Private Walking Tour – 25 American Stories of Old Québec

THIS TOUR IS DEDICATED TO HISTORY LOVERS AND WANTS TO HONOR 250 YEARS OF NORTH AMERICAN HISTORY. Old Québec is the ultimate historic district to tell the story of French and British Americas that shaped Canada and the United States. Discover the common history of two nations in # 1 destination for history enthusiasts in Canada.

10 min

Present-day Rue de la Barricade (Street) is one of the few sites where the December 1775 American attack on Quebec City is commemorated. Benedict Arnold was defeated by British troops and local militia and was eventually repulsed to the US border days before the July 4th Declaration of Independence.

10 min

Today Quartier Petit-Champlain is one the most valuable shopping areas in Old Quebec. In the 1600s, the discoverer of the Mississippi River - Louis Joliet - had his home here. Later, the 19th-century Irish shipbuilders lived here, reminding us the vibrant maritime life along the St. Lawrence River.

10 min

The Dominion of Canada was born as a constitutional monarchy 100 years after the American Revolutionary War. Different plaques and monuments introduce one of Canada's main founding fathers, as significant as Ben Franklin in the US history, and recall how Canada was shaped in the context of the American Civil War. At the top of Mountain Hill street, this is a perfect spot for a short break.

10 min

Place Royale is Canada's Jamestown. Discover here the history markers of the King William's War and Queen Anne's War periods. Champlain and Dugua de Mons, co-founders of Québec City and Acadia (present-day Maine and Nova Scotia) are also celebrated here.

10 min

First Roman Catholic Cathedral in Canada, Notre-Dame de Québec has been part of Quebec City's life for centuries. Famous Louisiana Governor and founder of Detroit MI – Sieur de Cadillac - got married here in 1687. More recently Pope Francis came here to apologize to the First Nations abused by a Federal Government scheme meant to civilize the indigenous people and confiscate their lands. The 1876 Indian Act is a Canadian version of Andrew Jackson's 1830 Indian Removal Act.

10 min

Discover the works and arts of the first female missionaries to Canada and the USA. The Ursuline Nuns arrived here in 1639 and settled in New Orleans from 1727. They came to the New World to educate girls, up to this day, making this present-day co-ed private school the oldest school for girls north of Mexico.

From the early 1600s to the end of the conflict between Canada and the USA in 1871, Quebec City has built walls and military structures to protect itself against the British and later the American invaders. See how Quebec City was shaped in the context of the King William's, Queen Anne's, King George's and French and Indian Wars, followed by the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and, finally, the American Civil War. The 1871 Treaty of Washington marked the end of these conflicts and the beginning of a new era as a unique North American tourist destination.

10 min

The first Roman Catholic parish in the USA (Cahokia IL) was founded by missionaries coming from this very important 1663 institution. Also, a 1790s travel account translated to French by Thomas Jefferson and handed to Lewis & Clark is saved in their archives.

10 min

Heroes of New France also known in Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, South Dakota, Texas … are displayed on the façade of this Second Empire style building erected outside the fortifications in the wake of the 1871 Treaty of Washington, that resolved the last claims between the Dominion of Canada and the USA. House of the Province of Quebec’s parliament, here the 125 MPs exercise democracy in a constitutional monarchy French-speaking institution, remnants of Canada’s dual colonial heritage.

10 min

Both Canadians and Americans had their own Manifest Destiny. The Transcontinental railroads eventually replaced the chuck wagons to help thousands of immigrants settle beyond the Frontier, up to the Pacific coast. The Canadian Pacific Railway President drove the last Golden Spike in the Canadian Rockies 15 years after the Omaha-Sacramento railways joined at Promontory Summit Utah. To finance such a costly project, CPR President’s Cornelius Van Horne built prestigious hotels along his railway and thus launched coast-to-coast tourism. The 1893 Chateau Frontenac is the first chateau-style hotel envisioned by American-born Van Horne.

The Battle of New Orleans, where 2000 British troops were killed by Andrew Jackson's Army scared the British colonies up North. This 1830 stronghold is part of many structures built along the American border after the War of 1812.