Quebec

The Republic of Quebec (: la République des Québécois) is a sovereign state situated in the North American continent, bordering Teutonica to the west; the United Commonwealth and the Northeast Union to the south; and, , and the French island of to the east.

The territory that now constitute Quebec (then known as ) had been first colonized by France. Though interest among French authorities was initially low, the lucrative fur trade as well as the emergence of a successful commercial whaling industry had attracted a sizeable number of settlers; albeit the majority of whom went back to metropolitan France after amassing personal fortunes. Under the financial sponsorship of, 1,536 filles du roi arrived in 1663 to 1673. Meanwhile, encouraged coexistence and cohabitation with the indigenes, with Catholic converts branded as "natural Frenchmen". These efforts led to a rapid population increase, and by its cession to the British following the, Quebec had a population of approximately 140,000 inhabitants–far larger than any of France's possessions in the New World. Despite the deportation of the (eventually forming the  community of Louisiana) and encouragement of immigration from Britain, the French still comprised the overwhelming majority of the population. The –which restored usage of French civil law for private matters, maintained the use of English common law for public administration, as well as guaranteed the free practice of Catholic faith–was established to secure the allegiance of the Québécois amidst instability in the.

During the (1775–1783), Quebec was invaded by the Americans, achieving a victory in  albeit with it resulting in many casualties including the death of General, who led the campaign. However, the arrival of British and German reinforcements led to a stalemate until the end of the war. As part of the, the territories east of the Mississippi river as well as the lands bordering the Great Lakes and areas adjacent to Quebec City had been transferred to American administration. British hopes to reconquer the area were thwarted following the, though the Québécois resisted the rise of American nationalism in the subsequent. The Canadian Purchase of 1825 (which ceded large portions of ), which coincided at the height of the, resulted in the territorial reunification of Quebec while regions that had been heavily settled already by the British: The Maritimes, Newfoundland, and Labrador, remained under British colonial rule. The issue of whether or not Quebec would be a or a, and concerns over the absorption of the majority-Francophone population, were cited as main reasons for Quebec's failed attempts at statehood–despite its population approaching a million people. Instead, it was designated as a self-governing territory via the Quebec Act of 1792, while the Quebec Act of 1830 prohibited American settlement of the territory to a quota of ~1,000 settlers per annum.

However, the loss of available farmland in the Midwest in the 1830s led to an influx of American settlers, attracted by the presence of rich unexploited land. The Americans did little to penalize those who broke the quota, and in-fact, encouraged it to solidify the United State's territorial legitimacy. Bitter land disputes, sectarian conflict, and segregation had heightened animosity between the Francophone Québécois and the Anglophone American settlers; further fueled by competition in the whaling and cod fishing industries. This had sown in the seeds of a Québécois separatist movement, and had sporadically coalesced into disorganized revolts. In 1865, the onset of the United States federal government's collapse following the had initiated the Québécois Revolution. Considered part of the northern theatre of the War of Contingency, the independence of Quebec was guaranteed by Sierran, Brazorian, and British intervention. There was massive population upheaval during the war, with many Anglophone residents being forcibly expelled and their settlements resettled with Francophones. Following the war's end in 1868, the ratification of the Treaty of Montréal led to the recognition of independence, with the United States represented by its newly-organized successor state, the United Commonwealth. The socially-progressive Constitution established a secular government that had granted for all men and women above the, decriminalized homosexuality, upheld the free practice of religion, of speech, and of expression. Meanwhile, citizenship was to be granted to all who affiliate themselves to Quebec, regardless of race or ethnicity.

The Québécois Gilded Age (1870–1910) was characterized by the promotion of a Québécois national identity based on civic principles and its Francophone identity; both of which were principles ingrained into the constitution. Due to the disruption of the American economy by the war, Quebec had been able to participate at the forefront of the. Due to the intensity of economic growth, by 1900, Toronto and Montréal (Quebec's two largest cities) had both emerged as leading international financial centers. It also oversaw a gradual détente between it and the United Commonwealth, with bilateral relations not only re-established, but normalized in 1895. Despite past grievances, shared republican institutions and progressive social values, led to the establishment of a formal alliance as stipulated by terms of the Treaty of Continental-Québécois Amity of 1912. Amidst feelings of national unity, the Roaring Twenties consolidated Quebec's preeminence in the manufacturing sector, and its status as the epicenter of the newly-established automotive and aerospace industries; with the corporations of, and  all being based there. This period of optimism came to an abrupt end in the. The 1930s was characterized by economic woes and a shift to right-wing politics, as exhibited by a rise in nativist and anti-communist sentiment. The Immigration Act of 1933 implemented immigration quotas and in-practice effectively barred entry to Old World immigrants, especially those from Asia and Southern Europe. However, the Quebec New Deal pioneered by President Clark D. Summers led to the the entrenchment of worker's rights such as: the minimum wage, a standardized 40-hour working week, and mandatory two-week non-working period–which facilitated economic revitalization.

During, Quebec remained neutral due to its large population of German immigrants. However, following the Japanese preemptive attack on, a joint Anglo-American overseas base situated in Hawaii, Quebec participated in. Its controversial involvement and participation in the with the Anglo-American community, and its leasing of land for nuclear weapon testing held it at odds with the general public. Despite historical tensions, the onset of the Cold War saw the drastic realignment of its foreign policy and increased cooperation with its Anglo-American neighbors; as attested by its co-founding of the Conference of American States (CAS) and the (NATO). The post-war period is colloquially referred to as Summer in Quebec, characterized by an and, as cultural and social norms were shaped by Anglo-American popular culture. Meanwhile, the abolition of counter-immigration policies has led a renewed boom in immigration. However, as the sources of immigrants shifted from mainly Europe to Asia; Quebec's ethnic composition was inevitably altered, a shift that cemented the civic tenets of Québécois nationalism. Similarly, the led to the influx of  immigrants, primarily within Detroit and the surrounding metropolitan area. The gradual southwards movement of Quebec's center of population has led to a "southernization" of Quebec.

Quebec is the eleventh-largest economy by, but thirteenth when adjusted for , a feat that can be attributed to exceedingly high rates of worker productivity. As a result, Toronto and Montréal are one of the two foremost international trading and financial hubs, with the often referred to as the " of the North". Owing to its long history of immigration, it is a prime example of and is often considered a. Quebec is considered a and a, and is considered by some analysts as a second-tier. Apart from being a member of the Conference of American States (CAS), it is an observing member of the Trans-Pacific Allied Community (TPAC) and is a participant of the St. Louis Economic Zone.

Early French exploration
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On June 24, 1534, French explorer Jacques Cartier planted a cross on the and took possession of the territory under the name of  of France. On his second voyage on May 26, 1535, Cartier sailed upriver to the Saint-Laurence Iroquoian villages of Stadacona and Hochelaga, situated near present-day Quebec City and Montreal respectively. In 1541, became lieutenant of New France and was tasked with establishing a new colony in North America; however, it was Cartier who established the first attempted European settlement in the New World, –situated in modern-day. However, the three voyages of Cartier had dismayed French authorities, who saw very little profitability in sponsoring further French colonial activity in North America. It was only until the end of the sixteenth century was interest within these northern territories renewed.

An increase in the demand for whale products led to the emergence of a competitive, which alongside the lucrative , made France's territorial possessions within the region especially valuable. This allowed it to exert a monopoly over those industries, which garnered France a huge profit. The influx of merchants and fishermen, an increasing number of whom of whom began to opt for a permanent instead of a seasonal presence, led to a growth in the size and number of settlements. By the end of the seventeenth century, a census showed that there were ~20,000 French settlers permanently-residing in the lower, which extended from modern-day Newfoundland to the Mississippi; the pattern of settlement typically coincided with networks of cod fishery and the fur trade.

French settlement
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Current-day was founded in 1608 by, which was the first French settlement intended to house a large permanent population, rather than function as a simple trading post. Being Quebec's earliest settlement, it was initially the most-populous, and was designated as the capital of all French colonial possessions in North America (which was organized as, encompassing Acadia, Newfoundland, Louisiana and Quebec itself). At its establishment, it consisted of a single-walled building, an arrangement intended to provide protection to the settlers from the indigenous people. However, the settlement's overdependence on supplies shipped from metropolitan France, the inefficient utilization of land, and generally poor living standards contributed to a disproportionately high mortality. However, the expansion of agriculture and the continuous flow of immigrants (who were disproportionately male) led an eventual increase in population.

The Catholic Church was granted large tracts of land, amounting to nearly a third of all lands that had been granted by the French Crown in its New World possessions. After meeting with Samuel de Champlain, granted a charter to the, which gave it a monopoly over the booming fur trade and land rights across the territory–in exchange for supporting the settlement of New France. For example, specific clauses in the charter required the recruitment of ~4,000 colonists into New France over the following 15 years. However, this request was largely ignored in-favor of focusing on the fur trade, with only ~300 permanent settlers arriving before 1640. The instability that had resulted from the (1627–1629) led to the company's declaration of bankruptcy; with its monopoly revoked in 1641, and finally dissolving in 1662. New France underwent a period of political restructuring following the end of company rule. Following its establishment in 1663 by of, the  emerged as the governing body of France's overseas territories, which sought to eventually incorporate it into metropolitan France as a province. Consisting of twelve members, it served as both its main judicial and legislative institution.

The growth of the population in the competing English colonies to the south had awakened concerns among the French authorities over the ability of France to assert control over its own territory. In order to stimulate population growth and entice the formation of families, the, , proposed that the King sponsored the passage of at least five hundred women, a proposition which was accepted. Between 1663 and 1673, a total of approximately ~1,600 women were recruited and sent to New France, thrice that of the proposed amount. These women were given not only state patronage, but were granted dowry from the King. As a result, these women are colloquially referred to as the , or the "King's daughters" in French. The program was declared a success, with the population of French settlers doubling during the period. Despite the intensification of French settlement in the New World, New France still remained fairly sparsely-populated, with a population of only ~140,000 residents at the time of British cession.

British conquest and occupation
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American Revolutionary War
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When the (1775–1783) broke out, the  was quickly identified as a target for American forces, who sought to exploit the rife anti-British sentiment among the majority Francophone population to turn the tide of war to their favor. In 1775, the Continental War mounted a two-pronged offensive; one army headed towards Montreal, and another traversing through country (in modern-day Maine) towards Quebec City. The two armies eventually joined forces, and achieved a victory in the Battle of Quebec; albeit at the cost of many casualties, including American General Richard Montgomery. The northwards advance of American forces was however, halted by the arrival of British and German reinforcements in 1776, and the military campaign to seize Quebec had reached a stalemate.

Despite the northern borders remaining unchanged until the end of the war, control over the Saint-Laurence River basin enabled the Americans to effectively resist British counter-offensives in the failed. The ratification of the, which ended the war, placed the areas bordering the and the  under American occupation; under the terms of the treaty, the Americans were obliged to grant it eventual independence or admit it as a state.