In 1608, French explorer Samuel de Champlain founded a colony at a place the nomadic Innu Nation called “Kebeck,” meaning “where the river narrows.” It is with this settlement that French colonial ambitions took root in America. For the next 150 years, Québec City was the capital of New France, a colony whose influence extended over a large portion of the North American continent.

The most developed town in the colony, Québec City was home to French military installations and the fur trade that supported its economy. At the end of the French Regime, in 1759, Québec City was a small but bustling town of more than 8,000 inhabitants.