By 1673, New France had significantly expanded its territorial claims and administrative structure, though effective control remained concentrated in specific river valleys while vast claimed territories remained sparsely governed.
New France now encompassed the St. Lawrence River valley, Acadia, and dramatically expanded western territories following Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette's exploration of the Mississippi River system in 1673. French territorial claims theoretically extended from the Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains and from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, though actual settlement remained minimal outside core areas.
In 1663, Louis XIV had revoked the Company of One Hundred Associates' charter, bringing New France under direct royal administration. The colony was restructured with a Governor-General holding military and diplomatic authority, an Intendant managing civil administration and justice, and the Sovereign Council serving as the supreme court and legislative body. This system provided more effective governance than the previous commercial administration.
The colonial population had grown to approximately 7,000-8,000 inhabitants concentrated along the St. Lawrence River. Quebec City remained the administrative capital, while Montreal served as the fur trading center and western frontier base. Three Rivers continued as an important intermediate settlement. The seigneurial system had been established, granting large land holdings to seigneurs who were responsible for settling habitants (tenant farmers) on long, narrow lots extending back from riverfront properties.
Acadia maintained separate governance under its own governor, though it remained part of New France's overall structure. Port-Royal served as the administrative center for this eastern maritime region.
French influence extended through a network of trading posts and missions throughout the Great Lakes region and newly explored Mississippi valley. Posts at Michilimackinac, Green Bay, and other strategic locations provided administrative presence in territories vastly larger than France itself, though Native American nations retained practical control over most lands.
