An Economy of Furs

I am an American. My ancestors were among the few who settled in New France (Quebec) prior to 1650. My father only knew his parents were born somewhere in Quebec Province and came to New England around 1900. I started searching for my Quebec roots about a dozen years ago. I've learned about my French-Canadian family, have visited Quebec several times where I met cousins and made new friends. I've read many history books to learn what I could about the people of Quebec, how they lived, what they ate and what they accomplished. I also learned that nearly half the population of Quebec immigrated to the USA between 1850 and 1900. Many settled in New England, especially large industrial cities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. But these were not the first French to settle in what is now the United States . French forts once dotted the Great Lakes at Detroit, Duluth, Niagara and Mackinaw long before English settlers penetrated the Appalachian mountains. French men traveled as far as the Rockies, naming the Grand Tetons near today's Yellowstone Park. The Great Lakes and the St Lawrence, Ottawa and many other river systems were the French men's highways. Their goal was to aquire the skins of wild animals, especially Beaver, that flourished in the interior. The economy of New France depended on these skins arriving in Montreal and Quebec each year. The native peoples traded the skins for metal knives, tools, pots, needles as well as ribbons, blankets, beads and other manufactured goods like guns, gunpowder, lead shot and brandy. Tons of these animal skins were shipped to France where, most of them, were processed into felt and made into stylish hats.

Old Quebec Kitchen

This is a French-Canadian kitchen in a 17th century log cabin. There is no microwave, frig, stove, toaster or any other electric appliances. There is no inside running water, hot or cold. Lighting (other than that from the small window) is provided by a fire in the fireplace, a candle, or a whale oil lamp. If it is a warm day, you might prop open the door for more light. . . but that might let in the flies and bugs and animals. The fireplace serves as the furnace as well as the stove. In the summer, mom might cook outside so her log cabin home isn't overheated.What you eat depends on the season. This cabin was built close to the St Lawrence river. You could fish for your dinner. At certain times of the year, eels were so abundant they were called the Quebec Manna. At other times, the river was frozen. There was an abundance of wild game in the forest. You could hunt moose, bear, deer, rabbit or turkey. You might also raise farm animals like pigs, cattle, chickens and geese for food. There were many Maple trees to tap for syrup each spring. There was also farm crops like wheat, peas, cabbage and other vegetables.Wheat was made into flour and used to bake 5 lb loaves of bread in large outside ovens. Green peas were strung on strings and hung from the rafters to air dry. The French Canadians ate so much pea soup that "Pea Souper" became their nickname.