Experience Québec
The History of New France
Nous, the French of North America
It’s finally arrived! After a four-year journey that brought it from Halifax to Montréal, with stops in Nantes, Brouage and Dieppe, this is an exhibition that couldn’t be better timed, what with the 400th anniversary of Québec City. It tells the tale of 200 years of migration, of the history of men and women driven in search of a better life, who represent almost five centuries of Francophone life in North America.Until October 12, 2008, Pointe-à-Callière presents an exhibition on the French settlement of North America. Co-produced with the Musée d’histoire de Nantes/Château des ducs de Bretagne, the exhibition covers two centuries of migration and traces the destinies of a number of noteworthy men and women who left their towns and villages in France to settle in Acadia, the St. Lawrence Valley and Louisiana
The French in North America
This is an original way to explore your roots. In 2008, an estimated 15 million-plus Francophones live in North America. And even more have French surnames, although they no longer speak the language of Molière. Don’t forget: in 1620, there were… 60 of them. From 60 to 15 million. Francophones. Of this number, over half live in Canada. And some 90% of them live in Québec. And in this year of the 400th anniversary of Québec City, the landing port for these passengers, the exhibition France, New France. Birth of a French People in North America takes on a particular interest and offers an updated look at the epic conquest of this new world and the history of France.
What was New France?
An immense territory. Hundreds of times larger than France, starting at the Gulf of Mexico, including Florida, and stretching all along the Mississippi to the Great Lakes, covering the southeastern portion of Ontario to the Atlantic, including the major port and economic centres of Montréal (QC), Québec City (QC), Trois Rivières (QC), Louisbourg (NS), Fort Beauséjour (NB) and New Orleans (LA).
Toward a better life…
Through stirring objects and original means of presentation, the exhibition traces the eventful stages over the course of which a Francophone presence took root in North America, even before Jacques Cartier’s arrival in 1534. It reveals the motives of French monarchs, from François I to Louis XIV, for wanting to colonize the New World. It explains what prompted French subjects to leave their homeland and choose a colony with an uncertain future: a hope for a better life, the fulfillment of a short-term work contract or military service, the “voluntary” relocation of orphans (the famous Filles du Roy – see sidebar)... or a simple desire for adventure.
Migratory movement
Unlike those who settle and integrate into a functioning society, the French came to inhabit a country that did not yet exist, but that was already populated by many Amerindian nations. They had to invent a nation. France, New France. Birth of a French people in North America harks back to the historic days of the founding of the first French settlements in North America—Île Sainte-Croix and Port-Royal, in 1604 and 1605, and Québec City in 1608—as well as the adventure of the French settlement of the continent.
The decisive period for French settlement in North America was the 17th century, with the foundation of Trois-Rivières (1634) and Montréal (1642), as well as certain important centres in France and New France, such as Nantes, La Rochelle, Acadia, the Saint Lawrence Valley, the Great Lakes region, and finally, Louisiana. The exhibition uses a human and intimate approach to history through the destiny of individuals. It covers the French Regime, from initial exploration in the 16th century to the British Conquest and Treaty of Paris, in 1763.
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The importance of the Amerindians
The essential contribution of the Amerindian nations is little known. Without the Amerindians, the survival of the colonists, political and economic expansion and knowledge of the territory of New France would have been impossible. The entire development of the colony rests on the ties that were created between Amerindians and New France. New France had one-twentieth the population of New England, but was able to maintain its strong position thanks to its Amerindian allies.
The exhibition ends post-British Conquest and with the French heritage on the continent, where 15 million Francophones still live. France, New France. Birth of a French people in North America is more than a simple history of Canada. It deals with the French, the Americans and the British as much as Quebecers. A page of history that is still very much alive, 500 years later… Once upon a time. | The Filles du Roy |
 In 1663, ten years after the “Grande Recrue,” when 117 recruits would double the population of Montréal, the settlement of the colony stagnated. Plans for blending the races had failed, and Louis XIV, worried about having such a poorly populated colony, decided to ship over “épouseuses”—women sent for the purposes of marriage—en masse. The goal was to have single men—soldiers and recruits—who had come to work in the colony temporarily settle there. Marriage of the first “local girls” at a tender age to single men—ever in surplus—was very “productive” in terms of demographics, and unlike the men who arrived in New France, these young women had a one-way ticket. In total, 737 women married at least once. They gave birth to 4,445 children. Their children would be called Canadians. They had no idea that their descendents would later count in the tens of thousands throughout North America. |
| The exhibition catalogue |
 Naissance d'un peuple français en Amérique is much more than just a catalogue. It is a valuable, indispensable tool. Written in French and available at the Museum’s gift shop, the book was co produced by Pointe-à-Callière and the Musée d'histoire de Nantes/Château des ducs de Bretagne. It underlines the critical role of Franco-Amerindian alliances in the development of the French presence in North America, and salutes the growing contribution of archaeology to understanding the cultural blending of communities. (In French only) |
André Quenneville
2008-06-20
