The History

The name Quebec, which comes from the Micmac word "Gepèg" meaning "strait," originally meant the narrowing of the St. Lawrence River off what is currently Quebec City. Paleo-Amerindians, whose presence in Quebec can be traced back 10 000 years, preceded the Algonquin and Iroquois Aboriginal people, with whom the Europeans first made contact in the 16th century. The northern part of the province was, and still is, inhabited by the Inuit.

The arrival of the French explorer Jacques Cartier in 1534 marked the first European presence in Quebec. The succeeding two centuries were characterized by the establishment of a thriving fur trade, a fishing industry, interdependent relations with the Aboriginal people and a continuous rivalry between France and Britain.

Founded in 1608, Quebec City gave birth to New France and became its capital. During the French regime, the fortified city was an important military, commercial, administrative and ecclesiastical centre, which prevailed over the development of the colony. Recognized as the cradle of French civilization in America, Quebec, which has conserved its fortifications, was named a World Heritage City by UNESCO in 1985.

French-British rivalry in North America culminated with the Seven Years' War, which saw the fall of Quebec City to British forces in 1759. With the Treaty of Paris in 1763, New France became a colony of Britain. In 1774, under the Quebec Act, Britain granted official recognition to French Civil Law, guaranteed religious freedom and authorized the use of the French language. In 1791, the colony was divided in two to reflect the large influx of Loyalists who, wishing to remain British subjects, fled north after the American Revolution to settle in the western region of the "province of Quebec" of the time. This led to the creation of Upper Canada (now Ontario)

and Lower Canada (Quebec). After rebellions for political reforms in both regions in 1837, the two were reunited by the Act of Union in 1840 and became the "Province of Canada." In 1867, Quebec became a founding member of the new Dominion of Canada.

Quebec's mainly rural society was transformed into an industrial society in the second half of the 19th century, at which time the city of Montreal emerged. During this era and until the first few decades of the 20th century, a great number of Quebec residents emigrated to the United States. At the start of the 20th century, a second industrial wave intensified urbanization and led to a higher standard of living.

Beginning in 1960, Quebec entered yet another period of transition: the "Quiet Revolution". It was marked by rapid economic expansion, a democratization of education, national pride and a revamping of public-sector institutions to meet the needs of contemporary society. The Quiet Revolution was also the beginning of a new period of political tension as the province sought to assume greater control over its economy and institutions.

In 1980, a provincial referendum was conducted on negotiating an arrangement for sovereignty association with Canada. The referendum was defeated by a majority of Quebec citizens, as was a second referendum held in 1995. Less than a month after the Quebec sovereignty referendum of October 30, 1995, the Parliament of Canada passed a resolution recognizing Quebec as a distinct society.

Ever since the British conquest of New France in 1760, the survival of the "French fact" in Quebec has been central to the concerns of its citizens. It is this very aspect that most reflects Quebec's distinct place in the Canadian Confederation and greatly contributed to Canada's cultural richness and bilingual character.