The French trappers and farmers came to New France and established themselves among the natives. Towns sprang up around trading posts and along waterways. Business was good. France had tapped into a lucrative opportunity in the New World, but there was a problem. Most of the European inhabitants were men. King Louis XIV wanted to colonize the new land and to establish families who would grow with the colony. His objective was to replenish and increase the population from within rather than just sending more men. He wanted New France to become domesticated.
Les Filles du roi : Daughters of the King
For ten years, between the years 1663 and 1673, women were recruited to sail across the Atlantic to marry men and settle into the towns. These women who agreed to marry Frenchmen once they arrived were called Les Filles du Roi, or Daughters of the King. They sailed under his protection with a small dowry that he provided.
There is some disagreement as to the social status of these women, with some sources saying they came from destitute areas while others maintain they were a little higher up on the social scale. Some of the women were known to be orphans or to be from hard-working farm families. Many came from Paris but not all. There were women from many cities and towns across France, as well as a few women who were from England, Portugal, and Germany. One thing is for certain: contrary to some reports, they were not prostitutes.
When their ships arrived in port they were met by nuns who escorted them to the convents or private homes. They were watched and cared for until they were chosen for matrimony. Most of the women were chosen by a Frenchman for marriage with very few exceptions. The men were motivated on several counts. Not only did most of them want wives and families, but the King had declared that men who remained single would have sanctions placed against them, curtailing their right to trade in the fur business. Women did not stay in New France if they were not chosen. They were returned to France. This didn't happen often.
The New World was a difficult adjustment for the women. The climate was different and the living conditions were harsh. They were mostly of hardy stock and thrived, and by the end of the decade virtually all were married and the population was roughly 50-50 men and women.
Filles du Qualite: Daughters of quality
In addition to the regular Filles du Roi there was a group of women who belonged to the rich upper class who were sent to New France as well. This was a far smaller group of about 40, and they were called the Filles du Qualite, or Daughters of Quality. They brought large dowries of their own and married men who were placed higher socially than the masses. This usually meant officers in the
There were only about 40 of them, and they were called the Filles du Qualite, or Daughters of Quality. They brought large dowries and married men who were placed higher socially than the masses, often officers in the Carignan-Salières Regiment in Quebec.