La Nouvelle France

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Peter Moogk's latest work is a candid exploration of the complex historical relationship between French- and English-speaking Canadians, alongside a necessary study of the colonial social institutions and values that shaped modern French Canada. Drawing on a wealth of evidence—including literature, statistical studies, and various documents from France, Britain, and North America—Moogk traces the roots of the Anglo-French cultural struggle back to the seventeenth century. He reveals a New France that contrasts sharply with popular mythology, highlighting strained relations with Native Peoples and depicting the colony as a series of loosely connected outposts from Newfoundland to the Illinois Country. Many early immigrants were reluctant exiles, with a significant number returning to Europe. Those who remained, including Acadians and Canadians, were politically conservative, upholding Old Régime values, where feudal hierarchies persisted and individualism was largely familial. Roman Catholicism played a crucial role in shaping attitudes and identities, equating in importance to language. Ultimately, Moogk argues that the pre-French Revolution Bourbon monarchy and its institutions significantly influenced modern French Canada, particularly Quebec, distinguishing its people from the rest of the nation.