Quebec City

Lore & Background

Quebec City was founded by French explorer Samuel de Champlain on 3 July 1608 at the site of a long-abandoned St. Lawrence Iroquoian settlement called Stadacona. The Algonquian people had originally named the area Kébec, meaning 'where the river narrows,' because the Saint Lawrence River narrows by the promontory of Quebec and its Cape Diamant. The settlement remained small for decades; in 1629 it was captured by English privateers but returned to France in 1632 under the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. By 1665, the city had 550 people in 70 houses, one-quarter of whom were members of religious orders.

During the French and Indian War, Quebec was captured by the British in 1759 after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, and France ceded New France to Britain in 1763. During the American Revolution, revolutionary troops assaulted the British garrison but failed. The city was not attacked during the War of 1812, though construction of the Citadelle of Quebec began in 1820 amid fears of American attack. Quebec City served as the capital of Lower Canada from 1791 and rotated as capital of the Province of Canada between 1851–1855 and 1859–1865.

The city experienced an economic golden age in the 1800s due to its location on the Saint Lawrence River, with industries in wooden shipbuilding and timber export. However, by the 1870s it entered a period of economic decline due to the rise of steel-hulled steamships, railroad expansion, and other factors. Anglophones made up about 40% of the population in 1861 but only 16% by 1901.

Reader's Guide

Quebec City holds a unique place in North American history as the cradle of Francophone settlement on the continent. Its founding by Samuel de Champlain in 1608 established the first permanent French colony in Canada, and the city served as the administrative and military heart of New France. The preservation of its fortified walls—the only such walls remaining north of Mexico—and its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 underscore its enduring historical and architectural significance. The city's role in the French and Indian War, particularly the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, was a pivotal moment that reshaped the political map of North America, leading to British control and eventually the creation of Canada. Quebec City's demographic shifts, from a predominantly Francophone and Anglophone mix to a largely Francophone city, reflect broader patterns of migration and economic change in the 19th century. Today, it remains the capital of Quebec and a symbol of French Canadian identity and heritage.

Did You Know?

• The name Quebec comes from the Algonquin word Kébec, meaning 'where the river narrows.'
• The city was founded by Samuel de Champlain on 3 July 1608.
• The Historic District of Old Québec was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.