Download Why the French colonized North America – pages 84

Why the French colonized North America – pages 84-85 (packet), Sp/Fr/Eng Chart
Why the British colonized North America – Colonial Regions Chart
Population and Economy – French – Information below and pages 84-85 (packet)
For all the vast area the French laid claim to in North America, New France was never
effectively colonized. Many permanent communities were founded, but the main interest of the
mother country was commercial exploitation. The fur trade, far more lucrative than farming or
fishing, became the basis of the economy. This led the French to explore widely in the region,
to forge strong alliances with the native Indians, and to set up forts and trading posts. But the
population of New France never grew to the same extent as that of the English colonies. By
1754, on the eve of the French and Indian War, the population of New France was only about
55,000.
What the French did very well was explore. During the 17th century a vast number of
Frenchmen--traders, missionaries, and soldiers--traversed the wilderness from eastern Canada
to New Orleans. They ventured throughout the whole Great Lakes region and the Mississippi
Valley, claiming the territory for the king of France.
Within this vast midsection of North America, many permanent settlements were founded,
including Detroit, St. Louis, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. Under French rule all of these
settlements remained frontier outposts. Only after 1800, when citizens of the United States
began trekking westward in search of plentiful, inexpensive land, did they really grow.
In a vain attempt to encourage emigration to North America, France instituted a colonization
policy based on grants of land that were to be parceled out to farmers or other inhabitants. In
Canada there was some increase in immigration during the second half of the 17th century, but
after 1700 most French Canadians were native-born. Since the estates could not compete with
the allure of the fur trade, particularly for young men, agriculture was crippled in the French
colony.
Population and Economy – British – Information below and Colonial Regions Chart
By 1750, the British empire had about 1.5 million people living in the thirteen colonies.
Map – handout from Friday, 10/4/13
Relationships with Native Americans – Information below, page 102 (Discovering
Our Past) and packet pages 84-85 (French) and 158-159 (British)
Although early incidents with the natives had somewhat determined the relationship with
each of the newly arrived powers, the relationships changed over time. The French were
more apt to cultivate a friendship with the natives; French traders would often marry into a
native tribe to solidify a good commercial relationship. The British, on the other hand, were
often seen as interlopers who came to steal land. But as the Indians came to rely more and
more upon European trade goods, their alliance would change depending on whom they
thought they could get the most from.
Causes of the War – Information below and pages 101-102 (Discovering Our Past)
From the 1750's and through the early 1760's, the British, the French, and many American
Indian nations engaged in a war that changed the course of American history: the French
and Indian War. It started over who would control the Ohio River Valley and a familiar
figure, George Washington, was an early participant.
At the time about 3,000 to 4,000 American Indians were living in the Ohio River Valley. The
French had settlements in Canada, the “Illinois country” and Louisiana (which included New
Orleans). The British settled east of the Allegheny Mountains along the eastern seaboard.
Both the French and the British thought they had an indisputable claim to the Ohio River
Valley, as did the Indians who lived there. For both economic and political reasons all three
powers wanted to control this region. As tensions and actions escalated a clash seemed
inevitable. On May 28, 1754 the first shot was fired and as British historian Horace Walpole
wrote, it “set the world on fire.”
Eventually France and Britain declared war on each other and the fighting spread from
North America to Europe, the Caribbean, India, and the Philippines. War was not new to
these powerful European nations. They had been traditional rivals and enemies in a dozen
previous wars.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Both New France and New England wanted to expand their territories to better
manage the fur trade economy.
Using trading posts and forts, both the British and the French claimed the vast
territory between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River, from the
Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, known as the Ohio Country. (English claims
resulted from royal grants which had no definite western boundaries. The French
claims resulted from La Salle's claiming the Mississippi River for France - its drainage
area includes the Ohio River Valley.)
Both European countries ignored Native American claims to the land in order to
pursue their beaver pelt economies.
The English colonists feared papal influence in North America (New France was
administered by French governors and Roman Catholic hierarchy). For the
predominantly Protestant British settlers, French control over North America could
have represented a threat to their religious and other freedoms provided by English
law.
The French feared the anti-Catholicism prevalent among English holdings. In this
period, Catholicism was still enduring persecution under English law.
There were many differences in ideology between the French, Catholic colony, and
the English, Protestant colony.
The French-Canadians were fighting to protect their colony's power, policies and
socio-economy.
Battles – pages 103-104 (Discovering Our Past) and 161-162 (packet)
Results and Impact – page 105 (Discovering Our Past) and pages 162-166