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What was life actually like in new france ?

SS 9. What was life actually like in new france ?. The seigneurial system. Seigneurs (lords were granted land Habitants (the peasant far mers ) were allowed to farm the land Habitants had to provide fees (rent) and services (till the seigneur’s land, be in the militia…). The seigneur.

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What was life actually like in new france ?

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  1. SS 9 What was life actually like in new france?

  2. The seigneurial system • Seigneurs (lords were granted land • Habitants (the peasant far mers) were allowed to farm the land • Habitants had to provide fees (rent) and services (till the seigneur’s land, be in the militia…)

  3. The seigneur • Had to build and live in a manor house • Settle any disputes (hold court) • Attract new settlers • Build a mill • Have an army (militia) ready in case

  4. The habitants (“habs”) • Life based around the farm • Men worked the fields • Women did, too, and they also had many children to raise • Younger people worked in fur trade

  5. Spring • Crops planted, sugar harvested from sugar maples • Fishing began

  6. Summer • Habitants weeded and tended their fields • Cut wood • Cleared wasteland

  7. Fall • Harvest time – crops were gathered • Animals slaughtered & preserved for winter eating

  8. Winter • A lot of down time • Singing, dancing, & story-telling popular pastimes • Some winter trapping/fishing, but not a lot • hauling water from the river for bathing, cooking, and drinking was an ongoing task • Chopping wood was also a regular job

  9. Food • Habitants ate well (unlike many back home in France) • Four meals a day • Pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, and some cows raised on farms • Milk, butter, cheese • Peas were an important crop – PEA soup • FISH a common dish • Lots of berries and other fruits

  10. Homes • Built by hand • Back-breaking work • Neighbours & relatives helped • Stone foundation laid first, then squared timbers laid one on top of the other • Mix of sand, lime, and water (mortar) filled the cracks • Roof was series of overlapping planks • Windows small – make of oiled skins or greased paper • Wooden shutters kept out the rain • Lots of wood available • Also, wood is a better insulator • Stone was less common but safer vs. fire

  11. Women of New France • Helped in fields with planting, harvesting • Cared for huge veggie garden • Stored produce for the winter in root cellars • Helped feed animals, and milk cows • Spun yarn, made cloth • Made clothing, rugs, blankets, soap, candles, meals • Taught children to read and write • Helped run businesses if living in town • Had more rights than in France – could trade clothes, blankets, tools, guns, & brandy w/Native peoples in exchange for pelts • Could also take over possessions and running the business if husband died

  12. How’d they travel around? • Other than walking, the ST. Lawrence River was the main highway of New France • Birchbark canoes • Also they build freight rafts called cajeu • Made of rough pieces of wood nailed together, they held loads of grain, furniture, or even cattle • They could not make it (or be portaged) around rapids, so they were left on the riverbank for others to use • Horse-pulled sleighs used in winter • Roads very poor. Most didn’t want to build them as the building took them away from their farms…and they had the river already • Eventually, as more seigneuries were built, away from the river, roads became necessary

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