2.2 British Colonization and the Conquest of New France

The British colonization of North America and conquest of New France marked a turning point in Canadian history. This period saw a clash of colonial strategies, with Britain focusing on settlement and agriculture while France prioritized fur trade and exploration. The resulting conflict reshaped the continent's power dynamics.

The Seven Years' War ended French control in North America, leading to significant changes under British rule. The conquest impacted governance, economy, and society in former French territories, setting the stage for future cultural tensions and political developments in Canada.

British vs French Colonial Strategies

Settlement Patterns and Governance

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• British strategy emphasized permanent settlement and agricultural development in North America
  • Decentralized approach allowed greater local autonomy in the Thirteen Colonies
  • Encouraged large-scale immigration resulting in a larger population base (New England, Middle Colonies, Southern Colonies)
• French strategy focused on fur trade, exploration, and military alliances
  • Centralized governance structure controlled from France
  • Limited immigration led to smaller population in New France
  • Implemented seigneurial system of land distribution (large estates granted to nobles)

Economic Focus and Indigenous Relations

• British colonies developed diverse economies
  • Agriculture (tobacco, rice, indigo)
  • Shipbuilding (New England)
  • Manufacturing (textiles, iron works)
• French colonies relied heavily on fur trade and limited agriculture
  • Coureurs des bois and voyageurs played key roles in fur trade
  • Some attempts at agriculture in St. Lawrence Valley
• French maintained more cooperative relationships with Indigenous peoples
  • Intermarriage and cultural exchange were common
  • Formed military alliances (Huron, Algonquin)
• British relations with Indigenous peoples more focused on land acquisition
  • Often led to conflicts (Pequot War, King Philip's War)
  • Some trade relationships established (Haudenosaunee Confederacy)

Religious and Cultural Influences

• Catholic Church played influential role in French colonial affairs
  • Established missions and educational institutions
  • Jesuits worked to convert Indigenous peoples
• British colonies had more diverse religious landscape
  • Puritans in New England
  • Quakers in Pennsylvania
  • Anglican Church in southern colonies
• French colonists more likely to adopt aspects of Indigenous culture
  • Developed métis communities
• British colonists generally maintained distinct cultural identity
  • Some exceptions like fur traders in frontier regions

Causes and Consequences of the Seven Years' War

Origins and Alliances

• Immediate cause stemmed from dispute over Ohio River Valley control
  • French construction of Fort Duquesne
  • British colonial expansion westward
• Long-standing imperial rivalries between Britain and France contributed
  • Competition for global colonial dominance (India, Caribbean)
  • European power struggles (Prussia vs Austria)
• Complex alliances formed during the conflict
  • Most Indigenous nations sided with French (Odawa, Ojibwe, Wendat)
  • Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy initially neutral, later supported British
  • European alliances (Britain-Prussia vs France-Austria-Russia)

Key Events and Battles

• Albany Congress of 1754 attempted to unite British colonies
  • Proposed by Benjamin Franklin
  • Failed to gain widespread support, highlighting colonial disunity
• Major battles and sieges altered the course of the war
  • Battle of the Monongahela (1755, French victory)
  • Siege of Louisbourg (1758, British victory)
  • Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1759, British victory led to fall of Quebec City)
  • Capture of Montreal (1760, ended French resistance in North America)

Treaty of Paris and Aftermath

• Treaty of Paris in 1763 dramatically altered North American power balance
  • France ceded its North American territories to Britain
  • Spain gained Louisiana from France, ceded Florida to Britain
• British colonial policy changes followed the war
  • Royal Proclamation of 1763 regulated westward expansion
  • Attempted to manage relations with Indigenous peoples
  • Established new colonies (Quebec, East and West Florida)
• War debts led to increased taxation of colonies
  • Sugar Act (1764)
  • Stamp Act (1765)
  • Contributed to growing colonial discontent

Impact of British Conquest on New France

Political and Legal Changes

• Shift from French to British imperial control altered governance structures
  • Appointment of British governors and officials
  • Introduction of British administrative practices
• Treaty of Paris (1763) guaranteed certain rights for French Canadians
  • Freedom of religion (allowed practice of Catholicism)
  • Continuation of French civil law in private matters
  • Laid groundwork for future cultural duality in Canada
• British implemented "Anglicization" policy
  • Attempted to assimilate French Canadians into British culture
  • Met with resistance, solidifying distinct French Canadian identity

Economic and Social Transformations

• Decline of French fur trade monopoly
  • British merchants entered fur trade
  • New trading networks established with Hudson's Bay Company
• Gradual introduction of British mercantile practices
  • Increased trade with British colonies and Great Britain
• Significant outmigration of French elites
  • Created power vacuum in colonial society
  • Catholic Church expanded influence to fill void
  • Rise of new class of French Canadian professionals (notaries, lawyers)

Indigenous Relations and Cultural Impact

• French-allied Indigenous nations faced challenges with British
  • Shifts in trade patterns and alliances
  • Pontiac's War (1763-1766) resistance against British rule
• Preservation of French language and culture
  • Catholic Church played crucial role in maintaining traditions
  • French Canadian literature and arts began to develop distinct identity
• Ongoing tensions between British and French cultural groups
  • Shaped future development of Canadian society and politics
  • Led to concept of "two solitudes" in Canadian history

Governance and Society Under British Rule

Early British Policies and Reforms

• Royal Proclamation of 1763 established Province of Quebec
  • Introduced British governance structures (governor, appointed council)
  • Attempted to regulate relations with Indigenous peoples
• Initial assimilation policies faced significant resistance
  • Efforts to impose English common law
  • Attempts to establish Anglican Church dominance
• Quebec Act of 1774 reversed many assimilation policies
  • Restored French civil law in private matters
  • Protected Catholic rights
  • Extended Quebec's boundaries (Ohio Valley, Great Lakes)
  • Angered American colonists, contributed to American Revolution

Political Developments and Representative Government

• Influx of Loyalist refugees after American Revolution prompted changes
  • Constitutional Act of 1791 divided Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada
• Establishment of elected legislative assemblies in both Canadas
  • Introduced elements of representative government
  • Executive power remained with appointed officials (governors, councils)
• Growing tensions between elected assemblies and appointed executives
  • Struggles over control of finances and patronage
  • Led to reform movements in both Canadas

Social and Economic Transformations

• Shift in social hierarchies
  • Decline of French nobility
  • Rise of British merchants and administrators
  • Catholic Church maintained and expanded influence in French Canadian society
• Economic changes under British rule
  • Gradual shift from fur trade-based economy
  • Growth of timber industry (square timber trade)
  • Expansion of agriculture (wheat in Upper Canada)
  • Development of maritime trade (shipbuilding in Atlantic colonies)
• Altered labor structures
  • Decline of seigneurial system
  • Increase in wage labor and tenant farming
  • Beginning of industrial development (textile mills, iron works)