The habitants of New France spent more time clearing and cultivating their land than they did hunting and trapping. They built log homes on the banks.

Everyday Life in New France

HabitantsThe habitants of

New France spent more time clearing and cultivating their land than they did hunting and trapping. They built log homes on the banks of rivers. They had to be self-sufficient in order to survive.

They were expected to be

loyal to the Seigneur

who had granted them

land. The church played

an important role in

their lives so they

happily paid a tax to

support it. They

developed a distinctive

way of life on their long

strip farms.

Towns and cities

expanded as businesses

thrived. In general, town

life was more

sophisticated and

comfortable and

habitants used them to

sell their produce.

The Seigneurial SystemThe seigneurial system

had been in place in New France since the first French settlers arrived. It was understood and accepted.

The king granted large pieces of land to wealthy, important citizens. The seigneurs kept the biggest lots for themselves and parceled out the rest to the habitant families.

The rivers in New France

were the main means of

communication and

transportation at the time.

So, it was decided that each

seigneury should have river

frontage. They were long,

narrow rectangles that

extended back from the river.

In 1742, a visitor to New

France remarked that it

looked like a village strung

out along the river. The

houses were close to one

another and the fields strung

out behind them. When the

river lots filled up, a second

row was created.

Rules of the Game According to the system, the

seigneur had responsibilities to the king and to the habitants. Here is what the seigneur owed the king:

Kneel before the intendant and swear obedience to the king.

Divide the seigneury into lots. Report annually how much

land has been cleared and how many land grants have been given to habitants.

Send all oak trees to the king’s shipyards.

Build a house, a church, and a mill for the habitants to use.

• Grant them farms.

• Promise habitants the

right to stay on the

land if they honored

their contract.

• Provide protection for

them.

• Build a mill for

grinding wheat into

flour.

• Provide land for a

church and help build

it.

What the Seigneur Owed the Habitant

• Promise to build a

house and clear the

land.

• Pay annual taxes,

which could be goods

such as pigs, sacks of

wheat, or a few

chickens.

• Work 3 days each year

for the seigneur.

• Promise to take their

grain to the seigneur’s

mill and pay him 1/14th

of any grain they grind.

• Give the seigneur a

portion of any fish they

catch.

What the Habitant Owed the Seigneur

• Give the seigneur

some of the wood

they cut on the

property.

• Pay a commission

if they sell their

land.

• Promise to help

build a church and

pay the priest.

• Honor the seigneur

with a special pew

in the local church.

Social Life on the Seigneury The habitants worked hard

but found time to have fun as well. After the harvest, the habitants gathered at the seigneur’s house to pay their annual rents. They were greeted by the seigneur who recorded all payments in his account book and a huge celebration followed. The seigneur provided food and refreshments. There was music and dancing that lasted until the wee hours of the morning.

Religion on the Seigneury Many social activities in New

France centered around the church. Most people attended the Catholic Church on a regular basis. It was a place to meet friends and neighbors, to hear the latest gossip or news. To hear important announcements from the governor, bishop or intendant. Church bells signaled the various parts of the day. The sound of the bell at noon brought farmers in from their fields to eat.

Important festivals revolved around the church. For example, on Christmas Eve, children went to bed early. They would be awakened around 11 p.m. and bundled up in the sleigh . With bells jingling, the family would head to church for midnight mass followed by a huge feast and dancing. Gifts were not exchanged until New Year’s Day.

The Towns of New France In 1750, Quebec City was the

most important town in the colony.

8000 people lived there perched on top of a 100m high rock cliff.

Ships arrived from France every spring bringing the latest fashions and news. Soon they would be leaving loaded with furs and timber for France.

There was Upper Town where the where the wealthy lived and Lower Town where the merchants sold their goods and the habitants lived.

Montreal Montreal was 250km up the

St. Lawrence River from Quebec City.

It was the center of the fur trade.

Each June, it hosted the annual fur fair where Voyageurs left Montreal for the interior in huge fleets of canoes.

It was a frontier town. In Montreal, you saw four

types of people. Priests and nuns, soldiers, voyageurs and coreurs de bois and Aboriginal people.

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières was a market

town halfway between Montreal and Quebec.

The town had a small military garrison.

In 1749, 850 people lived there.

Travelers between Quebec and Montreal often stopped for the night. It was home to 18 inns.

The town was famous for it’s iron deposits nearby and as a producer of birch bark canoes.

Transportation in New France The St. Lawrence River

was the main highway for New France. It linked everyone. Canoes and rafts were used in summer.

Sleighs and toboggans pulled by oxen, horses or even dogs were used for winter travel.

The townspeople used elegant two-wheeled carriages called calèches to get around.

Law and Order The Intendant had complete

responsibility for law and order in the colony.

Laws were the same as those in France.

Seigneurs could act as judges when needed in small matters but the Sovereign Council handles serious matters.

In French law, a person is guilty until proven innocent and the judge pronounces the sentence.

Punishment was severe ranging from jail to execution and executions were held in public as a warning to others.

The Acadians Since the earliest days of

settlement, the maritime areas of New France had changed hands frequently between the French and British and even though most of the inhabitants were French, they adapted to whoever was currently in charge of the area.

They developed their own unique culture and regardless of who ruled them, they maintained their way of life including customs. The French called it Acadia, the British called it Nova Scotia.

Establishing the Town of Halifax

The British gained control of Acadia for good in 1713. They were concerned about the French fort at Louisbourg.

The British wanted to establish a strong presence along the east coast.

The British invested a lot of money to build the settlement at Halifax. They encouraged British citizens to settle there.

Acadians became unhappy about the situation and tension between the Acadians and British developed.

END