France during the Age of Exploration

Background Spain’s successful colonization efforts did not go unnoticed. Other European nations like England, the Netherlands, and France began to desire obtaining their own valuable colonies. Treaty of Tordesillas: Divided the Americas between Spain and Portugal – All of the above countries ignored the treaty

Explorers establish New France Early French explorers sailed west with dreams of reaching the East Indies (modern-day India, Pakistan, and Southeast Asia) Like Columbus, they did not find it. However, many of their explorers founded places like New York, Canada, and Louisiana (named in honor of King Louis XIV) France’s empire was huge, but not very populated. Most of their settlers were single men who just wanted to make money in the fur trade, not raise families. The empire had many more slaves than French settlers

Code Noir (1685)