Predation, Seigneurial Tenure, and Development in French Colonial America

Abstract

There is substantial debate over the colonial origins of divergence within the Americas. In this debate, the French Empire has been largely ignored even though, until 1760, it included Canada. This article uses recent empirical advances in our knowledge of the colonial Canadian economy to introduce the role of French institutions—most notably the institution of seigneurial tenure—into the debate on the colonial origins of divergence. It argues that the institution of seigneurial tenure in Canada when it was under French rule (up to 1760) had predatory features that help to explain why Canada was the poorest of the North American colonies.

Sex ratios and union formation in the historical population of the St. Lawrence Valley

“…Given that of all the migrants, only the indentured workers chose to migrate to the colony, the population has been described as reluctant migrants [ 38 ]. Most migrants either came to the colony involuntarily or had to be heavily subsidized to stay, given that the St. Lawrence valley offered only a very limited living-standards premium compared to native France [ 39 , 40 ]. In contrast to prospering British and also Spanish colonies on the American continent, this lack of immigration premium prevented a sustained immigration influx from France [ 38 – 40 ].…”

“…Most migrants either came to the colony involuntarily or had to be heavily subsidized to stay, given that the St. Lawrence valley offered only a very limited living-standards premium compared to native France [ 39 , 40 ]. In contrast to prospering British and also Spanish colonies on the American continent, this lack of immigration premium prevented a sustained immigration influx from France [ 38 – 40 ]. Moreover, the small share of indenture servitude among the male immigrants provided little cause to create a voluntary immigration influx of women that might follow from indentured servants migration, for instance in the American colonies [ 41 ].…”

Can geography explain Quebec's historical poverty?

“…More recently however, economists and cliometricians have pushed back, arguing that the more traditional view of seigneurial tenure as a crucial determinant was too eagerly dismissed. They argue that too much attention has been devoted to the farming economy, and too little to non‐agricultural sectors (Altman, 1983; Geloso, 2020; Geloso et al, 2023; Geloso & Lacombe, 2016; Phillips, 1974; Pronovost, 1998). They point to the combination of monopoly rights and migration barriers that would give landlords a high degree of labor market power.…”