Canadian History has many distinct and unique chapters. Among the most significant of these chapters is the colonization of the area surrounding the St. Lawrence River in what is now the Province of Quebec. To better understand the colony of New France and its significance to the Canadian story, an examination of the administration, the church and the land tenure system of New France, will be necessary.
             The origins of New France are rooted in the 16th century. During his second voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, in 1535, Jacques Cartier discovered the existence of, "the St. Lawrence, the river of Canada" (Cafe and Lower, 1948. pg. 27). This river was to become the heart and main transportation system of the New France colony. Despite the fact that Cartier's discovery of the St. Lawrence area occurred in 1535, the first permanent French colony in New France was not established until 1608 when Samuel de Champlain and De Monts founded a colony on what is now the city of Quebec. It should be noted that the small French colony of Port Royal, located in what once was called L'Acadie (now part of the modern maritime provinces) was founded before Quebec, in 1605. However, it was Quebec City, located on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, which was to become the center of New France, in terms of colonial administration and trade.
             The French settlement of northeastern part of North America continued slowly over the next 50 years. Fur trading companies controlled much of the colonial administration. These fur traders were concerned solely with the acquisition of furs from the Native people living in the area. They thwarted many of Champlain's efforts to attract settlers. Wars with England in Europe and the Iroquois in Canada also prevented many potential colonists from settling in New France.
             The war with the Iroquois would prove to be too costly for the fur trading companies to properly defend the colony. Despite this the colonial adminis...