[Jeanne Mance, founder of the first hospital in Montréal (the Hôtel-Dieu) and a key figure among the women in early Canada.]

We want to believe that European settlement of North America was identical, but it wasn’t. The French and the English colonies established different patterns. The women in early Canada had a more public presence.

In many ways, women in early Canada and those in New England did not have a similar status as I explain in Here to Stay / Lives in 17^th Century Canada.

A few peaks on the public role of women in early Canada as described in my new book.

• Because of the Custom of Paris [Coutume de Paris], women did not forfeit their property on marrying. Decisions about what to do with her property were hers to make. At a woman’s death, her children, not her husband, inherited her goods.
• Government officials in Canada did not make major decisions without consulting Marie de l’Incarnation, superior of the Ursulines in Québec, who had great influence on the population.
• Jeanne Mance can be said to have saved Montreal from collapse in 1653. Without her intervention, the new recruits of 1653 would not have come to replenish the ranks of the ravaged colony. (In 1653, Montreal was its own colony.)
• Madeleine de Verchères, at 14, saved her village from a destructive raid in 1692.

Your chance to learn more

I am looking for more advance reviewers for Here to Stay. I will send you a complimentary e-copy of my latest book in exchange for a review on Amazon. The review need not be long or elaborate. Even a short evaluation will suffice, but you are free to write as long as you wish— expostulate to your heart’s desire.

• Click here to join the Here to Stay launch team. [You will find more info there.]
• Click here to go to the Here to Stay web page.

In conclusion

I am scheduling engagements—for in-person or Zoom book talks, podcast appearances and/or blog publication. If you are the principal in any of these (or on a governing board), I would love to talk with you about being your guest.

Alternatively, if you do not control any of these, you may have favorite venues you would like to suggest I approach.

In either instance, please email me at Denis at thememoirnetwork.com.