People of New France
Sovereign Council
Intendant
Bishop of Quebec
Governor
They were the chief administrator of New France, and kept it in good order. They also tried to make New France less dependent on France. Interestingly enough, they kept their eyes out for ways to exploit New France for France's benefit.
They represented the Catholic Church, provided spiritual and moral guidance, and founded schools, as well as hospitals and orphanages.
They represented the king, lead the military, was in charge of the protection of New France, and also dealt with trade with the First Nations.
Soldiers
The soldiers defended New France from the Haudenosaunee and the British. They were encouraged to settle in New France, and the officers were offered seigneuries.
"Farmers"
Habitants
Seigneurs
The habitants were farmers living on seigneuries, which are large amounts of land owned by landlords, or seigneurs. In France, habitants are called paysans. Habitants had to clear land, grow crops and build their own house. They had to give a few days of labour to the seigneur. This labour is called corveé. Some habitants gave up farming to work as coureurs de bois, runners of the woods, and hunted for furs to trade, sometimes illegally. The habitants that gave up farming sometimes became voyageurs too.
Seigneurs were landlords that had received land from the King of France. They recruited habitants to farm it. Usually, the seigneurs owned the paysans or habitants. Sometimes, seigneurs and habitants don't follow rules, and end up in court, answering complaints.
Fur Traders
Merchants
Voyageurs
Coureur de Bois
The coureur de bois means runner of the woods. People were called coureur de bois because they hunted animals for their furs,traded with First Nations in the forest, usually independently. Eventually, new France made independent trading illegal. But this still didn't stop the coureur de bois from trading and hunting.
Merchants were the people who owned shops, like blacksmiths, shoemakers, masons, bakers, and butchers. Most merchants made their money from the fur trade, and imported goods from France, and traded with First Nations. They also sometimes bought furs from the coureur de bois.
The voyageurs were the people who came from New France: travelling between the merchants that sold fur in Montreal and the fur trade posts of the Great Lakes, who eventually travelled further west.
Catholic Church/Clergy
The Catholic Church was mostly created by Jesuits, established schools, hospitals, and orphanages, and played an important role in government for New France. The clergy was a small group of literate people. Lots of people asked the clergy for advice on big decisions.
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