History of News-France

The history of News-France is spread over one period going of the French exploration of the American continent until the final transfer of the Canada to the Great Britain in 1763. Amerindian ground at the time of the voyages of Cartier, News-France was gradually occupied by France of the Ancien Mode of 1604 with 1629 and of 1632 with 1760. Following the defeat of the French colonists to the hands of the British colonists in 1760, it is under British domination of 1760 to 1763, while waiting for the result of the Guerre Seven Year old in Europe. In consequence of its defeat in the Seven Year old War, France yields the Louisiana to the Spain, at the same time as it gives up News-France with the Great Britain.

to increase is worthiest and the most pleasant occupation of the sovereigns. Louis XIV, with the Duke of Villars, January 1688

French explorations without colonization (1508-1607)

Forwardings of fishing

The documented history of French exploration starts in 1508. Indeed, in 1508, that is to say only 16 years after the first voyage of Christophe Colomb, Thomas Aubert which probably takes part in a forwarding of fishing in the area of Newfoundland, brings back some Amerindian to France. That confirms that at the beginning of the 16th century, of the French navigators venture in the gulf of the St. Lawrence. Various sources indicate that the Basque S and the Spanish made in the same way.

Jacques Cartier as tells in its newspaper as when it made his first contacts with Iroquoiens of Stadaconé which were then in forwarding of fishing in Gaspé, those came to the front from him in their Canots by offering furs to him. This attitude of the Amerindians indicate that the Amerindians and Europeans were not with their first meeting.

The voyage of Verrazano (1524)

It is however only in 1524 qu ' an official voyage , financed by merchants and by the king of France François I {{er}}, is organized. Like several other European nations, the French trust an Italian navigator, Giovanni da Verrazano for their forwarding. Previously, Spain had engaged Italian Colombo, Vespucci and whereas England had engaged Italian Caboto.

Seeking to him also a shorter passage towards Asia, Verrazano ventures at a place which was not visited by the preceding European travellers. It thoroughly skirts the Atlantic coast of North America between the Florida and the Nova Scotia, seeking the passage so much coveted towards the China. It returns bredouille but not without to be filled with wonder by the beauty at the landscape which it compared with an area Greece that it probably knew, the Arcadie. Later, one indicated under the name of Acadie, this part of News-France which was in current Nova Scotia. This voyage which did not know tangible results, prepared those of Jacques Cartier, ten years later. In 1529, a chart is marked already " News-France".

Voyages of Jacques Cartier (1534-1542)

The king of France François I {{er}}, wants to join the nations which started recently to explore the Atlantic to find a way there towards the China. He thus finances the voyages of Jacques Cartier and load this last to find “certain islands and country where it is said that it must find great quantities of gold, spices as well as silks”. It is said that Jacques Cartier is the discoverer of the Canada because it is the first to explore the territory for his systematic exploitation. It accomplished three voyages in America.

At the time of its first voyage in 1534, Jacques Cartier thoroughly explores the Golfe of the St. Lawrence. July 23rd, it plants a cross of thirty feet height in the ground of the peninsula of Gaspé and takes possession of the territory in the name of the King of France.

At the time of its second voyage in 1535, it goes up the river St - Laurent until what is today the town of Montreal.

In 1541, Jean-François of Rocque Roberval is named lieutenant of News-France and is charged, with Jacques Cartier, to establish a colony in America. For its third voyage, Jacques Cartier is under the orders the Roberval one. As Roberval is long in finishing the preparation of its voyage, Cartier leaves in first and it founds, with the mouth of the river of Cape-Red, the first French establishment in American ground which it names Charlesbourg Royal.

The first winter is disastrous. Not only the Scorbut (a disease caused by a defective supply Vitamin C) strikes it, but it is also necessary to compose with the attacks of the Iroquois which tolerate this new establishment with difficulty. When spring returns, Cartier hastens to set out again for France by carrying mineral samples, gold and diamonds, according to him. On the way on the river, it meets Roberval which is able finally to take the command of the colony. Cartier decides all the same to turn over to France by letting Roberval carry on his road. Arrived to France, a bitter disappointment awaits it. Its gold is only of the pyrite of iron, commonly called the gold of the insane ones, while its diamonds prove to be crystals of quartz. Canada becomes, in France, synonymous with stupidity and a maxim is well quickly put to circulate: “false like a diamond of Canada”. As for Roberval, after having passed, him also, a quite painful winter, it decides to repatriate all its world in France. It is done by it first attempt at French establishment in the valley of the St. Lawrence.

The temporary abandonment of exploration (1543-1597)

After the three voyages of Cartier, France does not want to invest any more important sums in a so dubious adventure. A long period of disinterest on behalf of the French authorities will thus follow. It is necessary to await the any end of the 16th century so that an attraction for these remote Scandinavian regions reappears. If France does not send any more explorers and discoverers, that does not want to say that it does not come from the French in the area of Newfoundland and in the Golfe the St. Lawrence. Indeed, the fishermen Breton S and Basque S continue to come to supply itself in Morue S and oil of Baleine. As they must spend a certain time close to the American coast for these activities, they benefit from it to exchange various objects, in particular objects of metal, against the furs of the Amerindian S. This trade becomes increasingly profitable and the interest reappears for this “ground of Caïn”.

According to some, the trade of the furs requires a permanent establishment and a good network of alliances with the suppliers of furs if it is wanted that this activity is regular and profitable. For others, this trade can continue very well to be done the made-to-order of the fishermen.

Companies of merchants try to interest the French crown in a company of colonization in America. The merchants want to imply themselves but they want that the authorities grant the monopoly to a company which, in return, would get busy to populate the colony. The king would have a colony thus without that not being to him very expensive. In parallel, the partisans free commercial make pressure near the authorities so that the trade remains free.

Some attempts missed by colonization (1598-1607)

January 15th, 1598, Henri IV, King de France, names Troilus of the Rock of Mesgouez general lieutenant of News-France and charges it undertaking colonization with it. In March, Mesgouez unloads on the Sand Island with 60 colonists. The effort is creditable but the badly selected place. The island is located far at broad from the current Nova Scotia and contains few resources to ensure the subsistence of the colonists. One is obliged to supply the colonists to allow them to survive. The first supply occurs well but the second does not take place for reasons which one does not know. When finally a ship is presented, there remain only some survivors and they are in a quite sorry state. There are then other choice only to repatriate these unhappy in France.

In 1600, a counter of milked is built by Chauvin of Tonnetuit with Tadoussac, with the mouth of current the Rivière Saguenay. The place is particularly quite selected. It is the country of the Montagnais so called Innus which belong to the big family of the Algonquiens which are primarily wandering hunters and which can provide enormous quantities of furs. Moreover, one moves away from competition from the merchants and fishermen who come during the summer to make the trade of the furs in the St. Lawrence gulf. On the other hand, the communications with France are broken during the winter because of the ices. Once again the first winter is fatal for the occupants of the station of draft. The scurvy carries the majority of them and in spring the station is abandoned.

The attempt at following colonization takes place in 1604 on the island of Holy-Cross, located in a river of the same name. This river runs on the current territories of the State of Maine, of the province of the New Brunswick and of the end is province of Quebec. Pierre Of Gua de Monts, and its navigator, Samuel de Champlain, is at the origin of this establishment. The colony of Holy-Cross does not survive, because of the roughness of the winter and the lack of fresh water. Half of the colonists die during the winter of 1604 and the survivors are relocated in Port-Royal.

One builds with Port-Royal (on the west of the Baie of Fundy close to Annapolis Royal (Nova Scotia) and which will be the cradle of the Acadie) a dwelling roomy and comfortable and during the first winter, one deplores no death. There is no chance with this situation: the new arrivals learned with being better nourished and making failure with the rigors of the Canadian winter. One founds the Order of the Good Time, an organization which provides that in turn, each occupant is seen entrusting the responsibility of prepare a meal for his/her companions. It creates for itself a certain competition where each one tries to exceed the other in ingeniousness. The menus are varied and excellent. Contrary to Tadoussac, this site allows the communications with France during all the year. One succeeds in tying friendly relations and durable with the Micmacs which are them also wandering hunters. But in 1607, one learns that the company founder of this station lost its monopoly. The colonists leave the places and turn over to France.

The colonization of French Canada (1608-1763)

The foundation of the town of Quebec (1608)

The colonization of French Canada starts with the foundation of the Ville of Quebec in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain. Champlain, which was initially implied in activities of fishing in the St. Lawrence gulf, quickly includes/understands the interest of the trade of the furs. To facilitate this trade, it establishes initially a seasonal station of draft to Tadoussac in 1603 then it realizes the importance to have a permanent establishment. It thus founds, in 1608, the Ville of Quebec which becomes the first permanent French establishment in America and the starting point of French Canada which will become the most important colony of News-France.

The site chosen by Champlain comprises many advantages. At this place, the St. Lawrence river narrows and is dominated by a high course, today the course Diamant. The place is thus easy to defend and can be used to block the road of the boats which go up the St. Lawrence. There is also abundance of furs in the area because one is in territory algonkien. Lastly, the site is surrounded by abundant fertile grounds which will be able to make it possible the future colony to be devoted to agriculture.

The draft of the furs in Quebec is announced promising especially after the meeting which took place with Tadoussac in 1603 with the Algonquins and of the Huron which seems laid out rather well towards the French. To make sure of their co-operation, Champlain their promised to assist them in their fight against the Iroquois.

In spring 1609, after one rather difficult winter which leaves only 7 French in the Dwelling of Quebec, Algonquins come to propose in Champlain a forwarding against Iroquois close to current the Lac Champlain. Champlain does not have of them really the means but it does not have the choice. It must thus be implied in a conflict which existed well before its arrival in the valley of the St. Lawrence. It leaves with two companions, all three equipped with their “sticks which spit the thunder”, and they move with their Amerindian allies towards the territory iroquois. The meeting takes place in the south of the lake Champlain and Iroquois is literally terrorized by the arquebuses with wick of the French. The part perhaps seemed easy but it will have bitter following days. This aggression against Iroquois will lead the latter to maintain a state quasi permanent hostility with the French until 1701 and will cost the life several colonists in the outposts of Three-Rivers and City-Marie (Montreal). Champlain was trapped in a dilemma. If it had not supported its business partners, its trade of the furs would have been compromised and the essence of the economy rested on this trade. On the other hand, while attacking Iroquois, it contributed to put the young colony in a state of permanent insecurity.

Champlain is spent all the same much for the cause of the colonization of News-France. It crosses several times the ocean to promote its idea of an integral colonization of the territory. In 1618, it subjects a very detailed plan of all the possibilities that the colony offers. It recruits missionaries. The Récollets arrive in the valley of the St. Lawrence in 1615 and the Jésuites in 1625. Also arrive in 1616 Louis Hébert which one regards as the first farmer of News-France. Champlain finds all the same time to make several voyages of exploration. One knows that he visited the river of Iroquois (current the Rivière Richelieu) and the Lac Champlain during his forwarding against Iroquois but, in 1613, he goes up a good part of the Rivière of Outaouais and in 1615, he goes to the Lake Huron then to the south of the Lake Ontario. To this occasion, it still goes to Iroquois but this time the confrontation does not turn to its advantage and it is wounded. It must spend the winter in his Huron friends . It benefits from it to perfect its geographical knowledge of the area. He becomes also a specialist in the Amerindian questions.

The mode of the companies with charter (1627-1662)

Despite everything the efforts of Champlain, the colony progresses rather little. However, in 1627, all the hopes are allowed when Cardinal of Richelieu entrusts the colony to the Compagnie of the Hundred-Associates, also called Compagnie of News-France. Hundred shareholders of the company, whose Champlain and Richelieu itself, are seen entrusting the development of News-France. They obtain the monopoly of the fur for 15 years and that of any other trade with perpetuity. They are moreover owners of the colony. In return, they are committed making cross 4000 people in 15 years. They must moreover assume the administrative expenses of the colony and finance the missions near the Amerindians. Each shareholder invests the sum of 3000. The king of France thus entrusts the development of his colony to the private company. He will be able to protest his jurisdiction on a vast territory without that not resulting to him expensive.

The shareholders are serious. As of the following year, in 1628, they finance the crossing of 400 colonists. Unfortunately, their boats fall to the hands from the English in the St. Lawrence Gulf. France and England are in war and the brothers Kirke seize ships and provisions and repatriate the colonists in France. The company essuie thus a serious financial reverse before to have even made the least profit. Moreover, in 1629, Kirke is presented in front of Quebec and seize the place. With end of resources and death in the heart, Champlain must give up Quebec and turn over to France. The French adventure in America seems finished.

But the catch of Quebec occurred after the cessation of hostilities in Europe. It is thus illegal. After long negotiations, England gives Quebec to France by the treated Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer, in 1632. Champlain thus returns to take again possession of the places. The company of the Hundred-Associates is however in a precarious financial statement and is not capable any more to finance the settlement. It thus establishes a Régime seigneurial in the colony. The company grants to individuals called lords of the more or less large ground portions provided that these lords recruit colonists to populate and emphasize their seigniory. If the king had gone back from there to the company to populate the colony, the latter relies on the lords for recruitment of the colonists. This system where all endeavor to demolish their responsibilities will not give a good good performances in the years which will follow.

Shortly after its return to Quebec, Champlain receives the visit of a chief Attikamek who asks him to found a station of draft to the site of the current town of Three-Rivers. The Amerindians who live the top of the Rivière Saint-Maurice find the way to quite long Quebec and want a station more close to on their premises. In 1634, Champlain charges the sior with Laviolette with founding the station which will become the town of Three-Rivers. One is thus inserted even front in the valley of the St. Lawrence. One approaches more important basins of furs but one also approaches Iroquois which will be shown well quickly very hostile with this new establishment.

Champlain dies in Quebec in 1635. In spite of its repeated efforts, the situation of News-France is hardly reluisante. At that time, the population of News-France did not reach 500 people yet. In the neighbors of the south, the English colonies, this figure reaches almost the thirty thousand! It is a variation enormous and especially very worrying. The French colony is yet only one counter whereas the company of English colonization is a true colony of settlement. That forecasts rather badly. The company of the Hundred-Associates remains always owner of the territory, but the trade is not very well, especially because of the hostility iroquoise. However, the hostility iroquoise does not explain all. The system of the companies does not function. The merchants are in general in a hurry to box the profits than to finance the settlement.

As from the years 1640, the population starts to increase in a more appreciable way. Enough curiously, that coincides with the transfer by the Hundred-Associates of their monopoly of the furs to the Compagnie of the Inhabitants, a formed group of Canadian merchants who have more in heart the development of the colony. Between 1640 and 1660, the population passes from 500 to 3000 people. In France, a group of laic, enthusiastic catholics, dream of évangéliser of the Amerindians. They are assiduous readers of the Relations of the Jesuits, letters by which these missionaries make known their missions near the autochtones. In 1639, they found a company which is made grant an island by the Hundred-Associates, always owner of the territory. It is the island of Montreal. It is there that Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve founds City-Marie in 1642. This village will become thereafter the town of Montreal. The site is exceptional but dangerous. City-Marie is with the door of two river roads which are inserted deeply in territories rich in furs. It is of the St. Lawrence river and the Rivière of Outaouais. But the site is even more dangerous than that of Three-Rivers because of the greatest proximity of Iroquois.

But the founders of City-Marie do not aim the trade of the furs. He want to work with conversion and with the education of the Amerindians and they want to look after the patients. This foundation thus has a motivation socio-nun much more marked than the other establishments whose motivation first was the trade of the furs. Thus, Jeanne Mance founds the first hospital of News-France, the Hôtel-Dieu of Montreal. Marie Mother of the Incarnation and Marguerite Bourgeois are devoted in teaching. All that is done in a context of continual threat iroquoise which reaches its culminating point around the years 1648-50 whereas the warriors of the Five-Nations carry out the almost total elimination of the Huron , the main allies of the French in the area of the Large-Lakes. Years 1650 will be thus extremely painful for the small colony which seems likely to fail. But it will occur in France of the changes which will have interesting repercussions here.

The sovereign Council (1663-1759)

In 1663, Louis XIV takes again in hand News-France which his/her father had left between the hands of the Compagnie of the Hundred-Associates in 1627 and it institutes the royal Gouvernement. The company thus loses its privileges and it is the king and his Minister for the navy, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, who take the control of the colony.

One calls this period sovereign Conseil because during this period the colony is controlled by a sovereign council (also called superior council ) composed of the governor of News-France, intendant of News-France, the bishop of News-France and of some advisers.

One of the great innovations of this organization is the creation of the station of intendant whose function is to develop the colony. The first to occupy this station, Jean Heel, was particularly effective. As of its arrival, it makes a general census of the colony. It counts 3.215 inhabitants gathered almost all in the valley of the St. Lawrence. This population is very young person and very mainly male. There are approximately 16 men for a woman. Obviously, there are corrective measures to bring if one wants to populate the colony! Heel thus sets up a demographic policy. It starts by supporting immigration. Girls are needed as soon as possible. The French authorities collaborate and send in the following years approximately 1000 Filles of Roy. These girls are the orphan ones who received a dowry of the king and who are sent in News-France as women to marry. They must marry besides as soon as possible while unloading in News-France. These girls assured an important part of the settlement of the colony. The French government also supports the emigration in America of poor families for whom it pays the crossing. One also encourages the system of committed which made it possible to recruit good number of professionals. Lastly, the king ensures the safety of the colony by sending a complete regiment, the Régiment of Carignan-Salt boxes, composed of 1.200 men to pacify Iroquois. Heel obtains that the soldiers who want it can remain in the colony at the end of their service and to be established as colonist. Approximately 750 of them choose this option.

Under the sovereign Council, the settlement of the colony progresses more quickly. However, the speed of settlement is far from being equivalent to what occurs to the south in the British colonies. In the middle of the 18th century, News-France counts 60.000 inhabitants whereas the British colonies counts of it more than one million. The success of the settlement of the British colonies is explained by two conditions which are cruelly lacking with the French colony:

the existence of a force of repulsion in the metropolis, religious persecutions in England, which encourage certain English citizens to seek a better life in America;
cultivable the ground attraction combined with a lenient temperature in the British colonies.

The colonization of Acadie (1611-1713)

Colonization begins with the Île Holy-Cross in 1604. Acadie is a French colony to the signature of the Traité of Utrecht in 1713. The colony becomes then part of the British Empire.

See also: Deportation of Acadian the (Great Disturbance)

The colonization of the Louisiana (1672-1763)

In 1672, Louis Jolliet and the Père Inlays explore the the Mississippi.

April 9th, 1682, Rene Robert Cavelier of the Room takes possession of the basin of the Mississippi which it names Louisiana in the honor of the king Louis XIV.

Louisiana remains French colony until its transfer in Spain in 1763 during the signature of the treated of Paris.

The British Conquest (1754-1763)

A war bursts in 1754 between the British and the French along the river Ohio (in Louisiana). The war extends to Canada. In September 1759, the British, led by the major-general James Wolfe, the French in Quebec attack after a 10 week old seat. The French, led by the marquis Louis-Joseph de Montcalm, try to defend themselves in spite of a crushing numerical inferiority. While the British forces climb a cliff to fight the French on the Plaines of Abraham in front of Quebec, the British fleet bombards Quebec. The higher British of number and in experiment gain the victory.

The last obstacle of the British is Montreal. They attack it in 1760. The city, encircled, goes without fighting. The signatory of French rendering, Pierre de Rigaud Marquis de Vaudreuil, east depicts as a traitor in France but the colony was not viable, a colony of 60.000 people cannot hold a long time in front of an adversary of 1.000.000 people!

The French defeat is officialized by the treated of Paris in 1763. At this time, France must choose between its colony of News-France or its colonies of the the Antilles. France chooses the Antilles because of the presence of easily exploitable natural resources and also because it knows that it is unable to defend its small colony of News-France vis-a-vis the prosperous British colonies. France thus yields Canada to Great Britain.

epidemics in News-France and in Quebec

By Michel Barbel

Often, at the time of research in genealogy, one is astonished owing to the fact that several of our ancestors die on very brought closer dates. For example, one notes the death of the husband, the wife and children over the same short period.

Which is the cause of these deaths?

The acts of burial mention on the occasion the cause of the death, but often they are dumb. It is interesting in these cases to check if the cause of the death were not due to an epidemic.

Even if, compared to Europe with, News-France were much affected by the epidemics, there were however several of them.

Starting from the excellent work of Jean Provencher, Chronology of Quebec , published into 1991 with the Editions Boreal, I extracted the mentions from epidemics for the period of 1630 to 1918.

1687 Epidemic of measles in all the colony.
1699 Epidemic of small pox - 100 dead.
1701 Epidemic of picote during the winter in Quebec.
1702 Epidemic of small pox beginning in November in Quebec. It extends quickly to all the colony and fact from two to three dead miles including the Amerindians. The epidemic makes from 200 to 300 dead in the town of Quebec.
1710 Epidemic of malignant fevers, called disease of Siam, in all the colony.
1717-1718 Epidemics of malignant fevers in all the colony.
1729 Epidemic of picote.
1733 Food shortages and epidemics of which that one counts to 2000 patients at the same time with the general hospital of Quebec.
1734 Epidemic of variola in all the colony.
1735 Serious contagious disease in Montreal brought by the vessels of the king.
1743-1745 Epidemic of typhus in all the colony.
1748 abnormal Increase in the deaths with Saint-Augustin, which lets suppose a disease.
1749 Epidemic of fever and deaths many.
1750 Epidemic of typhus in all the colony.
the 1755 year of large the picote, epidemic of small pox which would have been perhaps transported by the returned troops of Chime.
1756-1759 Epidemic of typhus in all the colony.
the 1763 British military governor of News-France encourages its subordinates to distribute covers infected of variola (small pox) causing the death of thousands of Amerindians.
1765 Epidemic of unknown nature which makes assemble death rate in the colony.
1783 During the winter, 1100 people die of the picote and the red fevers.
the 1784 greatest epidemic of variola since 1760. It more particularly affects the area of Richelieu.
1797 Epidemic of not specified nature.
1809 One announces in several places an epidemic called melancholy epidemy , this disease of inflammatory nature is looked after by the bleeding.
1819-1821 Epidemic of variola which decimated most of the Amerindian population.
1832 Cholera epidemic. It prevails in Europe and striking Quebec, 4420 people are reached by it and 1904 die about it.
1847 Epidemic of typhus among immigrants and typhoid in Montreal.
1854 Last cholera epidemic in Quebec at the summer. In 22 years, the epidemics made 8300 victims for the town of Quebec only.
1889 Epidemic of picote.
1918 world Epidemic of Spanish influenza.

Extract of the Line, bulletin of the Club of genealogy of Hydro-Quebec, vol. 2, No 1 (winter 95).

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