The People of New France

by Allan Greer

This book surveys the social history of New France. For more than a century, until the British conquest of 1759-60, France held sway over a major portion of the North American continent. In this vast territory several unique colonial societies emerged, societies which in many respects mirrored ancien regime France, but which also incorporated a major Aboriginal component.

Whereas earlier works in this field presented pre-conquest Canada as completely white and Catholic, The People of New France looks closely at other members of society as black slaves, English captives and Christian Iroquois of the mission villages near Montreal. The artisans and soldiers, the merchants, nobles, and priests who congregated in the towns of Montreal and Quebec are the subject of one chapter. Another chapter examines the special situation of French regime women under a legal system that recognized wives as equal owners of all family property. The author extends his analysis to French settlements around the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi Valley, and to Acadia and Ile Royale.

Greer's book, addressed to undergraduate students and general readers, provides a deeper understanding of how people lived their lives in these vanished Old-Regime societies.

Genres: History, Canada, Nonfiction, Read For School

130 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1997

About the author

Allan Greer is a professor in the Department of History and Classical Studies at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Colonial North America at McGill University, Montréal.

Reviews

[Théo d'Or]

During the first day of school in a Paris' banlieue, a teacher reads out the names :

Mustapha El Ekhzeri ?

Present !

Ahmed El Kabul ?

Present !

Kadir Sel Ohlmi ?

Present !

Ala In Ben Oit ?

( Silence...)

He repeats : Ala In Ben Oit ?

No one answers.

For the last time... Ala In Ben Oit ?

Suddenly, a boy from the back of the class stands up and tells the prof :

Oh..uh...I guess it's me... but my name is pronounced " Alain Benoît "...

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

An academic text, but an interesting one about the history and residents of New France. I learned a lot about historical moments, enduring issues, and traditions (where some French-Canadian surnames come from, for example, and the importance of wheat and bread-making in the culture).

[Katie Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's easy to see why Allan Greer is a master in his field. This history is so informative and concise. Definitely more of a textbook, but it is a requisite read for anyone interested in the history of Early Canada specifically New France.

[Tyler Dyck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great history on the colony of New France and the experience of people who immigrated over from France. Greer's attention to detail, yet concise descriptions make this a must read for anyone interested in Canada's history since contact.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introduction/overview of New France history. Perfect place to start for topical overviews and prepping for lectures.

[Abhirup · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a regular history book which focuses on big names, big events, and big narratives.

Instead it focuses on day-to-day lives of ordinary people. How did farmers divide their lands? What were the rights of housewives upon marriage? How did the average indigenous person react to missionary ideas? How did the ordinary soldiers' life differ from that of the officers? What did people eat? What did people wear? How were civil disputes resolved?

This not helped me understand the origins of Quebec and Canada, but also gave me interesting ideas for writing and world-building in general.

I was fascinated to learn the shape of the farms were long narrow rectangles, to assure every farmer had access to the riverfront (You can still see this on satellite view today - eg: zoom in on map apps). Unlike British Law, French Law recognized wives as legal partners in ownership of marital property and guaranteed daughters equal inheritance. The missionaries originally criticized complex gender relations in indigenous societies and wanted to replace them with absolute patriarchy. But upon seeing significantly higher church attendance in indigenous women than men, decided to flip the script and advocate greater powers for women.

Highly recommend this for anyone who wants a taste of everyday life and culture in historical times.

[Carolyn Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short overview of the social history of New France, including chapters about the experiences of women and First Nations. The author critiques previous works on New France that focused closely on French Catholic emigrants without discussing the full diversity of the region. The book is just over a hundred pages long and therefore summarizes long periods of history in short chapters, a longer book would have given a greater sense of change over time.

[Eyani · Rating 5 out of 5]

A respected scholar, and a short read. I appreciated that he stayed on topic, and covered more than just Canada.

[Mochi]

Clear & concise social history of New France.

[Eibhlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

read for fun, an easy read

[Joey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an easy read, but I don't think his thesis was clear.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually a very interesting read. If there had been books like this to read when I went through school I might actually have paid attention and learned something.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at the social history of Canada before the British came in the 1760s.

[Duncan White]

A solid primer on the different varieties of people that lived in the colonies of New France. The text is pretty academic, but Greer includes some framing devices that help in making The People of New France one of the better books I've read for a class.