Richard’s career in Quebec coincided with a period known as la Grand Noirceur, characterized by traditionalism and conservatism. However, when Jean Lesage was elected Premier in 1960, Quebec underwent a period of intense social change known as the Quiet Revolution. This period was marked by secularization, urbanization, and the replacement of traditionalism with modern liberal attitudes. The Quebec government played a significant role in this transformation, leading the way with education and health care reform, and economic interventions. The rise of influential figures advocating for a liberalization of Quebec society, including historians, newspapers, and Pierre Trudeau, also contributed to this change. The Quiet Revolution was a major turning point in Quebec society, leading to rising nationalistic sentiment and the rise of the separatist movement. Several groups were formed advocating for Quebec to be a distinctive national community, culminating in the founding of the Parti Québécois in 1968, which organized two referenda on sovereignty.