The Great World of Montreal ( French: Le traité de la Grande Paix de Montréal ) is a peace treaty between New France and 40 tribes of Canadian Indians . The document was signed on August 4, 1701 by the Governor of New France, Louis-Hector de Callière ( fr: Louis-Hector de Callière ), and 1,200 representatives of the Indians. The agreement ended a 100-year war between the Iroquois (allies of the British) and the French, acting in alliance with the Hurons and Algonkin tribes . The world lasted 16 years.
Content
Beaver Wars
Since the Europeans arrived in North America, they began to trade with local tribes. Control over the fur trade played an important role for Indians who wished to be trade partners of the colonists. But between the Europeans there was a serious struggle for spheres of influence, and the British openly supported the Iroquois raids on New France.
Preparation
Since 1697, the Iroquois rejected peace proposals, but the decline in population (due to wars and epidemics) forced them to reconsider their position. In addition, trade began to bring less income, due to the fall in prices for furs. The Indians preferred to trade with New England, whose merchants offered better prices than the French.
The first conference was held on Iroquois territory in Onotag in March 1700 . In September, a preliminary peace treaty was signed in Montreal with five Iroquois nations.
Contract
The first delegations arrived in Montreal in the early summer of 1701 . Ratification was delayed due to discussion of the treaty between representatives of the American Indians and Governor L.G. de Caler. The signing of the document took place in special conditions. Representatives of each nation placed a symbol of their tribe next to the document, after which the banquet began. From that moment, the French gained the right to act as arbitrators during conflicts between the signatory tribes. The Iroquois promised to remain neutral in the event of a conflict between the French and the English colonies.
Consequences
After the conclusion of peace, nothing prevented the conduct of trade and research expeditions, as well as the work of Catholic priests.
See also
- New france