• Français
  • Home
  • News
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
Dictionary of Canadian Biography
  •  Browse
  •  Advanced Search
  •  Reader Mode
  •  Printer-friendly
mobile
    • Outline
    facebook sharing button Share
    twitter sharing button Tweet
    • New Biographies
    • Minor Corrections
    • Biography of the Day
      See previous
    • Themes, Essays, and Guides
      • The War of 1812
      • The First World War
      • Confederation
      • Women in the DCB/DBC
      • See complete list
    facebook sharing button Share
    twitter sharing button Tweet

The “great darkness”

Maurice Duplessis’s third term in office as premier of the province of Quebec, from 1948 to 1952, was marked by the emergence of serious opposition to his government. A group of artists, mainly from the visual arts, denounced the traditionalism of Quebec society and its resistance to progress. Other avenues of criticism would link the Duplessis regime’s conservatism to the social, educational, economic, and political stagnation of the province. All these adversaries helped portray the Duplessis regime, in a none-too-subtle manner, as a period of “great darkness.”

Related Biographies

DUPLESSIS, MAURICE LE NOBLET
GODBOUT, ADÉLARD (baptized Joseph-Adélard) (J.-Adélard)
LÉGER, PAUL-ÉMILE
TRUDEAU, PIERRE ELLIOTT

Other Resources

Grande Noirceur - Wikipedia
Maurice Duplessis ~ Canada's Human Rights History

Image Gallery

We acknowledge the financial support of the Canadian Museum of History through the Online Works of Reference Program funded by the Government of Canada.
Nous reconnaissons l'aide financière du Musée canadien de l'histoire à travers les œuvres du programme de référence en ligne financés par le gouvernement du Canada.

We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada.


Nous reconnaissons l’appui du gouvernement du Canada.

© 2003-2025 University of Toronto/Université Laval

Suggest corrections or additions

Important Notices

Websites of Interest

 
OK Cancel
OK