Precolonial period and New France
Before 1759
As a meeting place near the St. Lawrence River, the promontory of Quebec attracted numerous visitors and travellers. After the founding of Québec in 1608, the land was progressively settled by the residents. This was also the period in which it gained its name, Plains of Abraham.
In New France, the present-day site of the Plains of Abraham offered fertile ground for naturalists and their research. In the 17th century, it was explored by leading scholars connected to European institutes, including the Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris. Among them, three left a particularly significant mark on the history of the Plains: Jacques Cartier, Louis Hébert and Michel Sarrazin.
