Timeline of Quebec history (1663 to 1759) - Definition and Overview

This section of the Timeline of Quebec history concerns the events between the establishment of the Sovereign Council and the fall of Quebec.

1660s

• 1663 - New France becomes a royal province under Louis XIV. The Sovereign Council is created to administer the colonies under the absolute authority of the King.
• 1663 - The first Filles du roi arrive in New France during the summer.
• 1663 - Arrival of Augustin de Saffray de Mézy, first governor named by the King, Monseigneur Laval, royal commissioner Louis Gaudais-Dupont and 150 colonists and craftmen on September 15.
• 1663 - Election of Jean-Baptiste Legardeur de Repentigny, the first mayor of Quebec City on October 17.
• 1665 - Jean-Baptiste Colbert appoints Jean Talon as intendant of New France.
• 1665 - The new governor de Mézy dies of sickness in Quebec City.
• 1665 - Daniel de Rémy de Courcelles becomes governor of New France.
• 1665 - Arrival of the Carignan-Salières regiment of 1,300 soldiers on June 19.
• 1666 - A census conducted by Jean Talon in the winter of 1665-1666 showed a population of 3,215 French inhabitants residing in New France.
• 1666 - During the autumn, the soldier of Carignan-Salières, led by Alexandre de Prouville, the "Marquis de Tracy" and the governor, invade the Iroquois territory to the south, burn their villages and destroy their crops. See French and Iroquois Wars.
• 1667 - Signing of a peace treaty with the defeated Iroquois.

1670s

• 1672 - Louis Buade de Frontenac becomes Governor of New France on April 7.
• 1675 - The expression coureur des bois is coined to name those who deal directly with the Amerindians in the fur trade.
• 1675 - Arrival of the new intendant Jacques Duchesneau de la Doussinière et d’Ambault.
• 1674 - Creation of the diocese of Quebec. François de Laval is made Bishop.

1680s

• 1682 - Arrival of governor Joseph-Antoine Le Febvre de La Barre and intendant Jacques de Meulles
• 1682 - René Robert Cavalier de La Salle takes possession of the basin of the Mississippi river for the king of France.
• 1684 - Pierre-Esprit Radisson, a coureur de bois, betrays the French and takes Fort Bourbon for the English.
• 1685 - Jacques-René de Brisay, marquis de Denonville becomes governor of New France.
• 1689 - Lachine Massacre on August 5.
• 1689 - Frontenac is appointed governor of New France a second time.

1690s

• 1692 - Marie-Madeleine Jarret de Verchères becomes a hero in New France while defending a fort waiting for reinforcements.
• 1698 - Louis-Hector de Callière is made governor of New France after the death of Frontenac in November.

1700s

• 1701 - Signing of the Great Peace of Montreal between 39 Indian tribes, the French and the English on August 4.
• 1703 - Philippe Rigaud de Vaudreuil, governor of Montreal, is made governor of New France when de Callière dies in Montreal.
• 1704 - Claude de Ramezay is made governor of Montreal on May 15.

1710s

• 1712 - New France extends from Newfoundland to Lake Superior and from the Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico.
• 1713, French colonists in all of North America number about twelve thousand, while British colonists numbered almost one million.
• 1713 - Signing of the Treaty of Utrecht (1713).

1720s

• 1720 - Quebec City is fortified by the King of France.
• 1726 - Charles de Beauharnois de La Boische from Orléans, France is made governor of New France.

1730s

• 1731 - Beginning of the construction of the Chemin du roy between Quebec City and Montreal.
• 1734 - Marie-Joseph Angélique, a black slave, is hanged for burning the house of her owner.

1740s

• 1743 - Louis-Joseph Gaultier de la Vérendrye from Montreal reaches the Rocky Mountains.
• 1745 - The fortress of Louisbourg falls to the English.
• 1748 - Signature of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle on October 17.
• 1748 - Roland-Michel Barrin, comte de La Galissonnière becomes interim governor of New France.
• 1749 - Jacques-Pierre de Taffanel, marquis de Jonquière becomes governor of New France.

1750s

• 1752 - Ange Duquesne, marquis de Menneville becomes governor of New France.
• 1754 - A census shows the population of New France to be 55,009.
• 1754 - Beginning of the French and Indian War between Great Britain and France for control of the North American colonies. It is part of the Seven Years' War.
• 1755 - Pierre Rigaud de Vaudreuil becomes governor of New France.
• 1755 - Beginning of the Acadian deportation on July 28.
• 1756 - New commander of the French troops Louis-Joseph de Montcalm arrives in Quebec City and is made subordinate of governor Vaudreuil.
• 1756 - August 29, beginning of the Seven Years War in Europe.
• 1757 - The French army takes Fort William-Henry on August 9.
• 1758 - Battle of Fort Carillon in the night of July 7 to July 8. General Montcalm's soldiers resist the attack of General James Abercombie. See the Battle of Ticonderoga.
• 1759 - Beginning of the Quebec City siege on July 12.
• 1759 - On September 13, the British troops of James Wolfe defeat the French troops of Montcalm in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham near Quebec City.
• 1759- On September 18, Quebec City surrenders. The government of New France moves to Montreal. See Articles of Capitulation of Quebec.