Crime and Punishment in New France

Question 1

French colonies

Answer 1

Settled in 17th and early 18th century
Adopted French criminal justice

Question 2

New France criminal justice

Answer 2

Opposite of British
Accused were considered guilty an had to prove their innocence
Prison served has interrogation and detention place until sentence was mandated
Interrogation = No right to a lawyer
Torture was often used to get a confession

Question 3

Common forms of Punishment

Answer 3

Hanging
Galley’s
Banishment
Branding

Question 4

Galley’s

Answer 4

Form of punishment consisting of being chained rowers on ships for multi-year (ie. 3, 5, or 9 years)

Question 5

Petty offenses punishment

Answer 5

Public shaming.
Ex.: Pillory, flogging
Like Colonial America (SIMILARITY)

Question 6

Infanticide

Answer 6

Capital crime rarely committed in New France consisting of the murder of a newborn baby
Punishable by death, Hanging

Question 7

Marie-Joseph Angelique

Answer 7

18th C slave in New France
Convicted and executed for setting fire to her owner’s house and burning 45 other buildings in Old Montreal in 1734
(1734, 46 buildings total)

Question 8

Comparison of Justice Systems of New France and New England (colonial america)

Answer 8

NEW FRANCE:
- adopted French criminal justice
- trial in private
- inquisitional (questioned by judge)
- guilty until proven innocent
- accused is pursued by the State
- hearing is in secret (no juries)
- torture used
NEW ENGLAND:
- adopted English criminal justice
- trial in public
- adversarial (lawyers)
- innocent until proven guilty
- pursuit of accused is more private
- judges guided by juries
- use of debtors’ prison