Think It Over (p. H32) Questions
1. In your opinion, why was Laval’s work so important in spreading the influence of
the Roman Catholic Church?

Laval made the organization of the Church strong. He established new parishes
where new priests coming out of his seminary (school to train men for the
priesthood) were being assigned to and expand the influence of the Church as the
population increased. In this way, the Roman Catholic Church became a dominant
influence throughout New France. As well, lay organizations such as the
Congregation Notre-Dame, a group of women teachers who set up schools for
girls within the parishes were officially approved by Laval, which extended the
influence of the Church even more in New France.
Note:
Who was Bishop Laval and how did he organize the Roman Catholic Church in
New France?
 He was the first Bishop of Quebec – the top Church official.
 He was in charge of all the Church’s work there.
 He created the diocese of Quebec.
 He set up a court to try clergy accused of crimes.
 He created new parishes and appointed Clergy to them.
 He oversaw the work of lay organizations (i.e., non-clergy), turning some of them
into religious organizations.
Describe the main features of the French population and its distribution in New
France.
 The population was largely male (about 63%).
 Most people lived along the St. Lawrence River.
 The main settlements were Quebec, Montreal, Trois-Rivieres, and IIe d’Orleans.
 These four settlements accounted for about 65% of the total population.
 Skilled workers (all men) were at the top of the hierarchy.
 Indentured servants and slaves were at the bottom of the hierarchy.
Think It Over (p. H41)
2a) Create an organized web chart to show types of goods that (i) France’s colonies
exported to it, (ii) France exported to its colonies, and (iii) the colonies traded with
one another
New France
France
The Antilles
2b) Who do you think benefited most from this, and why?

France tended to benefit from this. It got a monopoly on producing manufactured
goods. The colonies could produce only raw materials, many of which France
could not produce itself (such as furs and sugar).
2c) Why did New France not really make France as rich as Champlain hoped it
might?

New France had a harsh climate and a small settler population (only 28 000
people in 1717, compared with 446 000 in New England). King Louis XIV was
never prepared to invest much money in this colony. The growing season in New
France was quite short and the winters more severe than the one in New England.
As a result, New France developed more slowly than Champlain had hoped.