|
A New
France | The
Iroquois | English
Invasion | Peace |
Seigneiurial System
| The Kings Girls |
Canadian Identity |
Society |
Government |
The Church |
Champlain |
Frontenac |
Acadia |
The Fall
The return of
Champlain to Quebec and the reestablishment of French
control over the St Lawrence valley created an
opportunity for France to reorganize and jump start the colony.
Lawsuits between the de Caen brothers and the Company of
1000 associates were resolved. By 1640 loses from the
fur trading monopoly encouraged the Company of 1000
Associates to hand over its rights to settle and
conduct business in the new world, to a group in Quebec know
as the Company of Habitants. The Habitants quickly grew
into a fur trading aristocracy and began to flex their
muscle in the colony, not just in the realm of fur
trading, but in all aspects of the colonies life. By 1647
the instability and power politics in New France came to
a head and the King of France issued an edict to
address the problems by creating the council of Quebec.
The French Canadian historian Gustave
Lanctot explains that the council was assembed in such a
way so that "At
the top stood the King, royal suzerain and absolute
legislator. Under him came the Company of New France,
feudal owner of the country, granting seignories and
collecting fees, appointing officials of justice and
paying their salaries. Next stood the governor who,
nominated by the company, but appointed by the king, was
the colonies highest court of appeal, wielded absolute
authority in military and civil regulations, and even in
trade and financial matters, in any case of emergency.
Under him the Communaute of the Inhabitants possessed
the monopoly of the fur-trade, while the Quebec council,
composed of members elected from the colony at large,
regulated the commercial policy and public expenditure
of the country."
This system allowed a degree of popular
representation in New France which was absent in most
countries in Europe and many English colonies in the
Americas. |
