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Iroquoian and nomadic Algonquian peoples had lived in Québec for thousands of years when the first Europeans arrived. “Kebec” is an Algonquian word meaning “place where the river narrows.”

French explorer Cartier followed Basque fishing routes up the St Lawrence River, claiming “discovery” of Canada for King François I of France in 1534. He continued up the river in 1535 to land at the village of Hochelaga, where he named its mountain Mont Royal (see Parc du Mont-Royal).

French settlement began in 1608 when Samuel de Champlain (1567–1635) arrived in the region. The position of Québec City, protected atop Cap Diamant, became the driving force of the settlement, together with newly found riches of the fur trade.

The struggle between the French and British in Europe continued in the New World. In 1759, after a summer-long standoff, British General James Wolfe won claim to the province during the 30-minute siege of Québec City on the Plains of Abraham. However, in 1774 the French were granted language and religion rights (see Musée de la Civilisation de Québec).

After the Constitutional Act (1791) separated the colony into Upper Canada (southern Ontario) and Lower Canada (southern Québec), British Lord Durham was sent to solve the on-going problems between the English and French halves. He declared the Union Act of 1841, which fused the two sides under a single English-speaking parliament and effectively marginalized the French. By 1848, the English were forced to accept the use of French to avoid a backlash. On July 1, 1867, Québec and Ontario joined with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to form the Dominion of Canada.

Well into the 20th century the Roman Catholic church held considerable political sway in Québec. Maurice Duplessis’ right-wing Union Nationale (1936–39 & 1944–59) used the church’s moral influence to gain votes and accepted $100-million-worth of graft.

The collusion of church and state led to widespread resentment among Québécois. With the death of Duplessis, liberal sentiment grew and a lively intellectual scene developed. In 1960, the Liberal Party was elected, leading to province-wide social reforms and economic development.

Due to continuing political deadlock with Canada, support for the separatist movement among Québécois was growing. But disaster struck in October 1970 when the radical separatist Front de Libération du Québec (FLQ) kidnapped two high-ranking politicians, murdering one of them.

René Lévesque’s separatist Parti Québécois (PQ) was in power from 1976 to 1985 and ensured French-language dominance in Québec with Bill 101, alarming the province’s Anglophone minority.

In 1995, the PQ held a referendum in Québec on the separatist question – should the province split from Canada? The “no” side won by 50.5 percent. Despite the narrow defeat, support for separatism has dwindled in recent times.