Women contributed to Canadian history much more than they get credit for. Thankfully, in the article “Nagging Wife” by Jan Noel, their efforts are brought to light in extensive detail. The wives in the fur trade did much more than nag their husbands. In fact, many women who were widowed took up the fur trade businesses of their husbands and kept them running smoothly. The wives in New France made the fur trade possible by completing many necessary tasks that their husbands could not get around to. Noel makes it clear that “the ‘nagging wife’ may not have joined her husband in the canoe, but there was a good chance she grew the tobacco, made the shirts he took west to trade— maybe even made the canoe itself!”.
This article shifts the assumption of women during the fur trade from being dependants to wives who were actively engaged in their husbands lives and provided for them both at home and in their line of work. “The fact that so much essential work was done by women in households, on farms, and in various kinds of trade, plus their substantial property rights under the Custom of Paris, makes labeling them “dependants” inaccurate.” This quote could not be more true because although their husbands were out completing the trade, they would not have been possible without the help of their wives.
The second article “A Fille du Roi’s Passage” by Adrienne Leduc examines where the majority of these women came from. Leduc writes the article in the form of a letter to her ancestor Jeanne Fauxcheux where she covers her experience in detail. Leduc explains that many of these wives came to Canada as young girls labeled as king’s daughters. Seventeen was considered “the right age for childbearing” therefore lots of girls under the age of twenty sailed for New France where they would await to get married. The king paid for the trip and equipped all the girls with household items and guaranteed a dowry after signing a marriage contract. For many of the girls it was simply an opportunity to escape poverty. Not all of them necessarily made it to Canada because the journey was long and lacked proper nutrition and health care. Once they came to Canada they were married relatively fast and began a new life. Leduc was not able to find a lot of information regarding the beginning of her ancestors marriage but she expands on the information she was able to obtain.
Although this part of history where young girls were sent to Canada from France as king’s daughters may seem old fashioned, Leduc experienced a very similar situation which enabled her to connect with her ancestor Jeanne Faucheux. Just like Jeanne, Leduc married a Canadian soldier after the Canadian Army visited Belgium. She too received certificates for good behaviour and had to be in optimal health. Leduc was concerned about never seeing her parents again, but she decided to come to Canada and start a new life and escape the war she faced at home in Belgium. It’s undeniable that women contributed to Canada’s history especially during the fur trade, but that is only one side of it. Their experience and how they came to be a wife is a very important story that needs to be told. Adrienne Leduc and Jan Noel both highlight the experiences of many women in great detail during the beginnings of Canada and do a great job at articulating in specific and clear detail.