French and British Rivalry In North America

French Exploration of North America Giovanni da Verrazzano, a hired Italian pilot, failed to find the passage during his voyage of 1525, but he did establish a French claim to portions of North America. Jacques Cartier crossed the Atlantic in 1534 and 1535; on his second trip he ventured up the St. Lawrence River as far as the eventual site of Montréal.

John Cabot’s Exploration John Cabot (1450-1499) was an Italian-born English explorer and navigator. In Italy, he is known as Giovanni Caboto (which is his original name).

Cabot’s route

Samuel de Champlain, the greatest of the French explorers. Samuel de Champlain (1567?-1635) was a French explorer and navigator who mapped much of northeastern North America and started a settlement in Quebec. Champlain also discovered the lake later named for him (1609) and was important in establishing and administering the French colonies in the New World.

Champlain’s explorations

Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette conducted explorations of the Mississippi Basin in 1673. Father Jacques Marquette (1637-1675) was a French Jesuit priest and explorer. He sailed to Quebec in 1666 and in 1671 started a Chippewa mission at Chequamegon Bay (at the western end of Lake Superior). Louis Joliet and Father Jacques Marquette (and five others) found the Mississippi River in 1673; they were the first Caucasians to see the Mississippi River. They travelled along Lake Michigan to Green Bay, canoed up the Fox River, and went downstream on the Wisconsin River to the Mississippi River. They travelled almost to the mouth of the Arkansas, and then stopped because they were warned of hostile indians and Spanish explorers. They returned via the Illinois River, then the Chicago River to Lake Michigan. Marquette died of dysentery on his way to the Kaskaskian indians, to whom he had planned on preaching.

DE LA SALLE, ROBERT René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643-1687) was a French explorer. He was sent by King Louis XIV (14) to travel south from Canada and sail down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. He was the first European to travel the length of the Mississippi River (1682). His mission was to explore and establish fur-trade routes along the river. La Salle named the entire Mississippi basin Louisiana, in honor of the King, and claimed it for France on April 9, 1682. He also explored Lake Michigan (1679), Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. He tried to start a settlement in the southern Mississippi River Valley, but the venture ended in disaster .

LaSalle’s Route

CADILLAC, ANTOINE DE Antonie Laumet de La Mothe de Cadillac ( March 5, 1658 - Oct. 15, 1730) was a French explorer, soldier, and leader. Cadillac founded the city of Detroit in 1701 and was the governor of the Louisiana Territory from 1710 to 1716 or 1717.

Cadillac’s Territory

Compare and Contrast French efforts in the New World differed sharply from those of the English. The French excelled at exploring new areas — even deep into the interior regions — while the English usually stayed close to the coastlines. The French contented themselves with developing thriving commercial interests, especially fur trading and fishing, rather than planting large permanent settlements populated by French citizens. These radically different colonial strategies did nothing to dim the growing rivalry between the two nations.

Fur Trappers and Traders. French frontiersmen often carried the name of coureurs de bois (forest runners) or voyageurs (canoeists or travelers) and were the earliest representatives of their homeland in North America. The beaver pelt became the prime focus of their activities. The demand in Europe was enormous because the furs provided the wearer with protection against the elements as well as a mark of social distinction. The reduction of the beaver population forced the trappers and traders to push deeper into the interior in search of their prey.

Initial French ventures The initial French ventures in North America were fur trading companies, but few of these prospered. In 1663, the French crown took direct control of all activities in New France by substituting royal control for corporate.

The interaction between the French fur trade and the native inhabitants The interaction between the French fur trade and the native inhabitants of the area was fundamental. The whites traded European manufactured items in return for animal skins; firearms and brandy were highly prized. This exchange angered another French presence, the missionaries, who objected strenuously to the introduction of alcohol into Indian society.

Relations between the traders and Indians Relations between the traders and Indians were generally peaceful as long as trade was conducted fairly. A strong and lasting bond was formed between the French and the Algonquian, but Samuel de Champlain's military assistance against the Iroquois sparked enduring enmity. Unlike the English settlements, the sparse French communities did not exert great population pressure on native hunting grounds, which averted a potential source of friction.

New France v. English Colonies Despite its drawbacks, the highly organized society of New France offered one decided advantage — the relative ease of mobilization during time of war. The French maintained a standing army in the colony, which relieved the need to call upon the settlers for service. Further, French society in North America was a single unit with one governor in complete control. The English colonies, by contrast, rarely could achieve agreement on any matter. Residents of one colony showed interest in supporting military action only if the threat were on their doorstep.

New France

British-French Rivalry By the late 17th century, a great rivalry had developed between France and Britain. Over a period of roughly 70 years, four major wars would be fought between these powers. (King William’s War, Queen Anne’s War, King George’s War and the French and Indian War) As time passed, the importance of colonies, North America in particular, grew in importance. The final round in this struggle, the French and Indian War, spelled the end of New France.

The French and Indian War Begins The French and Indian War would begin in 1754 in the Ohio Valley. It would begin over conflicting French and British land claims in the Ohio Valley. The French and Indian War would decided the rivalry between France and Britain in North America and around the world. Britain would come out of this war as the number one power with the largest navy and largest empire in the world.