up Ottawa River 1620-24 Champlain's wife in New France 1629 English ships arrive and force

Champlain to leave 1633 Champlain returns to New

France 1635 Dies at the habitation

Champlain Study Questions 1.When and where was

Champlain born? 2.How did his father earn a living? 3.What was Champlain's profession? 4.For which country did he sail on his first trip to the New World? 5.When did he arrive in Canada for the first time? 6.What did he bring back to France to be sold? 7.What present U.S. states did Champlain explore on his second trip? 8.Describe Champlain's appearance.

9.What were the purposes of Champlain's explorations? 10.What settlement, later city, did Champlain begin to build on July 3, 1608? 11.What hardships and difficulties did he and his men face there? 12.What two groups of American Indians were almost constantly at war with each other? 13.Which group did Champlain agree to help? Why? 14.When and where did Champlain first fight against the Iroquois? 15.What was unusual about Champlain's marriage in 1610? 16.When, where, and how did Champlain die? Where is he buried?

Civil Hierarchy of New France

For additional information please see:http://www.pearsoned.ca/school/ontariopearson7and8/histgeo/media/His7_Unit1.pdf

New France was a heirarchal society, which means it was an organization with distinct levels that remained fairly separate.

The king, the viceroy (a person who oversees a colony on behalf of a monarch) and the minister of the navy did not live in New France but they made important decisions about it.

The sovereign council made rules and laws about day to day affairs of the colony. The governor appointed members to the council and they were often friends or relatives of the king who were rewarded with a post on the council.

Was the top official in New France and was usually from the noble class.

Was responsible for seeing that the king’s orders were carried out.

Appointed members to the sovereign council.Was responsible for relationships between

New France and other European groups in North America.

THE GOVERNOR

Count FrontenacThe most famous governor

of New France.Was heavily in debt and felt

that the fur trade in New France would be a good way to make his fortune.

Was sent to the colony with orders from the king to keep the settled places close to trade routes with France, develop the seigneuries and NOT expand the fur trade.

Since Frontenac saw the fur trade as a source of great wealth (especially if he could get some of the money for himself) he ignored the king’s orders. He also built a series of forts to serve as a first line of defense.

King Louis XIV was angry about being ignored and recalled Frontenac to France but reappointed him several years later with new orders.

The new orders involved seizing the New York area – orders Frontenac promptly ignored (again). Instead, he attacked the English in New England and continued to make a lot of money from the fur trade. He died in 1698 before he could be recalled a second time.

Count Frontenac

Did the day-to-day work of the government, being responsible for finance and justice and seeing that the rules and laws of the council were followed. He was usually a commoner.

Made sure people paid their taxes and that lawbreakers were punished.

THE INTENDANT

Jean Talon (aka the Great Intendant)

From 1665 to 1668, Jean Talon was Intendant of New France’s northern territories, including: New France, Acadia (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) and Newfoundland. Some of achievements included:

Carrying out a survey of resources (other than fur) in New France.

Organized the building of: sawmills, shipbuilding docks, the fishery and a brewery.

Increased New France’s trade with the French colonies in the Caribbean.

Increased immigration from France and was responsible for setting up the filles du roi program.

Talon had set up a very efficient government but Louis XIV was involved in several expensive wars in Europe and didn’t want to invest money in the colony, so Talon’s efforts weren’t as successful as they could have been.

In the 1600’s the colony of New France grew along the St. Lawrence River. This river was the main “highway” of the colony as there were few roads. For this reason, people needed the river for transportation year round.

THE SEIGNEURWas given land by the king of France (since all the land

was owned by the king).Took the land and divided it into long narrow strips that

fronted on the river. The land was then rented out to farmers and their families (aka habitants).

The land where the seigneur lived and all the strips of land where the habitants lived were called the SEIGNEURY.

THE SEIGNEURIAL SYSTEM

The seigneurial system was similar to the system of landowners in France (but the habitants were treated better).

The seigneur had to provide certain things for the habitants: the land was in 32 ha sections (much larger than in France), the seigneur had to build himself a house and a mill to grind the habitant’s flour and help pay for a church.

SEIGNEURS AND HABITANTS

The habitants had to farm the land for the seigneur, pay rent or taxes (yearly), build their own house and give free labour to the seigneur for a few days per year (usually at harvest). They also had to give over a percentage of their fish, crops or livestock each year.

This system worked well since both parties benefitted, it made the habitants feel like they “owned” their land and with more food and land they had fewer diseases and less overcrowding.

ACADIA ASSIGNMENTThis is fully explained in a separate

PowerPoint and will be the last content covered before the New France unit test.

It’s Test Time!