For the first three years, the newly named Colony of Quebec was administered by British Soldiers not politicians. All levels of gevernment and public and civilian activity was controlled by the occupying British forces. It was not all that bad for the occupied French. The French were allowed to continue to practice their Catholic faith and no punishment was handed out to French volunteers and farmers that fought against the British. The conquered Colonoy of Quebec would be later ruled by English politicians chosen by the King of England.
The defeated French searched for answers. Why they had lost? How would they survive under their new rulers? How would their lives change? What was going to happen to their culture? Whatever the cause of their defeat, the French Canadians had to get on with their lives. Fearing life under British rule, many of the wealthiest and brightest French Canadians left Quebec. The natural leaders had abandoned Quebec and all that was left were the poor French Canadians to be ruled by the French. Rich British merchants moved into Quebec after the seven years war, took over the fur trade and owned most of the businesses in Quebec.
La survivance (cultural survival) was the concerne for the French Canadians. They realized they were a tiny Island of Catholic French surronded by a sea of English Protestants. They were now being ruled by a foreign people so the French focused their lives around Family, land and religion. The British also had a problem as they were 70,000 French Canadians with few British soldiers and rulers. They began the process of
Assimilation by shrinking the size of Quebec and reserving the surrounding territories for British settlers.
