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1400
The First Occupants
The first occupants were divided into 3 groups; the three socieolinguistic groups which included the Inuits, the Algonquians and the Iroquois. The three groups were divided because of their different languages, location, religion and their social and political organization. -
1500
Bering Strait Land Bridge
The Bering Strait Land Bridge was a passage the first occupants used to get from Asia (Siberia) to North America (Alaska). -
1534
Voyage of Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier explored the St.Lawrence River region in order to find precious metals and a new route to Asia. -
The foundation of Quebec
Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec in order to make fur trades with the Amerindians easier. -
The Company of One Hundred Associates
The King of France mandated The Company of One Hundred Associates to populate the colony. Later the King of France got rid of The Company of One Hundred Associates because they did not bring enough people to New France. -
Second Settlement
Champlain put Sieur de Laviolette in charge of finding a second settlement at the confluence the of St. Maurice and St. Lawrence rivers. Trois-Rivières allowed furriers to communicate with each other and to prevent the Iroquois from intercepting their trades. -
Foundation of Ville-Marie
Paul Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve founded Ville-Marie with Jeanne Mance, a nurse. Ville-Marie later became a major trading post because of its location in the heart of the Amerindian territory. It was later named Montreal in the 18th century. -
First Intendant
Jean-Baptiste Colbert decided to make Jean Talon the first Intendant in order to populate New France. Jean Talon wanted to attract more women and craftsmen, merchants and farmers. There were 3 different groups of people that Jean Talon brought. The indentured servants (engagés), the soldiers and the Filles du Roy. -
Census of The French
The King of France mandated Jean Talon to take a census of the population of New France to determine how many men could be recruited for military purposes. -
Great Peace of Montreal
This signing ended the war between the Innus, the Algonquians, the Abenaki, the Hurons and the French against the Iroquois. There was a change in the level of security in New France. -
British Take Over
The French and British were at war for several years. That time period was called the Seven Years' War. It ended in 1763 when the British took over New France. 2000 individuals left New France because the British took over. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the Seven Years' war in Europe. New France was defeated by the Britains. -
Royal Proclamation
The Royal Proclamation was a document signed that gave New France to the British which meant that English laws were now put in place. The British decided to rename the territory the Province of Quebec. -
Act of Quebec
The Britains decided to expand the territory. The oath of allegiance granted free practice of the Catholic religion. This Act restored the use of French civil law while maintaining the use of English common law for public administration. -
Arrival of Loyalists
During the American Revolution, 10 000 Loyalists left the United States to settle in the British territory. Most Loyalists settled in Quebec, Gaspe, Sorel and the lands near the south of the Sti-Lawrence river. -
Declaration of Independence
The 13 colonies were not satisfied with the British rules so they decided to declare independence from British Control. -
Constitutional Act
In this Act, the new land was given to the Loyalists entering Canada. The land that was given to the Loyalists was divided into squares (Townships) and tax free. British North America was divided into Upper and Lower Canada. -
Demography of Quebec
Quebec's population tripled due to natural growth until 1861. Since the rural areas were overpopulated due to French Canadiens moving to Saguenay and Lac St-Jean to find timber. Later in 1940, French Canadiens emigrated to the United States and other industrialized cities. -
Increase of Immigration
In Europe, the population was increasing very rapidly. Since the population was increasing, the unemployment rate was high, there were periodic outbreaks of famine and epidemics. The British government encouraged unemployed families to emigrate to its colonies to solve all of their problems. -
Act of Union
This act united Upper and Lower Canada into one territory which formed, United Canada. English became the official language and the French population was now a minority. -
The Great Famine
In Ireland, potatoes were their main source of food. Unfortunately, a disease broke out which made potatoes not fit to eat anymore. Over a million people died because of this. -
The Federal Government
John A. Macdonald leader of the federal government suggested an immigration policy to either stimulate or restrict immigration. Fortunately he successfully brought many immigrants. -
Immigration after 1950
At first, immigration was based on people's race. Later, immigration was based on people's needs. For example, if you had family living in Canada, you were prioritized. 10 years later, the government eliminated any criteria that were racially discriminatory. The White Paper led to a new policy. Instead of bringing immigrants in because of their culture, now it is based on their skill. For example, you have a higher chance of coming in if you're a doctor. -
Immigration Act of 1976
The main objectives in this period were to encourage the population growth, enrich cultural heritage, facilitate family reunions and maintain humanitarian attitude towards refugees. -
Government Policies after 1980
Since women wanted to get a job and have kids, the government decided to create several policies in order for women to work and children to be taken care of. The government created the Office de garde à l'enfance. They put someone in charge to manage the children. Later they created tax breaks for having children, CPE's and daycare for the children to attend. Finally, the decided to create the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP). Now parents were payed if they had children.
