The Change of Empire:
New France after the Conquest
1760-1763
Vocabulary
 Assimilation: The process whereby a people adopts
the culture of another people
 Constitution: A collection of fundamental laws that
regulate the relationship between the members of
society and those that govern it.
 Ordinance: A decision or a measure taken by the
governor that has the force of law.
 Legislative Assembly: A collection of people elected
by a part of the population in order to represent it in
government.
Military rule (1760-1763)
 The British took control of New France and placed it
under military rule.
 The Treaty of Paris (1763) makes Great Britain’s
conquest official and reorganizes the territory on
North America.
 Aboriginal people rose up against the British led by
Chief Pontiac. In 1766, Pontiac signed a peace treaty
with Great Britain.
The Royal Proclamation (1763)
 Instead of New France, there is the new Province of
Quebec which is mainly the St. Lawrence Valley.
 British Civil and Criminal law are imposed. A
different system than the Canadiens are used to.
 The power was in the hand of the British governor.
Assimilation
 The British try to assimilate the Canadiens by having
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them:
Adopt the English language and British culture
Adopt the Protestant religion and education
Imposing the Test Act for those who wanted to work
in the British administration
Favouring British immigration
Distributing land in townships, not seigneuries
The effects of the Conquest on the Canadiens
 Most Canadiens try to overcome their distrust of the
British. Most of the nobility left to go back to France
and most peasants wanted to get back to farming.
 The Catholic priests in Quebec tried to convince
Canadiens to accept the British as their rulers. The
Church does this mainly to protect their own
position of power in Quebec.
 The “economic engine” of Quebec was still the fur
trade. Canadiens not involved in the fur trade return
to their seigneuries to farm.
Quebec City after the Conquest
Quebec City after the Conquest
Seigneury Château-Richer near Quebec City
Château-Richer