A People's History of Quebec

by Jacques Lacoursière, Robin Philpot

Revealing a little-known part of North American history, this lively guide tells the fascinating tale of the settlement of the St. Lawrence Valley. It also tells of the Montreal and Quebec-based explorers and traders who traveled, mapped, and inhabited a very large part of North America, and “embrothered the peoples” they met, as Jack Kerouac wrote.Connecting everyday life to the events that emerged as historical turning points in the life of a people, this book sheds new light on Quebec’s 450-year history––and on the historical forces that lie behind its two recent efforts to gain independence.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Canada, Audiobook, Politics, France, The World

210 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Paula Koneazny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really a "people's" history but rather a condensed political history of Quebec. A short version of the author's popular 5 volume History of Quebec. I haven't read the long work, but am thinking that I would have been better off to do so. Titling the book "A People's History" of course brings to mind Howard Zinn's classic history of the U.S., although Lacoursiere's book is in no way similar. I would have liked more underdog and resistant stories such as Zinn was known for. Well, the problem may just be that Lacoursiere isn't really a story teller, but a timeline accountant. Not that I don't appreciate timelines as locators when I'm reading history. Dates do matter. Final analysis: A People's History of Quebec has left me looking for another, better History of Quebec.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dated if one is interested in the last 20 years of tension between Quebec and (the rest of?) Canada, but excellent for setting context and for a brief (less than 200 pages) review of 500 years of Quebec history since European colonization began. The author is quietly sympathetic to the frustrations and demands of French-Canadians, most of whom live in Quebec, and in the end one is left with a certain wonderment, not that there is ongoing tension between the remnants of New France and the federal Canadian state, but that Quebec has not deteriorated into the Northern Ireland of Canada. Things came close in the early 1970s, but even at its most divisive and impassioned, nothing like the Troubles is on the horizon looking either forward or back.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very general, but a good introduction.

[Grant Brookes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book met my need for a short, easy-to-read overview of Québecois history, so I am feeling sufficiently well-disposed towards it to give a three star rating.

But actually, this is a bit charitable, because there are lots of things wrong with the book – starting with the title.

The Wikipedia entry for "People's history", accessed today (5 December 2017), starts by saying: "A people's history, or history from below, is a type of historical narrative which attempts to account for historical events from the perspective of common people rather than leaders."

There are precious few voices of common people in this book. "A People's History of Quebec" is very much a history told through the words and actions of "explorers", military commanders, bishops, kings, governors, seigneurs, politicians and other assorted members of "the great and the good" (including a smattering of university administrators, famous artists and the occasional journalist). In other words, it doesn't depart far from a "Great Men" version of history.

And it is largely men whose viewpoints shape the story. There are not many women. It goes without saying, in a "Great Men" history, that the men in question are mostly white, as well. Sure, First Nations peoples feature near the start of the book. But there is not a single mention of them - nothing, rien, ma-te keq – from the Fenian Raids of the raids of the 1860s until the mid-1970s. This invisibility is pretty damning, given the recent stories to come out of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation process.

"There is an emphasis on disenfranchised, the oppressed, the poor, the nonconformists, and otherwise marginal groups", says the second sentence of the Wikipedia entry on "People's history". But in this book? "Hardly", says I.

Then, after the problems with the misleading title, there is the writing itself.

For a work of history, the style of "A People's History" is pretty informal. On the one hand, this conversational or chatty approach makes the book easy to read, and quite engaging. On the other hand, the informality means that there are places where the author's opinion is presented as fact. Problem.

The downsides of the informal tone might have been eliminated, if only the book had been run past a good editor. I say, "if only", because it's in the editing where this book really falls down.

I read the Kindle version of "A People's History". Maybe the print edition is better, but mine was riddled with typos. The most common kind of typo was layout errors (where, for example, two separate words were run together, thanks a missing "space").

But there were other kinds of typo as well – including obviously wrong dates for some events. I'm no expert on Québec (that's why I read this book). In fact, I knew next to nothing about the history before I picked it up. But even I could tell that the date given for the creation of the Parti Patriote (1926) was out by a century. The sloppy editing makes me wonder what other facts in the book might have been wrong.

So there you have it. A warts-and-all review. But don't let it put you off. If what you're after is a short, readable introduction to the history of Québec, then I can honestly say that (even if it's the only one I've seen) this is the best one I've ever read.

[Camelia Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading A People's History of Quebec is a part of my preparation before visiting Quebec. I was expecting more about lives and tales of real people in history, but it turns out to be a book of political history. It is dry to read, especially in the last several chapters, where the writer talks a lot about political parties and election results.

Having said that, it's a good history book, clear even to someone who knows very little about Quebec. It spans from Jacques Cartier's sail in 1534 to modern day Quebec in 1995. To me the earlier history is more fascinating, especially about the interaction between European settlers and indigenous people. European from different countries had different attitudes, as one historian wrote:

“Spanish civilization crushed the Indian; English civilization scorned and neglected him; French civilization embraced and cherished him.” More recently in his book Champlain’s Dream, historian David Hackett Fischer pointed out that his dream was that of “a new world as a place where people of different cultures could live together in amity and concord.”

Here is another observation:

"Thoreau concluded: 'The French, to their credit be it said, to a certain extent respected the Indians as a separate and independent people, and spoke of them and contrasted themselves with them as the English have never done.'"

What if France had not have lost Canada to Britain in 18th century? But the winners are who dominate: "Several decades would go by however before English-speaking people would be called Canadians. Only then would the original French-speaking Canadians start to be known as 'French Canadians'."

Quebec women once had the voting rights, long before Qualification of Women Act passed in British Parliament in 1918:

"...voters who had to be at least 21 years old and be British subjects by birth, conquest or naturalization. In addition, they could not have been convicted of treason or a felony. Since the Act uses the word “person,” women who met the same criteria as men had the right to vote. This right would officially disappear in 1849, even though women had stopped voting several years before that date."

Ah! What can I say!

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good and quick book on Quebec's history. The first 60% (roughly) could very well serve as a quick introduction to Quebec's origins and older history (up to the 18th century), but anyone interested in this province should still read through Chaplains Dream, but if you are short of time or need a small book, this is a n appropriate one. I was expecting more depth on the Quiet Revolution tho. It has a heavy nationalist bias, but well founded.

Je me souviens.

[ken derbridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Language

The French never ever considered themselves as part of English language or Canada. Even though they were defeated by the English. French should never been allowed to become the number one language of Quebec. Bilingual OK. I am an English born Montrealer not able to live there anymore because I could not master the language.

[David Chabot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raconter l'histoire de notre nation, des premiers pas de Cartier à nos jours, en moins de 200 pages est tout un défi. Il n'y avait probablement que Jacques Lacoursière pour le relever de brillante façon.

Certe, la longueur du texte force à faire des choix sur les événements et de décrire ceux retenus qu'en superficie. Par contre, pour ceux ayant au moins une compréhension de base de notre histoire, on y couvre tous les éléments clés adroitement.

Ma seule critique est que le livre est très axé sur la question nationale et l'identité québécoise. C'est évidement le coeur de notre existance, mais le Québec, c'est aussi nos sportifs, nos artistes et nos entrepreneurs.

Malgré tout, le livre devrait être une lecture obligatoire pour tous les étudiants, en français ou en anglais. On ne peut déterminer où on s'en va sans savoir d'où l'on vient!

[Domenica · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's ok but weirdly translated, among other things

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

“A People’s History of Quebec” by Jacques Lacoursiere (translated by Robin Philpot) is a neat little history of Canada’s Province of Quebec. The book covers Canada’s/Quebec’s founding by Jacques Cartier in 1534 all the way up to about 1995. Lacoursiere’s book was written in 2002 and not translated by Philpot into English until 2009. The author wrote a five-volume (first volume published 1995) history of Quebec and this represents his abridgment of that landmark study.

The book details how French Canada and English Canada have been in a tiff over culture and language for roughly 500 years now. This was partially revelatory for me…I knew French Canadians had fought and argued for their own province (New France, Lower Canada, Province of Canada, and finally Quebec) early in the formation of Canada and I knew that there were separatists (Quebecois) in the province today who seek independence, but I wasn’t aware that the tiff has gone on pretty constantly for all the in-between years. For example Quebec disputed Federal conscription for both World War I and II.

Of course what it primarily shows is that the French and the English are discrete peoples. The anglophones want to assimilate the French into their language and culture, and the francophones want none of it. Those in Quebec want French as their native language not English.

The book describes many of the dissenting forces that moved and shook Quebec over the years…such as the power of the Catholic Church, the seigneurial land system, the political parties, the French separatists, Irish immigration, the fractured relations between Ottawa (federal) and Quebec (provincial), and the fight over a new Federal Constitution.

This book will appeal mostly to those with heritage in Quebec or Canada. Others would include those interested in the evolution of North America, and those drawn to the politics and culture of Quebec as a part of the larger Dominion of Canada. The book does not delve into the impact of the French in America…this is a book about the French in Canada.

A few maps with a bit more detail about the various regions and sites in Quebec might have been helpful for those not as familiar with the territory. For example I only know where Baie-Saint-Paul is because I have driven through it…the casual reader may not have that advantage. But all-in-all this is a neat compact history of the Province of Quebec.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great coverage of the varied cultural and political developments over the course of 4 centuries that have led to present day Quebec. Helped me to understand more about the longstanding resentments between different groups while being as unbiased as possible. The only reason I am deducting a star is because I listened to the Audible version and the narrator was distractingly unsuited to this book. His tone and enunciations were so odd I took me the better part of the first hour to get used to it. He sounds like a caricature of Vincent Price, which was SO WEIRD for a history book, ugh, plus he also mispronounced several French Canadian words...in a book about the history of French Canadians...so if you can read it yourself instead, I suggest doing so! I would have myself but I had too little time before traveling to Montreal so chose to listen. Once you get used to him though, it is a really interesting book!

[Ken Lindholm · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a recommended reading for a tour of Quebec we are taking. Although it provides a useful background, it's very dry reading and, although not very lengthy, was a labor to finish. With 20/20 hindsight, a trip to Wikipedia may have been a more efficient way to accumulate an overview of Quebec's history. Of most interest to me was the history of French colonization, the loss of the French colony to England, and the ongoing tension between English and French cultures within Canada.

[Pierre Fortier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chronologie de l'histoire du Québec essentiellement politique. Un bon rafraîchissement de la mémoire pour approfondir davantage. J'ai écouté l'audiobook lu par Alexis Martin au débit un brin trop rapide et sans âme. Décevant, mais quand même intéressant.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book for genealogical interest, enjoyed the to-the-point history.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a relatively short history of Quebec. At just over 200 pages, it gave this reader a better understanding of the "Le Belle Province." If your idea of a peoples history is a detailed description of how ordinary people have lived over the past 400 or so years, you might be a little disappointed. I would describe the book as a short general history of the province (or nation if you prefer) since it was first settled by Europeans in the 1600s. There is some social history here dealing with education, religion and political allegiances, but also a lot on the politics, economics, military battles and constitutional issues, as one would expect from a general history.

Most of the first quarter of the book had to do with the early settlements and the battles between the English and the French over the Quebec and the lands to its east and north. Spoiler Alert: the French lose and the these lands become part of the British Empire. I don't have a lot of interest in reading about battles, especially when I know the ending, and so this part of the book was a bit of a slog. My interest picked up when the narrative shifted as to how the English and the French try to figure out how to live together.

As the book makes clear, the power relationships between the two "races"--the term often used to describe the Anglophones and Francophones--was far from equal. Since Quebec or Lower Canada was a British colony, the settlers from Britain had the upper hand, particularly when it came to governance and economic affairs. Moreover, for most of their history the Anglophones have attempted to use their political power to assimilate the Francophones into a more British Canadian cultural environment, including the encouragement of immigration from the British Isles.

Despite these pressures, the Quebecois have been fairly successful in preserving their French Canadian culture on a continent that is dominated by two English speaking nations. Why? Two reasons come to mind: One is that most Francophones have stayed in Quebec rather than migrating to other parts of Canada where the pressures to assimilate would be greater. The second reason is the institutional presence of the Catholic Church in Quebec. For much of its history, the Catholic Church has been a bulwark in protecting the "Frenchness" of the Quebecois against the British and Protestant forces pushing for assimilation.

While the British have hoped to assimilate the French Canadians over time, they were wise enough not to force the issue too strongly, perhaps because the Crown did not want to foment another independence movement on the North American continent. Accordingly, the Crown accepted a certain degree of cultural autonomy for Quebec. In fact, Catholics in Quebec had more rights than their co-religionists in Britain for much of the 19th century. While the Anglophones dominated governance and the economy in Quebec, the Catholic Church was delegated control over education and healthcare. Running schools and hospitals were very effective ways of preserving the French Canadian language and culture, but less effective in promoting economic development for francophones.

One aspect of the Catholic Church's position in 18th and 19th century Quebec that I was not aware of before reading this book was its role in supporting the colonial administration. Once its autonomy in religious and cultural affairs was recognized, it insisted that Catholics in Quebec accept Canadian governance, especially during the civil unrest that occurred in the late 1830s. On this issue, the authors write that according to St. Paul, all authority stems from God and that revolting against established authority was revolting against God.

[Phu · Rating 3 out of 5]

good introduction - too much politics in the end.

Points that I like:
1. Hard Slow Beginnings
- July 24th, 1534 - the start with Jacques Cartier (New France)
- Unlike Spanish and English civilization, Champlain decided to harmonize the locals and immigrants from France and everyone will be treated equally (maybe USA copy this system?)
2. A Royal Colony
- French people settled in Detroit, Des Moines, Winconsin, Illinois, St Louis (South of Quebec)
3. A New People is born
- Poor education among children - women are attracted to luxuries and lazy - Catholics is the main religion
- French (the language) in Quebec is pure (at least until 17th century) - according to Pierre Olivier Thoulier d'Olivet "An opera can be sent to Canada and it will be sung at Quebec and it will be sung at Quebec with every note and tone being as fine as in Paris; however if a sentence from a conversation is sent to Bordeaux or Montpellier the syllables will not be pronounced as they would in Paris"
4. A Conquest Foretfold
- Bad management, manpower shortages and lack of know-how & funding
- in mid of 18th century, Canada produces ginseng to export to China but due to greed, they try to dry the plants in ovens as to make quickly money. The product lost its aphrodisiac power and as a result, the Chinese stopped purchasing ginseng from Canada.

[David Callum · Rating 1 out of 5]

The racial bias was so blatant I can't believe it was published this century. A few low-lights:

-(Keeping in mind that these are uninvited French citizens squatting on Iroquis land): When the Iroquois attack, the authors call it an attack. When white people attack, the authors vaguely dance around the fact, using passive voice descriptions like "Iroquois villages and fields were razed" or excuses like "the French had 'no choice' but to defend their colony".

-The kidnapping, abuse, and cultural genocide carried out by residential schools is skipped completely, the closest reference being that the colonizers 'set out to educate'.

-A historical quote of someone claiming that the French people are ~“so much kinder to First Nations people than the English and Spanish are” is quoted without any modern criticism or analysis

-It describes the French colonists as being 'slow to displace the Indians'

-It notes how the English colonists felt about French colonies forming, without a word on what the First Nations people felt. In fact, based on all the exclusions I have to wonder if the only people that the authors of this "People's History" consider to be 'people' are white people.

[Alex Kaufman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this general introduction to Quebec history. The book seemed to be focused especially on the political history and early founding, leading to its uneasy relationship with the English and the Canadian Confederation at varying degrees since. I (big political-nerd) don't recall thinking any part was tedious but other readers might be inclined to skim through parts of the book.

The book does a good job of explaining the settling of New France and how a distinct Canadien/Quebecois identity emerged alongside- and at times in reaction to- English North America.

Often driving some hours to English speaking Canada as a child, I was fascinated with how this very similar English speaking north American country nearby to me with some fun quirky differences, hosted a population of millions of French speakers, something quite foreign. This book does an especially good job of explaining that as a while, but also by detailing what is taking place in the US or in English speaking Canada at the time of the narrative as it pertains to Quebec quite well.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A People's History of Quebec is an entertaining introduction to Quebec's history. Overall, I enjoyed it but have some reservations. I happened to watch a lecture from the Great Courses called "The Great Trials of World History and the Lessons They Teach Us" on Lois Reil's trial. From everything I have read, he had mental health issues and shouldn't have been executed for his part in the North-West rebellion. The jury selection doesn't seem to have been fair and the Métis have legitimate reasons to rebel. On the other hand, Riel himself refused to plead insanity and he was willing to accept a bribe of $35,000 to abandon the cause of the Métis and to return to Montana. This book, A People's History of Quebec made no mention of Reil's willingness to accept a $35,000 bribe, so I think the book is flawed by bias. On the other hand, another Canadian history book I'm currently reading ( A Traveller's Guide to Canada) also leaves out this point.

[Garry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this as an audio-book. All in all, I really liked this book. I liked how it summarized everything into a good flowing narrative. I lived in Quebec during the 1980 referendum and remember all the Oui signs on the lawns in the town I lived in (Templeton, QC). It was a real nail-biter that night with the question basically "Do you want to separate from Canada and form your own sovereign country, but still continue to trade and do business in Canadian currency?" which was defeated by a 59.56 (No) percent to 40.44 (Yes) percent margin. Then again in 1995, the question was posed again 30 October 1995 and featured the largest voter turnout in Quebec's history (93.52%). The "No" option squeaked by carried by 54,288 votes (50.58%). Next time, I think Quebec might actually succeed. I live in Ontario now

[Keir Anderson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rather brief and unobjective

I found this book far too brief compared to other Canadian history books that I have read. It was a very condensed summary of events.

The author clearly comes across with a very one sided summary and seeks to defend a Quebec independence minded people throughout.

Attempts to defend objects like the lack of francophone participation in WW1 2 and Bill 101 are not helped but the lack of sources and there is no questioning at all of what those might believe

[Simon Winquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. This is what I teach so felt necessary to listen to the English version as I have listened to the French version.

It’s not the most exciting book I’ve ever read. Considering I love the subject
, it took me some time to get through it. And I don’t find Quebec history boring., but it sometimes it was in this story.

Jacques provided a good comprehensive story of Quebec which isn’t easy in a book so short. We have a rich history and he covered pretty admirably. He provided with some good quotes of the time to support his findings.

4/5 for me.

[Vivek Ramaswami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, concise history of Quebec beginning from the initial European discovery of the region by Jacques Cartier (to distinguish from the Indigineous population that had been living in the area for generations), through the settling of Montreal by Samuel de Champlain, administration from intendent Jean Talon, up until the more recent "Quiet Revolution" of the 1960s and referendums of 1980 and 1995. You won't become an expert on Quebec or French Canadian relations, but this will certainly be a good guide in understanding the rich and varied history of Quebec.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 200 page moderately illustrated book that covers the 450 year history of the French in Quebec, up to the 1995 independence referendum - so it is a mad dash of a book through history, painting in broad strokes, buy gives a good outline of events. Read this with your computer/phone handy if you want to look up a name or event that warrants immediate extra attention.

This is a good way to get the outline of the history of Quebec, to fill in later with more detailed reading or study- or just a one off to get an idea of what the heck Quebec is about.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall very good quick read on the history of Quebec. Provides a good general history of Canada as well. Despite the name, this isn't really a people's history but more of a political history. I would think some more discussion of some of the key players would have been helpful for a non-Canadian audience, but I would suspect someone with a background in that history would have known most of what I found myself looking up.
Overall glad to have read this.

[Esther Bos · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in preparation for a trip to Montreal and Quebec. Gives a lot of detail about the early European settlers who were mostly French, their dealings with the indigenous tribes and the hostilities between England and France in claiming the land as part of their holdings.

Many facts and figures and leaders are presented in this summary of Quebec history from the first European settlers through the end of the 20th century. I timeline at the end is a good at-a-glance chronology.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobooked this one, which is a brief survey of Quebec history from Champlain to the 1995 referendum. Despite aging to the point of missing the last 30 years, it covers the bases if not always in the most engaging manner. The audiobook narrator was brutal. He clearly struggled with French pronunciation and had an annoying voice, overly enunciating the end of sentences, especially super sibilant essesssssssssttts.

[Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I purchased this and a history of Montréal a few years back, and I finally got around to reading it. It was disappointing. It felt like the author had jumbled facts from various different longer books down into this shorter volume. As a result the telling was very jumbled. Maybe I just need to read a longer version.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea

Somehow I missed this part of history class. The French Canadians and English Canadians have been battling each other for 200 years now over Quebec. Some parts of the book were not as clean clear so I will have to read more, but it did give me a good overview of the situation.

[Jason Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an outstanding overview of 500 years of Quebec and French Canadian history. Admittedly, much of my enjoyment came from my Quebec nationalist sympathies. If you incline the other direction or admire anyone with the last name Trudeau, this book may not be for you.