Military Establishments in New France: A Critical Review

Introduction

This paper presents an analytical review of the article titled "Social, Economic and Political Significance of the Military Establishments in New France" by Eccles. It critically examines various aspects of the article, including its strengths and weaknesses in addressing the main issues, and establishes important relationships with other scholarly works in the field. The article begins by exploring the socio-economic landscape of New France, which provided the basis for its military establishments. A general overview of New France is therefore necessary to understand the context of the article.

Overview of New France

New France was an area in North America colonized by the French for over two hundred years, beginning in 1534 when French explorers first traveled the Saint Lawrence River, until the colony was ceded to Britain and Spain in 1763. At around 1710, New France was a vast territory extending from Newfoundland in the north to the Gulf of Mexico in the south and from the Rocky Mountains to Hudson Bay. Following the Treaty of Utrecht, New France was divided into five independent colonies: Acadia, Canada, Newfoundland, Hudson Bay, and Louisiana. Each had its own system of administration. The treaty resulted in France relinquishing its claims to three of these colonies — Newfoundland, Acadia, and Hudson Bay. A new colony called Cape Breton Island was established as a successor to Acadia (Addall 85).

In the subsequent Treaty of Paris, France agreed to cede the remainder of New France to Spain and Britain in order to end the war between the French and the Indians, which had devastated the colony. Under this arrangement, Britain received the eastern portion of the colony — east of the Mississippi River — including Canada, parts of Louisiana, and Acadia, while Spain received the territory to the west, largely Louisiana.

In 1800, Spain returned its portion to France, which in turn sold it to the United States in the landmark Louisiana Purchase of 1803. This act officially ended French colonial claims to the North American mainland. It is important to note that French efforts to establish colonies in the western hemisphere were fuelled by the imperialist desire to weaken Spain's growing sea and colonial power. To this end, the French relied increasingly on the goodwill of fishermen in the Atlantic Ocean and Channel ports. Later, the fur trade flourished sufficiently to warrant a permanent French establishment in Acadia and Quebec (Boose 67–71).

Following the religious revival in France and parts of Europe at the beginning of the sixteenth century, the French were encouraged to intensify their colonial efforts. Accordingly, the French established a commercial base at Quebec, and the French government subsequently had to consider military action to support the Indians — their main commercial partners — in their war with the Iroquois (Axelrod 101).

Critical Review of the Main Theme and Its Relevance to the Colonial History of Canada

The article underscores the significance of French military triumphs in establishing and maintaining a colonial presence in North America. While the population of this region was relatively small from the fifteenth century onward, French troops were deployed in considerable numbers to assist the Indians and protect colonialist interests. The article demonstrates that, in contrast to British colonies in the western hemisphere, French colonies were characterized by a heavy military presence and at times relied on commercial companies engaged in the fur trade to provide troops. This indicates that the French were in constant fear of losing their colony, which could in turn have weakened their imperial standing in Europe (Jobb 51–64).

The article refers on several occasions to instances when the French crown felt the need to send in more soldiers to reinforce security in New France. It does not, however, clearly state the underlying factors that necessitated such decisions — whether to project French military strength or to protect commercial interests. In its analysis of colonial development and military establishment, the article takes a rather one-sided approach, focusing predominantly on the role of French colonial administrators while giving little attention to the military contributions of local communities, whose influence other scholarly works indicate was a significant driver of the French presence in the colony (Armstrong 45–51).

The article does describe in considerable detail how French troops, beyond providing security for European settlers, contributed to the economic prosperity of the colony. In the wake of the French occupation, important commercial activities were set in motion, benefiting both the colony and its inhabitants as well as the colonial power in Europe. The rapid proliferation of the fur trade may well have been one of the reasons the French crown continued to send regular troops to the colony.

A key strength noted in the article is that colonial authorities generally did not subject the civilian population to military law, except in cases of general unrest or the threat of invasion from English colonies. Nevertheless, the article does not examine in depth how military establishments in New France related to Anglo-American interests on the continent, or what role the colony played in weakening British or Spanish imperial influence in the region (Grenier 21–30).

Conclusion

The reviewed article presents an account of France's military establishments and activities in New France, a vast colonial territory in North America. The proliferation of military activities in this colony not only helped French settlers establish themselves on the other side of the Atlantic but also provided France with an opportunity to project its imperial strength. In a broad sense, the article offers a particular perspective on North American historical development, with special emphasis on Canada.

By concentrating predominantly on the military role of French colonialists, however, the article fails to provide a balanced account of the Canadian confederation prior to independence. It therefore suffers from notable weaknesses and does not fully engage with the broader literature on the topic.

On the positive side, the article is enriched with substantive accounts of military engagements involving both colonial authorities and local communities. Through their repeated confrontations, both parties came to recognize the need to strengthen their defenses and protect their respective interests. Ultimately, the article's treatment of pre-confederation Canadian history is insufficient, as it concentrates primarily on the military dimension while neglecting equally important aspects such as the economic development of the colony — which was, in fact, the very foundation of the military establishments themselves (Marsh 2196).

Works Cited

Addall, T. Halifax: Warden of the North. McClelland and Stewart, 2003.

Armstrong, Frederick. Handbook of Upper Canadian Chronology. Dundurn Press, 1985.

Axelrod, A. Blooding at Great Meadows: Young George Washington and the Battle That Shaped the Man. Running Press, 2007.

Boose, W. Over the Beach: US Army Amphibious Operations in the Korean War. Combat Studies Institute, 2008.

Grenier, J. The Far Reaches of Empire: War in Nova Scotia, 1710–1760. University of Oklahoma Press, 2008.

Jobb, D. The Acadians: A People's Story of Exile and Triumph. John Wiley & Sons Canada, 2005.

Marsh, J. "Troyes, Pierre de." The Canadian Encyclopedia, 1988, p. 2196.

Raddall, T. Halifax: Warden of the North. McClelland and Stewart Limited, 1971.

Reid, J. The "Conquest" of Acadia, 1710: Imperial, Colonial, and Aboriginal Constructions. University of Toronto Press, 2004.

Zuehlk, M. Canadian Military Atlas: Four Centuries of Conflict from New France to Kosovo. Douglas & McIntyre, 2006.