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French Women Diaspora : King's Daughters in Nouvelle France

Kyung-Rang Kim 1

1인하대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

''The King's Daughters' is referring to the approximately 900 young French women who immigrated to New France between 1663 and 1673. This program was sponsored by Louis XIV. The program was planned to increase New France's population both by encouraging the female immigrants to settle there and by promoting marriages, family formations and the births of children. Marguerite Bourgeoys was the first person to use the expression called as 'filles du roi' in her writings. She was the French foundress of the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal in the colony of New France which is now part of Quebec. After agreeing to marry, the couple took a marriage contract directly in front of a notary and the wedding ceremony had generally been held within possible rapid time. The processes of the choice of husband and the marriage would officially be held in the church. By the year 1672, the population of New France had risen to 6,700 from 3,200 in 1663. Although the Filles du Roi represent only 8% of the total immigrants to Canada under the French regime, they account for nearly half of the women who immigrated to Canada in the colony’s 150-year history. 'King's Daughters’ must be correctly assessed as 'Mother of Quebec' and 'Propagator of the French language' in the history.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.