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This 1744 map of Québec City is very similar to the one from 1720. It was produced by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, one of New France’s greatest cartographers, who worked directly for the king. His maps were included in works documenting the colony’s development. Among these is Histoire et Description Générale de la Nouvelle-France by Pierre-François-Xavier de Charlevoix, published in 1744. This map of Québec City was taken from this book.
1613 - 1759

Québec City on the map!

After arriving from France with a small crew, Samuel de Champlain founded a modest settlement in 1608 in the area that would become Québec City. At the time, the site was home to about 30 French traders who came to exchange goods with the Indigenous locals. Québec then developed into a full-fledged city: the capital of New France. After the end of the French Regime in 1759, the town had a population of around 8,000. The streets and buildings kept multiplying! Cartographers have kept track of this growth over the years. We need your help to identify the contents of their maps!

Map of Québec City in 1744

Jacques-Nicolas Bellin This 1744 map of Québec City is very similar to the one from 1720. It was produced by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, one of New France’s greatest cartographers, who worked directly for the king. His maps were included in works documenting the colony’s development. Among these is Histoire et Description Générale de la Nouvelle-France by Pierre-François-Xavier de Charlevoix, published in 1744. This map of Québec City was taken from this book.
Chronoscope What do you notice in the image? (unilingual French for a limited time) Source: Library and Archives Canada Document in the public domain (free of copyright) - Date: 1744