Before European settlement, Quebec was inhabited by several Indian tribes for centuries, whose archaeological traces and cultural influences can still be witnessed by visitors.  
    The French colony of Quebec was founded in 1608 and grew into the center of the "New France" colony.  Early European inhabitants were largely fur traders and religious missionaries.  Quebec City was under the control of France until 1759, when the British seized the city during the Seven Years' War.  Until 1763, the word "Quebec" only meant Quebec City; however, in 1763, the Province of Quebec was created by the British out of the captured territories of New France. Then, the Province of Quebec extended along both sides of the St. Lawrence all the way to the sea.  
     Quebec City played a role in the early days of the Revolutionary War, when U.S. commanders General Richard Montgomery and General Benedict Arnold led an ill-fated expedition in 1775 to try to capture the city from the British.  Instead, the mission ended in heavy American casualties, including the death of  Gen. Montgomery, and many American troops were taken prisoner.   

In 1791, the Province of Quebec was divided into two territories; the western section was known as Upper Canada, and the eastern section was Lower Canada (Bas Canada); the dividing line was the present Ontario/Quebec boundary. Upper Canada and Lower Canada were merged again in 1841.  In the mid-1800s, Quebec City was actually the capital of Canada. To this day, there is a movement afoot to try to break away from Canada and gain independence for Quebec - a referendum on independence failed in 1995 by the narrowest of margins.