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In grade 7 history, we are studying and discussing about New France. Which is now, where we live in, North America! We are actually learning about people in New France in this particular assignment. The person I'm writing a report on is a man named Jean Talon. In my report, I'm going to write about Jean Talon, from his personal information to his challenges/difficulties and so on. Now, let me write about Jean Talon!
Personal Information
Jean Talon was born in 1625, in Champagne, France (2). Before he went to New France, he learned a lot from his finance minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert (2). They worked together. Until they had a mission: go to New France (North America) to help it become a colony. Soon, Jean Talon became the first intendant of justice, police, and finance (2). His job was to expand the economic situations in New France, increase population (more self-sufficient), and have everything settled for the financial administration (2). With Jean Talon's sense of personality and how he did his work, everything was successful! By then, he had the name "The Great Intendant!" Jean Talon had this name because out of all the intendants in New France (after), none of them was even close to doing a job as well as him, or having marvelous ideas as him (1). After he left New France, he became an important official in Paris in the Court of King Louis XIV (1). Jean Talon also had the title "le comte d'Orsainville", from King Louis XIV (3). He was, indeed, the Great Intendant!
Personality
Jean Talon was very intelligent man, always brimming with bright ideas (1). He always had schemes and plans to solve his problems. His plans were very precise and accurate and most of them worked out fine, or exceedingly well (1). One of Jean Talon's plans that worked exceptionally well was his idea of the "filles du roi." In his plans and schemes, he was extremely clever, he calculated carefully before making actual plans. Also, Jean Talon was incredibly responsible towards his work and duties. He did his work with common sense, being a sensible man. Thus, he was a man of enthusiasm and vision (2), as well as a man with a dream (3). Overall, Jean Talon was a smart and dependable man.
Important Life Events
Throughout Jean Talon's life, many important events had happened, all because of him. In Jean Talon's life, something that was truly important was being the first intendant of New France (1). He had been the Great Intendant. In 1665, he came up with the scheme that was very important, as he took over part of the Jesuit seigneury (1). In the same year (1665-1666), Jean Talon did the first census of North America (2). He had a census of people, wealth of industry/agriculture, local numbers, mineral resources, animals, seigneuries, government buildings, and churches (2). This was a major event in Jean Talon's life. The census turned out with splendid results. The results of the census were: 3215 inhabitants (2034 men and 1181 women), Quebec had more than 2100 people, Montreal had about 635 people and Trois-Rivieres had about 455 people (2). Another important life event in Jean Talon's life was leaving New France in 1672, which was great loss for New France (1). With the help of Jean Talon, New France became a colony in 1763 (2).
Accomplishments
Jean Talon achieved many accomplishments throughout his life. One of his best ideas was establishing "les filles du roi", which was held in 1663-1673 (1). The plan worked out exceedingly well. Jean Talon brought over 1200 "les filles du roi" to New France. The purpose of this idea was to increase the population in New France (which wasn't growing quickly) (1). Jean Talon figured out the problem: almost everyone in New France were men. Which means there will be no children, so Jean Talon decided to send women over to New France (known as "les filles du roi") and have them have children as quickly as possible (1). Here are some more details of arriving in New France with "les filles du roi": they receive room and board; they also get a dowry of 50 livres (when they marry). The prices were: 30 livres for a wardrobe of two sets of clothes and 60 livres for the transport to New France (1). Within 15 years, Jean Talon's plan of "les filles du roi" was accomplished by tripling the population in New France (1).
Jean Talon also had another excellent scheme of increasing the population in New France. It was the "system of incentives", which helped the population grow from 3 200 to 7 600 (1). This is how the system worked. People would get a reward (money) if they married early and had over 10 children (1). There were also penalties (money) for those who are 20 years of age and haven't married yet and for parents that have daughters that are 16 years old and were still single. That's how the "system of incentives" worked and in the end, Jean Talon was successful (1).
Another idea that Jean Talon had was, encouraging habitants to do less hunting and trapping. Instead, they should clear land (1). Jean Talon also wanted to make New France more self-sufficient by experimenting with hardier stains of wheat, large stocks of wheat crops (1). One other accomplishment Jean Talon had done was founding three new villages. They were called: Bourg-Royal, Bourg-la-Reine, and Bourg-Talon (1). These new villages were different because the design of the village was unlike the usual villages of the past (1). Now, let me write about the design of the village. First of all, the houses were built close together, there are 40 pie-shaped lots, built at the narrow tip of every wedge, the houses were readily defended and it was less isolated, which was easier. Then, there was a church and the villages grouped around it, so it was like the heart of the each village. Soon, there were settlers applying for lots (1). All they had to do was paid a small amount of money; clear a certain amount of land and help clear other lots too. The settlers also got tools and food, until they had a harvest themselves. Jean Talon also bought a lot himself to see if it was working properly. Before long, the villages became communities (1). Another accomplishment by Jean Talon!
Challenges/Difficulties For This Person
Some challenges/difficulties for Jean Talon was to increase the population in New France. One challenge included smallpox, scurvy, and other diseases that were killing European settlers, with the harsh climate (2), and turning New France into a British colony (3). Even though Jean Talon had challenges/difficulties, he overcame them with his plans, his schemes, and with his intelligence. For example, his problem of the low population in New France that has to be increased. Jean Talon made plans and schemes to overcome them, some were: "les filles du roi" and "system of incentives." Jean Talon was a man that had ideas and overcame his troubles and difficulties!
Impact or Importance to Future Canadians
Jean Talon did a numerous important things that has affected us today (future Canadians). Jean Talon was the first intendant of New France (North America). He was the one who solved problems and he was the one who had made New France a British colony (2). Jean Talon got a lot of jobs on track, so it was easier for people. He also made New France a better place for everyone. Jean Talon founded villages and made them all worked out with new ideas. I think having Canada as it is today had a lot to do with Jean Talon.
This was my report on Jean Talon, the Great Intendant. It was fascinating and interesting to learn more about Jean Talon. It was magnificent to discover more about Canadian History. Thus, it was terrific to learn and research more on Jean Talon because he played a large part of Canadian History at that time period of New France. Overall, I think Jean Talon was an intelligent and reliable man and did numerous things to remark about today. Jean Talon was certainly the Great Intendant of New France that did an astonishing and brilliant job. I hope you enjoyed reading my report on Jean Talon!