The Original Peopling of the Illinois Country, 1699-1765: A Colony of "Peasants" Not Tied to Their Land

Cécile Vidal  

This paper studies the demographic development of the six French villages of the Illinois Country on the Mississippi River from their founding in 1699 until 1765, when they passed into British hands. It applies the methods and questions of recent work by Canadian historians on the demography and society of New France in a region, French Louisiana, particularly neglected by previous historiography on colonial North America. It shows how the original peopling of the Illinois Country can be explained by the particular location of the settlement, the royal policy toward the colony, and its socioeconomic development.

[WP #96029]