Jean Talon - Promoting Colonization, Agriculture, Shipbuilding and Commerce

Promoting Colonization, Agriculture, Shipbuilding and Commerce

It was up to Tracy and Courcelle to protect the colony from Iroquois attacks. Once Talon arrived in New France, his first task was to organize transportation of provisions, ammunition, tool, and supplies for the maintenance of the troops and to take care of incoming soldiers and laborers, making sure that those who contracted disease, received proper nursing and medical attention.

Tracy had led a successful attack against the Iroquois and won peace for the colony, restoring order and harmony. He left Canada on August 28, 1667, Courcelle became the governor and Talon remained as the Intendant.

Now that peace was restored, Talon could carry out his works of colonization. In 1665, he had taken back the land granted to the Jesuits to establish about forty dwellings in preparation for new settlers, who would arrive the following year. These dwellings were to be grouped in three adjacent villages named Bourg-Royal, Bourg-la-Reine, and Bour-Talon.

One of the most important historical document of this period was carried out by Talon. A general census of the colony was taken during the winter of 1666-67 to gather information of the colony of New France. The census is the first Canadian census, of which we have any record. It did not include the king’s troops, which formed a body of 1200 men.

Talon was highly organized in his establishment of settlements. New villages were established as close as possible to the capital and the settlers were grouped around a central point to encourage mutual help and defense. Proper dwellings were made ready to receive the new-comers. Talon proceeded to fill these dwellings with settlers, trying to have some skilled artisans, such as carpenters, shoemakers, and masons in each village.

Talon’s colonization policy was to give grants of settlements to soldiers and habitants. They took possession of the land and received an ample supply of food and tools required. They would receive payment in clearing and tilling the first two acres. In return, they had to clear and prepare another two acres in three or four years so that the two acres could be given to the next round of incoming settlers.

Under Talon’s successful colonization policy, the settlement of the country progressed rapidly. A census taken in 1668 gave very satisfactory figures. A year before, 11,448 acres were under cultivation, compared to 1668, in which 15,649 acres were under cultivation, and wheat production amounted to 130, 978 bushels.

Talon's activity showed great zeal for the public good. In terms of promoting agriculture, he erected a brewery near the river St.Charles in 1668 to support cultivation of wheat. Furthermore, hemp was highly needed in the colony for making coarse cloth. To promote the production of hemp, he created a monopoly of thread. He seized all the thread on the shops, and gave notice that to acquire thread, they had to exchange it with hemp.

Talon promoted commerce through his introduction of the shipbuilding industry. Through encouragement of shipbuilding, he had in mind the extension of the colony's trade with the West Indies and France. He also encouraged the development of the fishing industry along St.Lawrence River.

To further encourage the growth of the colony, Talon established various policies to promote marriage and bearing of children. To young women who married, the intendant gave 50 livres in household supplies and some provisions. According to the king’s decree, each youth who married at or before the age of twenty was entitled to 20 livres, called "the king’s gift." During the years 1665-68, 6000 livres were used to support the marriage of young gentlewomen without means, and another 6000 livres for settlement and marriage of four captains, three lieutenants, five ensigns and a few minor officers. Furthermore, family having ten children in their household were entitled to a pension of three hundred livres annually and four hundred livres were given to family with twelve children.

To balance the number of men and women living in the colony and to promote further marriage, girls were carefully selected from France to be taken to Canada. Some of them were orphans, who grew up under the king's protection in charitable institutions. They were called les filles du roi. The rest of the girls belonged to honest families, whose parents were willing to send them to a new country where they would be well provided for. When these young women arrived in Canada, they immediately married or were placed for a time in good families.

Strenuous efforts of Talon gave great impulse to population. In 1665, there were 3215 settlers, and 533 families. After 3 years, the population composed of 6282 settlers and 1139 families. Jean Talon was hard at work in laying the foundation of an economic and political system and making commercial, industrial progresses.