Jean Talon
| Jean Talon | |
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| Born | Jean Talon August 1, 1626 Châlons-en-Champagne |
| Died | November 23, 1694 (aged 68) France |
| Resting place | Châlons-sur-Marne |
| Citizenship | France |
| Occupation | Intendant of New France |
| Years active | 5 |
| Parents | Philippe Talon Anne de Bury |
Jean Talon, Comte d'Orsainville (January 8, 1626 – November 23, 1694) was the second Intendant of New France after Louis Robert ( who was Intendant from 1663 to 1665 but never came to New France). Talon was appointed by King Louis XIV and his minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert to serve as the Intendant of Justice, Public order and Finances in Canada, Acadia and Newfoundland for two terms: 1665 - 1668 and 1669 - 1672.
Talon attempted to change the economic base of the colony from fur-trading to agriculture, but found this could not be accomplished without a larger population. Talon, arranged for settlers to come to New France, including over 1000 women known as the filles du roi - the king's daughters. He encouraged population growth through marriage grants and baby bonuses, which was money given to a couple when they married, and again when they had children.
Talon, also tried to diversify the economy by introducing new crops such as flax and hops for making beer, by starting a shipyard and lumber industry, and encouraging mining.
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[edit] Weak and Destitute New France
Prior to Jean Talon’s arrival to the French colony in 1665, the colony, founded by Champlain and situated along St.Lawrence River, was in a state of weakness and destitution despite its existence for more than half a century. Its failure in progress had been due to several key factors, including ill governance of the colony by trading companies, forgetfulness on the part of France, and the horrors caused by Indian wars.
The progress of the colony had been stifled by trading companies because of their narrow-minded mercantile selfishness in governing the colony, valuing making profit over the common good and the survival of the colonists.
The French minister in charge of New France’s affairs back in France was Cardinal Richelieu. At first, he was involved in improving the colony’s situation through attempts to increase the population of the colony; however, he had been unsuccessful. Later on, his attention shifted to European politics, and New France’s affairs were left ignored.
For 25 years, the colonists and the Iroquois had been constantly involved in violent aggressions against each other. In New France, no adequate military force existed to extinguish the Iroquois.
Other situations added to the degrading of the colony, included internal strife among the leaders in New France over questions of liquor traffic, lack of immigration from France, dying fur trade, and a stillborn agriculture.
The colonists of New France, the governor and the bishop petitioned to France for assistance.
[edit] Talon's Life before New France
Jean Talon was born in Châlons-en-Champagne, to Philippe Talon and Anne de Bury on January 8, 1626, and was baptised on August 1, 1626. His family was related to the Parisian Talons, who held in succession the high office of attorney-general of France. After studying at the Jesuits’ College of Clermont, Talon was employed as a commmissariat. His abilities soon became apparent and when he was thirty, he was promoted to the position of Intendant for the province of Hainault.
When an Intendant was needed for the task of bringing the dying New France back to life, Colbert, an administrator of France, thought immediately of Jean Talon and recommended him to the king. Talon’s commission is dated March 23, 1665.
[edit] Rescue of New France
Louis and his minister decided in 1663 to give New France a new constitution. The charter of the One Hundred Associates was cancelled and the old Council of Quebec, which was formed in 1647, reorganized and became the Sovereign Council. The Sovereign Council was composed of the governor, the bishop, the intendant, an attorney-general, a secretary, and five councilors. Its functions included general jurisdiction for the administration of justice in civil and criminal matters, and the questions of police, roads, finance, and trade.
In 1665, the King sent a regiment of trained soldiers, a viceroy, a new governor, a new intendant, settlers and laborers, and supplies to New France. On September 12, 1665, the ship Saint Sebastien arrived in New France with Prouville de Tracy, the commander-in-chief of the troops, Sieur de Courcelle, the governor, and Jean Talon, the intendant of justice, police and finance.
Long letter of instructions was drafted by Colbert to guide Jean Talon in his mission to New France. The instructions dealt with mutual relations of Church and State, discussed the question of assistance to the recently created West India Company, and contemplated the war against the Iroquois and how it could be carried out successfully.
Other instructions included the following: the establishment of the Sovereign Council and the administration of justice; the settlement of the colony and the advisability of concentrating the population; the importance of fostering trade and industry; the question of tithes for the maintenance of the Church; the establishment of shipbuilding yards; and the encouragement of agriculture.
This document was signed on March 27, 1665 by King Louis XIV at Paris.
[edit] Life at New France
Jean Talon was very entrepreneurial as Intendant during 1665–1672. He attempted to diversify the colony's economy by encouraging agriculture, fishing, lumbering, and industry as well as the traditional fur trade. He approved Robert La Salle's plan to mount expeditions to seek a western passage to China.[1] As the first Intendant to arrive in New France, Talon's mission was to boost the growth and prosperity of the remote colony by making it self-sufficient. The most innovative idea instituted by Talon was bringing around 700–900 filles du roi to New France. The filles du roi would emigrate to New France between 1663 and 1673, marry quickly, and bear children. Agents were hired to find ideal young women. Thirty livres was given for a wardrobe of two sets of clothes and 60 livres for their transport. Jean Talon's plan, with les filles du roi, tripled the population of New France within 15 years. In 1666, he conducted the first census in North America, counting 3,215 of its residents. While he succeeded in settling some 2,000 people in the colony, many of the industries that he had initiated failed when he returned to France.
Talon worked closely with lieutenant-general Prouville de Trace to achieve the surrender of the Iroquois in 1667, thereby ending the threat that had hung over the colony for 20 years. Although Talon did not join the troops in the field, at Tracy's request, he had a very large share in the success of the French army through his constant and meticulous care in placing at the disposition of the army everything that was necessary for the war, despite the poverty of the colony, the lack of roads, and the distances. Jean Talon was mostly in charge of populating New France. He did so successfully, bringing more than a quarter of the population of France over.
He died in France on November 29, 1694. It is believed that he died from a heartattack or stroke at age 68. He was a highly respected man and loved by many, women and citizens yet he never married. Jean studied at the Jesuit college of Clermont in Paris,[2] so his knowledge was much appreciated by King Louis XIV and Jean-Baptiste Colbert, who were to help in the colonization of New France.
He is interred at the chapel of Sainte-Catherine in the church of Notre-Dame-en-Vaux, in Châlons-en-Champagne.
[edit] Honours
Several sites and landmarks were named to honour Jean Talon. They include:
- Rue Jean-Talon (Jean Talon Street), located in Shawinigan, Quebec, Canada;
- The Jean Talon Building (Building 5) in Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario (a Statistics Canada building, so named because Jean Talon conducted the first census in what is now Canada);
- The provincial electoral district of Jean-Talon, Quebec;
- Rue Jean-Talon (Jean-Talon Street), an important street of 14.01 kilometers (8.71 mi) going East-West in the city of Montreal;
- Metro Jean-Talon (Jean Talon subway station), the intersection of the orange and the blue subway lines in Montreal, Canada;
- Marché Jean-Talon, a farmer's market in Montreal.
- Rue Jean Talon in Châlons en Champagne
- Statue Jean-Talon in Châlons en Champagne
[edit] References
- ^ Francis Parkman, The Discovery of the Great West, vol 3 of France and England in North America (Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1869), 15.
- ^ Jean Talon - Catholic Encyclopedia article
[edit] External links
- Vachon, André. "Jean Talon." Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. Toronto: University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2000.
- Chapais, Thomas. The Great Intendant: A Chronicle of Jean Talon in Canada 1665-1672. Chronicles of Canada, vol. 6, edited by George M. Wrong and H. H. Langton. Toronto: 1914. Full text from Project Gutenberg.
- Lindsay, Lionel. "Jean Talon." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912.
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