I was told by these historians that their research established the first human settlements to be on the site of Quebec City. They claim that during that period, the paleo-Indian era nomadic tribes could easily have reached the Quebec promontory, then an island, to hunt caribou. These people were the descendants of Asians who began migrating to the Americas over 25,000 years ago when Siberia and Alaska were linked together. Additionally, these people adapted to the varied environments of the new land and over time, developed different languages and systems of government.Prior to my visits to Quebec City, I was under the impression that the French navigator Jacques Cartier was the first Caucasian to explore the area in 1535 when he found a population of approximately 5,000 aboriginal people living along the Saint Lawrence valley. They were members of the Iroquois tribes and lived next to Stadacona (Quebec City and Hochelaga (Montreal). Stadacona was the capital of a region called Kanata (an aboriginal term meaning village or small community, and in all likelihood the origin of the word "Canada"). The territory of Kanata included Metropolitan Quebec City.When Samuel de Champlain arrived 75 years later, the prosperous trading village had disappeared from the location described by Cartier.Today, there is the Wendake Reserve, just outside of Quebec City where there is a band of 1200 of the great Huron First Nation people living harmoniously alongside a European based culture. They have maintained their own culture and prosperous community. On my recent trip to Quebec City and the Huron Village, I was able to purchase some of the traditional artisan crafts.From its former title, 'Cradle of New France' to the current title, 'la Vieille Capitale' (the Old Capital), it is still regarded as the heart and soul of the French in North America. You can always find people of French heritage from all parts of the provinces of Quebec, Acadia, Canada, and the cities of Detroit, Saint Louis and New Orleans returning to be immersed in French history and culture. Even visitors from Europe find many similarities to the Old World in Quebec City. When Champlain founded Quebec City in 1608, it was his intention to follow Jacques Cartier's wishes to make this new land the center for the fur trade because of its location. It did become the main trading point for the new colony and the gateway to the North American continent. By the mid-eighteenth century, Quebec City had become the capital of a vast territory that occupied two-thirds of North America from Acadia to the Rocky Mountains, and from Hudson Bay through the Great Lakes to Louisiana. However, after the British conquest in 1759, immigrants from England, Scotland and Ireland soon outnumbered the immigrants from France. Unfortunately, the local 10,000 French inhabitants were abandoned by the French nobility, but they held onto their land, religion and language and today, their descendants throughout North America number more than 12 million.With British rule, Quebec City, the capital of an immense French colonial empire, became the center of a British colony. But revolt in the American colonies from King George III, American Independence, and the settling of the American loyalists in Canada forever changed the political landscape. In fact, under the Constitution Act of 1791, Quebec City became the capital of Lower Canada until it became the provincial capital in 1867.The old part of Quebec City is reminiscent to me and other visitors of the fortifications of the Middle Ages partially due to its location high on a cliff and its protective walls and gates. This goes back many years before Champlain laid claim to this territory. The first "Habitation" built by Champlain resembled a medieval castle because it had residential quarters, a storehouse, and a military tower with raised walls for its defense against the British. There was the later successful conquest by the British who then feared an attack by the newly liberated American colonial armies and a possible uprising by the French population. This led the British to build fortifications that included a citadel and a network of towers that can still be seen today. Despite its romantic charm, Quebec City, with its fortifications, citadel and cannons commanding the river cape retains the dramatic image of strength and allowed it to survive. The Chateau Frontenac is the hotel to Quebec City what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris and I strongly recommend a stay and the view from the distinctive 17-story central tower. This hotel was the site where Churchill, Roosevelt, Eisenhower and other military leaders planned for the historic Normandy Invasion of World War 2.Copyright by Marcia AbramsonE-mail: mascribe@verizon.net
