Quebec before and after the Quiet Revolution Research Paper

Quebec before and after the Quiet Revolution - Research Paper Example The origin of the Quite Revolution years was the Duplessis regime characterized by social conservation, isolation and generally negative autonomist stands3. The hopes and energies unleashed during the period of Quite Revolution shook the very foundation of Canada and the impact is still being felt up to date. In his reign as the Prime Minister of Quebec and the leader behind the Quite Revolution, Lesage introduced a slogan known as "Maitres chez nous" (Masters in our own house) which best represented his years as the leader of Quebec. The fundamental belief in Quebec, during the period of Quite Revolution, was that the French Canadians should not be contented with playing a second class responsibility in political, social and economical matters and that the fundamental aspect of the community development rested in the utilization of the distinct tool which was collectively controlled by the French Canadians: the state of Quebec, and hence in the denunciation of the anti-statism of th e past. In this regard the government of Lesage became the tool and the symbol of a whole people on the road to self-assertion. The Duplessis regime is largely challenged by many social scientists today. However, there is no doubt that the end of Duplessis regime and the succeeding election of Jean Lesage as the leader of Liberal party, introduced a period of massive changes and activities, which later amounted to a Revolution. Quebec Before 1960 Prior to the 1960s, Quebec was governed by Maurice Duplessis. Duplessis was a conservative and the leader of Union National Party. During his tenure as the government controller, election fraud and corruption was eminent and common practices in Quebec. Even though he was not supported Catholic Church as a whole as some Catholic clergies and Unions criticized him, Duplessis enjoyed enormous support from small towns and rural clergies sometimes even quoting the Union dominant Slogan â€Å"Le ciel est bleu† (the sky/ heaven is blue), â €Å"l'enfer est rouge† (hell is red) - which referred to Union National colors (red) and the Liberals (red)4. The liberals were accused of being pro-communist by the Union. The newspaper Le Devoir, Radio Canada and political journal Cite’ Libre were intellectual forum for Duplessis critics5. Prior to the Quite Revolution, Quebec’s natural resources were mainly developed by foreign investors. For example iron mining was done by Iron Company of Canada which was based in U.S. in 1949 a group of asbestos miners engaged in a three month strike. The strike led to the formation of Quebecer miners united which opposes the foreign corporation nationalists system and the Catholic Clergies who backed the American company (l 1998). The voice of the miners did not go unnoticed and they received support from Monsignor Charbonneau, Bishop of Montreal, group of intellectual individuals, Quebecois nationalist newspaper and many other groups and individuals who were mainly oppose d to the Duplessis system of governance. Until the mid 20th century, quite a number of Francophone Quebec workers lived below poverty line and did not have an opportunity to join the executive class of businessmen in their province6. For some reasons, the death of Duplessis in 1959, followed by the death of Paul Sauve, his successor, elicited the start of the Quite Revolut