Learning Experience 1.2 - Canadian History Why did the French and other Europeans come to North America and how did they interact with First Peoples? Learning Experience 1.2 - Canadian History

If the land was already occupied, why do you think Europeans stayed, and then continued to come and set up communities? They had a need, a worldview, and an ignorance* of cultural differences *this word often carries derogatory meaning, let’s talk about this.

Reasons for Exploration and Expansion Trade route to Asia (Northwest Passage) Mercantilism (resources) Christianization (missionaries) Competition for power (colonization, terra nullius)

Empires Involved French British Spanish Portuguese Dutch

Terra nullius Definition: a Latin expression meaning “land belonging to no one” that describes territory over which no country has authority. It was clear other people were living on the land (and had been for a long time) First Nations were not Christian, so Europeans believed the land could not belong to them They did not have countries established and no formal government