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In 1608, New France was governed by the company of 100 associates. The 100 Associates had the monopoly over the fur-trading company in New France but were in agreement with the King of France that in order to maintain the monopoly over the fur trade they must help settle the colony. In the end they did not fulfill their expectations which were to bring a certain amount of settlers
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The Company of One Hundred Associates was given monopoly over the fur trade by the King of France. With the gift of having monopoly, they had to fulfill some requirements such as populating the new settlement. They also were in charge of governing the colony.
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The Royal Government was established in 1663. This new political
system was put in place because the fur trading Companies did not fulfill its promise to colonize New France. -
In 1674, Mgr. de Laval was named the first bishop of New France. He was the highest dignitary in the colony. He has no real power per say. His role is to ensure the spiritual wellbeing of the citizens of New France.
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The Amerindians and the French came to an agreement to sign the Great Peace of Montréal. This treaty put an end to Franco-Iroquois wars and conflicts between the Iroquois and the Great Lakes nations over the fur trade. Nearly forty First Nations and the French signed the peace treaty.
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During this war, Great Britain and France were fighting over the control of North America.
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After the 7 years war, Great Britain gained control of New France with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763.
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In October 1763, the British government issued an official announcement called the Royal Proclamation. The aim of the Royal Proclamation was to assimilate French-speaking Canadiens and make them British.
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The Thirteen colonies are starting to talk about war and independence. To ensure the loyalty of the French Canadians in the event of war with the thirteen colonies, the king of England decides to grant a new constitution to the Province of Québec. This constitution is called the Quebec Act.
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In 1791, the Constitutional Act attempted to satisfy the requirements of both the Loyalists and the French in Québec. Québec was divided into Lower Canada and Upper Canada. The term lower and upper were used to indicate each colony’s position on the St. Lawrence River. This constitution also grants a legislative assembly to each colony.
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In 1834, the Parti Patriote drafted the 92 resolutions with which they
demanded more autonomy for Canada with respect to Great Britain and a more democratic system. -
The British parliament passed the Act of Union July 1840. This changed the structure of Canada’s government once more. The Act of Union united Upper and Lower Canada into the Province of Canada or United Canada . It was to be a legislative union where one government controlled the whole colony.
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With the British North American Act (BNAA) of 1867, Canada became a federation. At first, it was composed of four provinces: Québec, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Powers were separated between the federal government and the provincial governments.
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In 1917, because of the lack of new volunteers, the Government of
Canada imposed conscription . This was not well-received across
Canada and especially not in Québec where there were protests that
led to violence. Some men went into hiding but 19 000 Canadians
were forced to join the army. -
Women’s right to vote was recognized federally in 1918.
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Following Maurice Duplessis’ first term of office, the Godbout government
undertook reforms :
Voting rights for Québec women
Compulsory education until the age of 14
Free primary education
Nationalization of electricity in Montréal
Creation of the Commission hydroélectrique du Québec (which later
became Hydro-Québec) -
Maurice Duplessis adopted the Padlock Law in 1937. This law permitted the police to close any establishment believed to be involved in communist propaganda. This law was also used to close down union offices. Duplessis also adopted anti-labor laws, notably by removing the certification of unions supporting strikes.
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Women’s right to vote was recognized provincially in 1940.
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During World War II, the Prime Minister of Canada, William Lyon
Mackenzie King promised Canadians that he would not impose
conscription. But because of the significant loss of life, the
government had to renege on his promise. -
The Premier of Quebec, Jean Lesage, pushed for the nationalization of electricity. The Government of Quebec took over eleven private electricity companies and merged them together. They created Hydro-Quebec who still to this day distributes electricity to most of Quebec.
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During the 1970s, some separatists believed that only radical measures would lead to Québec sovereignty. This was the case for members of the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ). This group was founded in 1963. This group believed in striking fear in the population. In the early 1970s, this group launched several terrorist attacks.
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Once in power, the Québec government wanted to negotiate an agreement that would allow it to be sovereign at the political level while maintaining economic ties with the rest of Canada. The referendum of 1980 divided Québec’s population. In the end, the No side won with 59.56% of the votes, against 40.46% for the Yes.
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In the 1980s, attempts of reconciliation for the constitutional agreement of Quebec takes place. In 1987, the Federal Government led by the conservative Brian Mulroney proposed a new draft to the constitution that is first accepted by all the provinces and then rejected by Newfoundland and Manitoba. This project is called the Meech Lake Accord.
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In 1995, the Parti Québéois held a second referendum on Québec
sovereignty but the results revealed a profound division between
sovereignists and federalists. The No side won with 50,6% of the vote. -
The agreement was signed on February 7th, 2002 between the Cree Nation and the Government of Quebec. The agreement implemented, that the Cree Nation receives a share of the revenue that comes from mining, hydro and forestry that occurs on their lands. In return, the Cree Nation is responsible for the community and economic development of their people and land.
