The Settlement of New France

In this learning activity, you will explore the significant events that led to the settlement of New France in Canada, including the interactions between European colonists and First Nations communities.

Press Note to reveal a key point about Canada.

Note

Using a method of your choice, create a list of ideas about why people move. What conditions might cause someone to relocate cities, towns, provinces, or countries?

Explore the following images to prompt your thinking.

Better opportunities

Natural disaster

Need for jobs

Unfavourable living Conditions

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Reasons for settlement

Between 1500 and 1700, the living conditions in Europe were rapidly declining. Land was becoming scarce because of the population growth and many people were being forced off their lands with high taxes. Strict policies created a gap between the rich and the poor and many people could not afford to buy land in Europe. This meant that people began to look elsewhere for land and resources.

In 1608, Samuel de Champlain arrived in current day Quebec City, the place where the river narrowed, and established a trading post and colonized a new French settlement, that he called New France. Explorers were interested in the land for a variety of reasons. Press the following tabs to find out more.

Samuel de Champlain initially created friendly alliances with many Indigenous communities living in the area, who helped him to navigate the territory.

Reflection

What conflicts and challenges do you think could arise with two different communities living on the same land? Respond in a method of your choice.

Press Hint to explore a hint about the conflicts and challenges.

Hint

The seigneurial system

In New France, the majority of the colonizers lived in rural areas governed by a seigneurial system. This was a way to divide land into plots that ran along waterways, such as the St. Lawrence River. Each plot of land was owned by a seigneur, who would offer sections to French families known as habitants.

Both the seigneur and the habitant (also known as the tenant) had responsibilities to each other. The habitant was required to pay rent and taxes for the land and also had to give a portion of his grain harvest to the seigneur. The seigneur was required to build and maintain a mill for grinding the grain and was responsible for settling disputes when they arose. This system was created to help build up the economy of communities. However, it created a large gap between the rich (seigneurs) and the poor (habitants).

Press Note to explore the ways of living.

Note

In New France, the colonizers used a hierarchy of government and each person had their own duties and responsibilities.

Press Hierarchy for a definition of the word.

Hierarchy

The governor was responsible to the king and took advice from a council of people, such as the intendant, bishop, seigneurs and clergy members. The first intendant ran day-to-day affairs of the colony. The first intendant of New France was Jean Talon. The bishop was responsible for religious rules and life of the colony. High-ranking seigneurs were landowners and clergy members were priests. Together, all these people helped to run and maintain the colony of New France.

Indigenous governments

It is important to remember that this is not the government system that Indigenous communities used during this time period. Even though colonizers were living on their land, Indigenous communities had their own government system and structure. Choose an Indigenous community (i.e. Woodlands First Nations, Iroquoian First Nations, Plains First Nations, Plateau First Nations, Pacific Coast First Nations) and research how they governed their community in the 1700s.

Expand your learning

Compare and contrast the seigneurial system and government of New France with the present-day government structure of your hometown. Consider land ownership and government. How are they similar and different now?

Press Hint to reveal a hint about the seigneurial systems versus present-day government structure.

Hint

Complete the Compare and Contrast Chart in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document.

As you expand your learning, you will continue to investigate the interactions between Indigenous communities and New France colonizers, as well as the important role of the fur trade. Test your knowledge by completing the following vocabulary match. You can refer back to the previous section or search online for help.

For each term, select the corresponding definition.

First Nations and New France perspectives

The French colonizers believed that First Nations communities did not own the land that they lived on, and therefore believed they had the right to claim the land as their own. As New France began to expand in population, so did their land claims, and their territory began to creep up onto First Nations communities. In the beginning, the French colonizers recognized the First Nations people and their entitlement to their land. The French colonizers developed an alliance with the First Nations groups and recognized their right to continue to govern their own land and practice their own customs.

However, French colonizers believed they were superior to Indigenous Peoples, and therefore they wanted control. French objectives had been to Christianize Indigenous Peoples in order to attain their utopian ideal of “one people.” The Church tried to achieve this objective through a variety of methods, beginning with trying to take land away from Indigenous Peoples.

Press Utopian Ideal for a definition of the term.

Utopian Ideal

Originally, the French allied with First Nations communities north of the St. Lawrence Rivers (the Huron-Wendat, Algonquin, Odawa, and Montagnais) and in Acadia (the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet) to establish Indigenous trading routes focused on beaver pelts. This trade ignited new European explorations throughout the Great Lakes.

First Nations communities quickly adapted to new ways of living as Europeans introduced goods such as metal, pots and pans, beads, and weapons in exchange for furs. This created competition between some First Nations communities, including the Haudenosaunee and the Huron-Wendat, which sometimes resulted in violence and war.

Press Further Learning to reveal ways to learn more about this.

Further Learning

Power struggles between the French and the British transformed relationships with First Nations communities, as they were now valued as vital military alliances in many conflicts. As colonizers demanded more property, they began to pressure the government for lands that were held by First Nations communities.

The colonizers were beginning to consider the First Nations as impeding their growth and economic development. By the 1830s, more and more lands were surrendered for settlement. First Nations lost more hunting and fishing lands and were often forced to relocate.

Pause and reflect

First Nations and French relationships

Do you think the relationship between the First Nations and French colonizers was a positive relationship? Why or why not? Use evidence from what you have just explored to support your answer. Respond in a method of your choice.

Press Hint to reveal a hint about the relationship between the First Nations and French colonizers.

Hint

Think about how their relationship started and how it changed over time. Consider the advantages and disadvantages that each group had and the idea of white supremacy amongst French colonizers.

The fur trade

As mentioned previously, the fur trade played a significant role in European and First Nations interactions.

Examine the following image of the Hudson’s Bay Company Trading Post.

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

Record your ideas in a method of your choice.

Now, let’s explore the following video and think about the following questions recording your response with a method of your choice.

• What initially brought the Europeans to Canada?
• What items did you see in the video that Europeans traded to the First Nations for fur?

Samuel de Champlain’s goal was to make New France the centre of a powerful French colony and he promoted its commercial, industrial, and agricultural opportunities to the government in France. The colonization of New France was heavily driven by the demand for beaver pelts, which were highly valued as raw material for hat-making in Europe. The beaver hat was a fashion essential for the well-to-do and widely used in the military.

Source: Foster, J. E., & Eccles, W. J. (2019, November 1). Fur Trade in Canada. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/fur-trade.

Fur trade inquiry

Press Inquiry to access the steps of the inquiry process.

Inquiry

Inquiry is a multi-step process used to formulate questions, gather, organize, and analyze information, evaluate, and draw conclusions, and communicate results.

Apply the inquiry process

In this task, you are asked to choose one of the following topics to further explore. Follow the inquiry process by formulating appropriate questions, gathering and analyzing information, drawing conclusions, and communicating the results of your inquiry using related vocabulary.

• The Hudson’s Bay Company – what was their role in the fur trade?
• The Haudenosaunee – what was their role in the fur trade?

Record information on the topic in the method of your choice.

Begin your research by exploring virtual museums, government websites, fur trade archive websites, and historical atlases. As you investigate, think about what caused the fur trade, where it mostly took place, how different groups were affected and the role The Hudson’s Bay Company or The Haudenosaunee played in the fur trade.

When you are finished researching, you will create a presentation that shares what you have learned. You may choose the format that best suits your topic and message. For example, you could create a slideshow, a blog, a website, an infographic, or a video. If possible, share your presentation with a classmate or a peer.

As you complete this activity, use the following checklist to help guide and evaluate your presentation.

Reflection questions

• What resources did you find the most helpful as you were researching? Why is it important to consult multiple resources when you gather information?
• Which format did you choose to share your information? Was this format meaningful and engaging? How did you know?

Summarizing what I’ve learned

In this learning activity, you have explored the factors that led up to and the colonization of New France, how colonizers of New France interacted with Indigenous Peoples, and an overview of the fur trade and its role in colonizing New France and fostering relationships between First Nations communities.

Knowledge check: Fill in the blank

For each sentence, select the missing word from the drop-down menu.

Now answer some more questions by filling in the blanks.

Knowledge check: Questions

Choose one of the following questions to respond to in a method of your choice. Use evidence from your learning to support your answer.

• How do you think First Nations communities viewed the European colonizers? Do you think this perspective was different when they first encountered each other versus later? Why?

Press Hint to reveal a hint about how First Nations communities viewed the colonizers.

Hint

• What role did pressures for land and resources play in the relationship between European colonizers and First Nations communities?

Press Hint to reveal a hint about the role land and resources played.

Hint

Reflection

As you read the following descriptions, select the one that best describes your current understanding of the learning in this activity. Press the corresponding button once you have made your choice.

I feel...

I have an excellent understanding of the concepts I have a very good understanding of the concepts I have some understanding but need to review some more my understanding of the concepts needs a lot more work

Now, expand on your ideas by recording your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

When you review your notes on this learning activity later, reflect on whether you would select a different description based on your further review of the material in this learning activity.

Press Discover More to extend your skills.