Minds On
Discovering new lands
In the 15th to 18th centuries, European explorers set out to learn about the world and lands unknown to them. There were so many explorers that this time period is often referred to as the “Age of Discovery.” Inventions like the compass helped explorers reach new, far-off lands.
When the explorers arrived on the new land, they created settlements. A settlement is a place where people establish a new community.
Consider the following question:
Before leaving on their journey, what might an explorer need to consider to create a settlement on new lands?
You may use these questions to further prompt your thinking:
- How will they acquire food once they arrive?
- What type of housing structures will they construct?
- What materials will be needed for construction?
- What plans are in place to establish relations with Indigenous Peoples in the region?
- How will they communicate with Indigenous Peoples if they meet them?
Complete the Important Factors for Living in a Region activity in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.
Press the Activity button to access the Important Factors for Living in a Region.
Activity(Opens in a new tab)Action
New France society
As more Europeans arrived in the Americas, they began to form new settlements. The area of land from parts of what is now called Ontario all the way to the East Coast on the Atlantic Ocean was called New France.
French settlers arrived before the British and established themselves through farming and trading. The French also wanted to solidify their way of life in New France, starting with religion. Jesuit priests, nuns, and missionaries arrived to build churches, spread the Roman Catholic religion and convert Indigenous Peoples to Catholicism.
Press the Missionaries button to explore a definition.
Growing the population of New France
In order to grow the population, men were convinced to come to New France from France to be farmers, and young women who did not already have children of their own were convinced on behalf of King Louis XIV to journey to New France and become wives. The more children these women had, the more money they would be given.
The farming system was called the seigneurial system.
This image shows a typical seigneurial system. This image includes a water source at the edge of the land. There are two rows of land plots, with 6 plots of land on either side of the church land and the Seigneur’s land. Each plot of land included a home and space for a garden.
The seigneurial system was based on the medieval feudal system where farmers (habitants–both male and female) tended to blocks of land owned by by seigneurs (lords) and gave regular payments to them in exchange for living on the land with their families. One seigneur was in charge of a group of habitants.
There was a mill at the centre of the land. The mill was used for grinding grain and producing flour. The seigneur was regularly given a portion of the grains as payment. They lived near the river for easy access to travel.
There was also a church at the centre of the seigneur’s property. The Catholic Church played an important role in the lives of the habitants in rural as well as urban areas. The Church was highly regarded by habitants, and helped to build community in seigneurial systems as well as the areas around the trading posts.
To increase the population of New France, there was a push for women to make the journey. New France was mostly populated by men such as fur traders, priests, and soldiers. The women were sponsored by the King Louis XIV to live in New France.
Between 1663 and 1673, approximately 800 women made the journey from France to New France. The women who went were known as Les Filles du Roi (Daughters of the King). The women were greeted by New France officials and Catholic religious leaders when they arrived. Many of the women who arrived were married shortly after to begin families and ensure an increase in the population of New France.
Merchants and traders played an important role in New France. They imported and exported goods. They were responsible for acquiring and shipping furs and other products to Europe and making them available to the local population. They received and stored supplies from Europe and elsewhere for sale in New France. As suppliers, they formed the wealthiest class in New France.
Shopkeepers purchased goods from the merchants and traders and provided them for sale to the public in New France.
Artisans were responsible for producing items that were used in the society. This may include carpenters who made tables, chairs, and beds, or stone masons who helped to construct buildings. Coopers made barrels and kegs that were used to keep and transport products. Metal workers included blacksmiths and wheelwrights (people who constructed the wheels for carriages). There were also bakers and butchers who provided food.
Children learned skills in schools, from their parents, and in apprenticeships where they worked with an artisan. For example, a young person may have learned the craft of carpentry by learning the skills from a master with the goal of one day becoming a carpenter.
Key figures in New France
Let’s explore some the key figures in New France settler society. Press the following titles to learn more about different key figures.
Absolute monarch known as the Sun King who ruled France between 1643 and 1715.
An administrator of the colony of New France in charge of overseeing the economic growth of the colony and reporting to the King in France.
Women sponsored by the King to live in New France.
Merchants and traders provided European products for the settlers.
This class included carpenters, masons, and coopers who helped to build structures in the colony.
The seigneur or lord of the land granted land to each family or habitant based on a feudal system. Families would produce food for their families and paid a royalty to the seigneur. Families rented the land or became tenants.
Families who were the tenants on the seigneur’s land. Families produced food and paid a royalty to the seigneur as a form of rent.
The Jesuits arrived in 1611 and they attempted to convert Indigenous Peoples to Christianity. In some cases, they made their way to Indigenous communities and lived among them. Nuns arrived in 1639 and created a school for girls, which included Indigenous and settler children. Missionaries built churches in their communities.
Consider the roles that key figures in the French settlements that you explored in the previous section. Complete the following fill in the blank activity. For each sentence, select the missing word or phrase from the drop-down menu.
Roles in New France
Using information in the previous section, choose four of the roles in New France society. Record why each of your four chosen roles was important to the seigneurial system.
Complete the Roles in New France activity in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.
Test Your Skills!
Knowledge check!
Think about the following two questions to review what you have learned.
What was the importance of two of the figures listed in the previous section?
Press the Hint button to explore a hint.
What role did the Church play in everyday life for settlers?
Press the Hint button to explore a hint.
Consolidation
Share your learning
The seigneurial system was important to New France.
Create an informational presentation about the seigneurial system and how it was important in New France.
How can you share this information?
- brochure
- poster
- radio commercial
- slideshow
- short film
- audio recording
- another method of your choice
You may use the Explaining the Seigneurial System chart in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document to help plan your presentation.
Press the Activity button to access the Explaining the Seigneurial System.
Activity(Opens in a new tab)Reflection
As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel...
Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.