Europeans Establish Colonies Origins of a New Nation Europeans Establish Colonies

The French Empire French explorers led expeditions along the North Atlantic seaboard during the 1500s. The small settlements along the St. Lawrence River became the nucleus of present-day Canada. How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

Map of French and English Holdings in the Americas

The French Establish Fur Trade Initially, explorers who sailed for France, including Giovanni da Verrazano and Jacques Cartier, were interested in finding a Northwest Passage to Asia through North America. The French king claimed the region that Cartier explored as New France. How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

The French Establish a Fur Trade The French fished for cod and hunted for whales and seals. Indians eagerly traded fur for metal arrowheads, hoes, axes, knives, and hatchets. To repel rivals, a French company built a fortified trading post at Quebec on the St. Lawrence River in 1608. How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

French-Indian Relations Unlike the Spanish, in Mexico, the Canadian French could not afford to intimidate, dispossess, or enslave the Indians. The French needed them as hunters and suppliers of furs—roles that the Indians eagerly performed. How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

French-Indian Relations Samuel de Chaplain, Quebec’s founder, traded with the Montagnais, Algonquin, and Huron Indians. In return, they expected Chaplain to help them against their foes: the Iroquois, who lived to the south in what is now New York. How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

French Quebec Settlements

French-Indian Relations Champlain and his men aided their Indian allies in defeating the Iroquois in a battle near a lake named after him (Lake Champlain New York). The Iroquois expected a traditional Indian battle, one that was light in casualties. Instead, the French used guns to fire on the Iroquois. How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

French-Indian Relations This battle changed warfare tactics used by the Iroquois and other Native American tribes. They no longer used body armor, shields, or helmets for protection. They also avoided massed formations. How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

Iroquois Battle Formation

French-Indian Relations Instead, they relied on trees for cover and shifted their tactics to hit-and-run raids. The Iroquois also demanded their own guns as the price of trade. Furthermore, they aligned themselves with the Dutch, and later the English against the French and their Indian allies. How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

French-Indian Relations Like the Spanish, the French dispatched Catholic priests as missionaries to convert Indians. The French missionaries (Jesuit’s) enjoyed their greatest success among the Huron's, who lived beside Lake Huron How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

Huron Village This success attracted Iroquois warriors, who destroyed Huron villages in the mid 1600s.

Life in New France New France’s government resembled that of New Spain. Both employed a top-down style of government, in which the French King appointed a military governor-general, a civil administrator known as the intendant, and a Catholic bishop. How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

Life in New France To survive and prosper in an Indian world, the French had to adopt some of the Indian’s ways. Known as coureurs de bois, many fur traders married Indian women. The Children of these marriages became known as the metis. How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

Life in New France The French allied with the Great Lakes Indians, who primarily spoke an Algonquian language. The allies defeated the Iroquois during the 1680s and 1690s, compelling them to make peace in 1701. In 1682, Robert de LaSalle made his way south on the Mississippi River. How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

Life in New France Guided by Native Americans, he found the Gulf of Mexico. La Salle claimed the territory around the Mississippi River basin for France, naming it Louisiana, in honor of King Louis XIV. In 1718, near the river’s mouth, the French founded New Orleans, which became the colony’s largest town and leading seaport. How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

Life in New France Like Canada, Louisiana struggled to attract colonists. The economy provided few opportunities beyond trading with the Indians. The hot climate and swampy landscape also promoted deadly diseases (dysentery and malaria). How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

Life in New France Only a third of the immigrants remained alive in Louisiana in 1731, when the colony had just 2,000 whites and 4,000 enslaved Africans. The French primarily valued Louisiana as a military base to keep the English form grabbing the immense Mississippi watershed. How does France’s American Colonies differ from Spain’s American Colonies?

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