New France
Canada, 1534–1763. Draft, not yet reviewed
New France was the territory colonized by France in mainland North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spain in 1763 under the Treaty of Paris. In the 16th century, the lands were used primarily to extract natural resources, such as furs, through trade with the various indigenous peoples. In 1754, New France's population consisted of 10,000 Acadians, 55,000 Canadiens, and about 4,000 settlers in upper and lower Louisiana; 69,000 in total. The British expelled the Acadians in the Great Upheaval from 1755 to 1764.
Seat of power: Quebec City
Rulers
Jacques Cartier
Governor of New France, 1534–1541
Jacques Cartier was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River. He named the region Canada after the Iroquoian names for the two big settlements he saw at Stadacona and at Hochelaga. On 20 April 1534, Cartier set sail under a commission from the king, hoping to discover a western passage to the wealthy markets of the East Indies.
Portrait of Jacques Cartier: Théophile Hamel / After François Nicholas Riss, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Troilus de Mesqouez
Governor of New France, 1598–1606
Troilus de Mesgouez was a French noble and served as Viceroy of New France. Around 1598 or 1599 he sent settlers (mainly criminals) and soldiers to Sable Island to establish a fishery and fur trading post. Poorly planned, the settlement failed and was abandoned around 1602–1603.
Jean de Biencourt de Poutrincourt et de Saint-Just
Governor of New France, 1606–1614
Poutrincourt was appointed governor of Port Royal in 1606. He received ownership of the land in and around the colony, along with fur-trading privileges and fishing rights. Port-Royal was re-established and was successful until destroyed by a British raid in 1613.
Samuel de Champlain
Governor of New France, 1626–1629
Champlain made between 21 and 29 voyages across the Atlantic Ocean during his career, founding Quebec on 3 July 1608. Although he never held the formal title of governor due to his non-noble status, Champlain effectively governed New France until his death in Quebec on 25 December 1635. On July 19, Kirke arrived before Quebec after intercepting Champlain's plea for help, and Champlain was forced to surrender the colony to him on the next day.
Portrait of Samuel de Champlain: Samuel de Champlain, Public domain, file
Charles de Montmagny
Governor of New France, 1636–1648
He was the first person to bear the title of Governor of New France and succeeded Samuel de Champlain, who governed the colony as Lieutenant General of New France. Montmagny was able to negotiate a peace treaty with the Iroquois at Trois-Rivières in 1645.
Portrait of Charles de Montmagny: AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, file
Louis d'Ailleboust de Coulonge
Governor of New France, 1648–1651
Louis d'Ailleboust de Coulonge was the French governor of New France from 1648 to 1651 and acting governor from 1657 to 1658. After being named governor in 1648, he tried in vain to prevent the Iroquois from annihilating most of the Hurons, who had allied themselves with the French settlers.
Portrait of Louis d'Ailleboust de Coulonge: Gestion de documents et archives de Montréal, Public domain, file
Jean de Lauson
Governor of New France, 1651–1656
Jean de Lauson was governor of New France from 1651 to 1657, one of the most challenging times for the new colony. In 1653, Lauzon negotiated a peace treaty with the Mohawk, an Iroquois nation based in what is now New York. He gave himself the monopoly on the fur trade, and King Louis XIV responded to the settlers by ordering it reopened to all colonists.
Portrait of Jean de Lauson: Archives de Montréal - Portrait, Public domain, file
Daniel de Rémy de Courcelle
Governor of New France, 1665–1672
Daniel de Rémy de Courcelle was the Governor General of New France from 1665 to 1672. Courcelle's main contributions were the actions he took to maintain peace, resolve conflict between the Iroquois and the Algonquin, and sustain the fur trade. In 1669, following the orders of Louis XIV, Courcelle established militia companies in which all able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and 60 were drilled in the use of arms.
Portrait of Daniel de Rémy de Courcelle: Henri Beau, Public domain, file
Jacques-René de Brisay de Denonville, Marquis de Denonville
Governor of New France, 1685–1689
In 1687, he led a punitive expedition against the Seneca that destroyed four of their villages. Following the orders of Louis XIV, Denonville reluctantly sent 36 of the male prisoners to France to serve as galley slaves. Denonville was recalled in 1689 because Louis XIV felt that the Marquis's military expertise would be of greater use in Europe.
- Jacques-René de Brisay de Denonville, Marquis de Denonville (Wikipedia)
- Jacques-René de Brisay de Denonville, Marquis de Denonville (Wikidata)
Portrait of Jacques-René de Brisay de Denonville, Marquis de Denonville: AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, file
Louis-Hector de Callière
Governor of New France, 1698–1703
Louis-Hector de Callière was the 13th governor of New France from 1698 to 1703. Having succeeded Frontenac in 1698, he devoted his time to the pacification of the indigenous nations. The treaty of Montreal (1701), agreed to by representatives of 39 nations, was the result of his efforts.
Portrait of Louis-Hector de Callière: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil
Governor of New France, 1703–1714
As Chevalier de Vaudreuil, he was sent to command French forces in New France before being appointed Governor of Montreal in 1699, and then Governor General of New France in 1703. His term ran from 1703 to 1725, throughout Queen Anne's War and Father Rale's War.
Portrait of Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil: Original uploader was Colocho at wikimedia commons, Public domain, file
Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil
Governor of New France, 1716–1725
Rigaud de Vaudreuil was one of three governors-general of Canada known to have owned enslaved people. During his tenure, he owned 11 people, seven of whom were from First Nations and four from Africa. Château Vaudreuil was constructed in 1723 as his private residence in Montreal.
Portrait of Philippe de Rigaud Vaudreuil: Original uploader was Colocho at wikimedia commons, Public domain, file
Charles de la Boische, Marquis de Beauharnois
Governor of New France, 1726–1747
His term saw a great expansion in the number of western forts with the leadership of people like La Vérendrye, and the linkage of Canadian and Louisiana colonies. Despite a generally peaceful and prosperous administration, he was blamed for the fall of Fortress Louisbourg in 1745, and was recalled in 1746. Beauharnais was one of three governors-general of Canada known to have owned enslaved people.
- Charles de la Boische, Marquis de Beauharnois (Wikipedia)
- Charles de la Boische, Marquis de Beauharnois (Wikidata)
Portrait of Charles de la Boische, Marquis de Beauharnois: Robert Tournières, Public domain, file
Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal
Governor of New France, 1755–1760
Born in Quebec, he became the last Governor-General of New France in 1755. He clashed often with Montcalm, the military commander in the field, who resented his oversight role. He was forced to surrender Montreal on 8 September 1760 to Major-general Jeffrey Amherst.
- Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal (Wikipedia)
- Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal (Wikidata)
Portrait of Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal: Donat Nonnotte, Public domain, file
Culture
- The 1666 census of New France was the first census conducted in North America. According to the census there were 3,215 people in New France, comprising 538 separate families.
- The census counted 2,034 men and 1,181 women. The French government sought to rectify this over the next few years by sending approximately 800 unmarried women to the colony.
- The use of the maple leaf as a symbol dates to the early 18th century in New France.
- Most of the French were farmers, and the rate of natural increase among the settlers themselves was very high.
Picture
The Fortress of Louisbourg is the site of a partial reconstruction of an 18th-century French fortress on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.
Image: Charny, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.