Brief overview of the country’s history

- Brief overview of the country’s history. This part shouldn't be too long. Its purpose is just to

understand how it has influenced the current situation of the country.

The French, who arrived in 1534, have begun colonizing the shores of the St. Lawrence River in 1603, on a territory they named New France. The British have invaded Canada in 1759 and renamed it Province of Quebec. The British colonies of North America formed in 1867 a federation called Dominion of Canada, which formally obtained in 1931 sovereignty over the United Kingdom. Since 1982, Canada has its own constitution, which is not defined by an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament

1534: Jacques Cartier takes possession of the country in the name of François I

1607: The British settle further south in Virginia

1608: Samuel de Champlain establishes the city of Quebec

1663: New France passes under the direct control of Louis XIV and becomes a French colony

1763: Treaty of Paris. France cedes to England all its Canadian territories

1774: The Quebec Act guarantees French Canadians the free exercise of the Catholic religion

1841: Creation of United Canada, which includes Ontario and Quebec

1867: The North America Act joins Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia into Canadian Confederation

1995: by 50.6% of the votes, Quebeckers again refuse the independence of their province

We can see two main influences. First from the XVI’s to 1763, the French were the only people that brought their habits, traditions, … From 1763, the England have been come and have started to run these lands. With the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the England have taken power in Canada. The French had to retreat and they have decided to go to Quebec. Today, this region of Canada is mostly influenced by french traditions, the Quebec’s inhabitants speak french.

It was with Champlain that the real colonization began in Canada. But the successes proved to be slim, because since 1627, when the Compagnie of The Nouvelle-France (or Compagnie of The Cents-Associés) has been founded, there have been still only about one hundred inhabitants scattered in two groups, the one in Quebec City (about 60), the other in Port-Royal (now Nova Scotia).
The presence of the Iroquois immediately checked the fur trade, especially since the company did not have a real army to protect the small colony of Montreal. As a result, the Iroquois threat prohibited any access to the rich lands of southern Montreal (Montérégie). In addition, in July 1629, the brothers David, Louis and Thomas Kirke took possession of Fort Saint-Louis (Quebec) and Abitation in the name of England. Quebec City have been remaining English for three years, as did Port Royal in Acadia.

Then the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1632) restored Quebec and Port-Royal to France. The Kirke brothers were forced to leave the colony to allow New France, then in poor condition, to be reborn. At least, the treaty constituted an official recognition of the French claims on the territory. At the time of Champlain's death in Quebec City on December 25, 1635, only 150 French people were living in the colony.

Samuel de Champlain is certainly the French who have influenced the most vocabulary in Canada. He created more than 330 toponyms, he also invented the word “Québec” which means French city, province and collectivity.

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