HISTORY OF QUEBEC AND CANADA
MODULE 3  
THE CONQUEST AND THE  
START OF BRITISH RULE  

                                                                          (SYNTHESIS QUESTIONS) 
 

1. During the War of the Conquest, a comparison between the Thirteen Colonies and New France would have signalled the fall of New France. 

 INDICATE WHETHER THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS DESCRIBE NEW FRANCE OR THE THIRTEEN COLONIES. 

  • Diversified economy 
  • Small population 
  • Small military force 
  • Large population
  • Extensive territory 
  • Large military force 
  • Single product 
  • Limited territory
      •  
NEW FRANCE : ______________________________________________________________________ 

THIRTEEN COLONIES : ________________________________________________________________ 
 
 

2. With the Treaty of Paris, New France became a British colony. London issued the Royal Proclamation in an attempt to assimilate the Canadiens.  

DESCRIBE A MAJOR CHANGE BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE ROYAL PROCLAMATION TO NEW FRANCE'S : 

Territory 
_____________________________________________________________ 

_____________________________________________________________ 

Political organization 
_____________________________________________________________ 

_____________________________________________________________  

Civil and criminal law 
_____________________________________________________________ 

_____________________________________________________________ 

Religion 
_____________________________________________________________ 

_____________________________________________________________ 
 
 
 
 

3. The Treaty of Paris and the Royal Proclamation confirmed in law the British conquest of New France. French Canadiens had no choice but to accept this new situation. 

IN WHICH YEAR DID THIS CHANGE OF EMPIRE BEGIN TO TAKE PLACE ?   ________ 
 

4. The Seven Years War in Europe had many consequences in North America, including the following three events: 

          1. The Conquest  
          2. The signing of the Treaty of Paris 
          3. The adoption of the Royal Proclamation  

MATCH EACH DESCRIPTION BELOW WITH ONE OF THE ABOVE EVENTS. 

A) Britain established the boundaries of a new colony, the Province of Quebec.  _____ 

B) The French army was defeated on the Plains of Abraham and Montreal surrendered the following year. _____ 

C) The King of France officially surrendered all of his possessions in North America to Britain except for the St. Pierre and Miquelon Islands. _____ 
 
 

5. DURING THE WAR OF THE CONQUEST, WHAT WERE TWO RESOURCES THE ENGLISH COLONIES FOUGHT FOR? 

          1. The farmland of the St. Lawrence Lowlands 
          2. The territories of the Ohio Valley 
          3. The mining regions of the Canadian Shield 
          4. The furs in the Great Lakes region 
          5. The forest regions of the Ottawa Valley 

           _____           and           ____ 
 

6. In 1783, England recognized American Independence. The Thirteen Colonies became the United States of America. 

WHAT WAS THE IMMEDIATE CONSEQUENCE OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE ON SETTLEMENT IN THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC ? 

___________________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
7. IDENTIFY THREE CAUSES OF THE CONQUEST OF NEW FRANCE IN 1760 BY COMPARING THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH : 

    populations in North America : 
     

    military strengths (fleets) : 
     

    colonial empires : 

 
 
 
 
 

8. The events outlined below occurred between 1760 and 1791. 

PLACE THESE EVENTS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. 

          1. Quebec Act                                           3. Treaty of Paris 
          2. Royal Proclamation                              4. Arrival of the Loyalists 

                _____           _____           _____           _____ 
       
       
 
9. The Conquest brought about many significant changes in New France. Some elements of society, however did not change. 
 
INDICATE WHETHER EACH STATEMENT BELOW ILLUSTRATES CONTINUITY OR CHANGE. 

          1. The British imposed their laws and political structure on the colony. 
          2. Religious communities were responsible for education, hospital care, and social welfare. 
          3. Immigrants came from the Thirteen Colonies and Britain. 
          4. The Canadiens spoke French and practiced the Catholic religion. 
          5. The British controlled the fur trade. 

CONTINUITY :      _____      and      _____  

CHANGE :      _____,      _____      and      _____ 
 
 

10. In the following text, historian Guy Frégault analyzes the consequence of a major event in the history of Canada. 

  • New France lost everything ; with most of its territory gone, it was reduced to a narrow strip of land along the St. Lawrence Valley. 
TO WHAT EVENT IS FRÉGAULT REFERRING ? 

________________________________________. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CORRECTION KEY 
 
1.                             NEW FRANCE                          THIRTEEN COLONIES 

                       Small population                        Large population 
                       Small military force                    Large military force 
                       Extensive territory                     Limited territory 
                       Single product (furs)                 Diversified economy
2.            
    Territory  
     A new boundary which confined the Province of Quebec to a small territory on the St. Lawrence. 

      
    Political organization 
    The new civil government of Quebec was to consist of an appointed governor and an appointed council.  An elected assembly was promised. 

     
    Civil and criminal law 
    The new governor, James Murray was instructed to replace French laws with British laws. However Murray found this to be impractical.  Consequently, British criminal law was immediately put into force but French civil law was retained. 

    Religion     
    Freedom of worship was continued but instructions to Murray seemed to indicate the intention of establishing the Protestant Church and the setting up of  Protestant schools as a means of assimilating the French. Furthermore, French   Catholics could not take government jobs or be appointed to the council unless they took the Test Act (office holders had to take communion in the Church of   England). 

 

3.     1763  

 
4.    1 B                2 C                3 A 

 
5.   2  and   4  

 
6.   The arrival of the Loyalists 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

7. Populations in North America 

    The French had a small population (60 000) while the Thirteen  Colonies numbered over a million and a half. 
   Military strengths (fleets)  
    The French navy was too weak to adequately supply New France.  The British navy reigned supreme and was effectively able to  blockade New France from the few supplies and reinforcements  that France did send. 
 Colonial empires 
    New France was handicapped by its dependence on the mother country for supplies and reinforcements. Manufacturing hardly existed and her farms produced little. France was too preoccupied  with the war in Europe to lend much assistance.The British forces, on the other hand, could draw on the more ample manpower and supplies of the Thirteen Colonies, on the resources of Britain if  need be and on the support of the British navy. 
     
     
8.      3,       2,       1,       4  
 

9.      CONTINUITY:        2       and       4  
 
         CHANGE:                 1,       3,       5 
 

10. The Conquest of New France