French Colonization in North America

1. French Colonization in North America

2. The French begun to settle Quebec, under Samuel de Champlain (Father of New France), in 1608 (year after Virginia), at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River • France became interested in further expansion / colonialism in Nth America after • End to foreign wars • End to internal wars between Catholics and Protestant Huguenots (Treaty of Nantes of 1598 finally gave them limited toleration) • Desire of Louis XIV's to expand overseas (nationalism, mercantilism)

3. Louis XIV / the Sun King

4. This is the only contemporary likeness of the explorer Samuel de Champlainto survive to the present. It is also a self-portrait.

5. French expansion in Nth Am, in the mid and late 1600s, was usually along the paths of lakes and rivers, or near suitable ports and harbors (St. Laurence, New Orleans, Detroit) – transportation, source of beavers • The strongholds of New France were: • Quebec, Montreal in modern day Canada • Detroit (founded by Antoine Cadillac): to stop British settlement • Louisiana / New Orleans (founded by Robert de La Salle, called after Louis XIV): to halt Spanish settlement • There they established trading posts, settlements, missions, forts

6. Some Characteristics of New France • 1. Directly control by the French Kings: hierarchical: autocratic: no legislative assemblies (like Spanish colonies); did not have right to jury trial • 2. Low levels of population: by 1750 there were only 6,000 settlers (English colonies had close to 2.5 million • French peasants had little Economic motive to move, France was not troubled by overpopulation or an enclosure movement as Britain was, and the Huguenots who wanted to move were not allowed to do so.

7. 3. Most interested in beaver furs at first - beaver-pelt hats were fashionable in Europe - than in farming / plantation cash crops; “coureurs de bois” / runners of the woods or trappers • later developed Commercial Agriculture - grew huge quantities of grain in Illinois and Ohio valleys – no plantations • 4. Had a better relationship with many of the Native Am Indians than did the British: French were more tolerant, intermarried, befriended Indians (esp. Jesuits, who tried to protect and convert – usually in vain) – though they still infected them with diseases and introduced them to alcohol: had an alliance with the Huron (an anti-Iroquois alliance – Iroquois would become British allies)

8. Co-existed with British at first • By late 17th Cent and early 18th Cent, as French settlements expanded, friction / conflict developed with English for control of Nth Am • Much of the conflict, however, originated in Europe

9. Anglo-French Conflicts • Intensified after succession of William and Mary in Glorious Rev: William of Orange was a sworn enemy of Louis XIV and wanted to prevent any French expansion • His successor Queen Ann, 1702, was also hostile to French expansion • Led to a series of Anglo-French wars in Europe – lasted over 80yrs – spilled over into North Am in the form of: • King William's War, 1689-1697 • Queen Anne's War, 1701-1712

10. Features • Most conflicts were in NY and Mass • Indians mostly helped French • Spanish in Florida helped fellow French Catholics • British Colonists won most of the battles • France retained Quebec and Montreal • Colonial affair – no British or French troops • Ended with Peace of Utrecht 1713 – Britain gained French territory, esp. Acadia (renamed Nova Scotia / New Scotland), Newfoundland, and the Hudson Bay • 1739 - The War of Jenkins Ear - between Britain and Spain in the South / Florida area: the key issue was British trading in Florida

11. King George's War 1744-1748, (extension of War of Austrian Succession) was between Br and Fr/Sp in New Eng • British Colonists, with help of a British fleet, seized the reputedly invincible French fortress, Louisburg (controls approaches to the St Lawrence River) • But the Peace of 1748 handed it back to the French, upsetting the victorious New Englanders • In the aftermath of King George's War, relations between the English, and the French and their Indian allies deteriorated further

12. Ohio Valley became the key source of contention between them: • France wanted to connect New France / Canada with Louisiana: began building a chain of forts in Ohio Valley (Fort Duquesne the most imp.) • British were concerned about being hemmed in on the Eastern Coast: began occupying / acquiring lands in the region from Native Americans • British began building their own forts and challenging Fr ones; 1754 Virginia sent a militia force under Washington; built Fort Necessity, attacked French, lost, forced to surrender, then freed

13. Marked the beginning of the French and Indian War (Am) / Seven Years War (global)…next unit..

14. Compare and Contrast with British and French Colonies • PERS • Political – no democracy, hierarchy, aristocratic, conflict with British • Economic – beaver trapping, later grain….no plantations • Social – low population, good relationship with Natives • Religious – missionaries, Catholic