Early French SettlementEarly French SettlementSocial Studies 9Social Studies 9

Sieur de RobervalSieur de Roberval

• At the time of Cartier’s 3rd voyage

• Arrived as Cartier leaving

• Ordered Cartier to stay

• Cartier snuck back to France

• Attempt to settle on St. Lawrence a failure

• Harshness of climate and bad relations with Natives

Why Settle? Fish & FurWhy Settle? Fish & Fur

• Fishing boats arrived & left each year• Salted fish onboard (called green method)• Salt was expensive• Started drying fish on shore• Traded with natives• Fur trade began• Beaver hats and fur coats popular in

Europe

• Each spring, traders raced to NA to get best furs

• Staying the winter would give trade advantage

• But a long time went by…

• …60 years later…

Time to Settle DownTime to Settle Down

• French wanted to claim land

• Other countries were building colonies

• King offered a trade monopoly (exclusive right to trade in an area) to those that paid the expense of settling

AcadiaAcadia

• 1604 de Monts & Samuel de Champlain

• Settled on Ile Ste. Croix on Bay of Fundy

• In winter, lacked wood, food

• Scurvy set in; nearly half died

Port RoyalPort Royal

• 1605 moved across to Port Royal

• Better prepared for winter

• Formed the Order of Good Cheer to keep spirits up

• Celebrated every two weeks

• Included local Micmac

• “The Theatre of Neptune” by Marc Lescarbot, first play performed in Canada

Port RoyalPort Royal

• King removed monopoly

• Too far from centre of fur trade

• Site abandoned

• Later reoccupied; settlers were ancestors of Acadians

Samuel de Champlain

ChamplainChamplain• Soldier, explorer, geographer• Told to make first permanent on St.

Lawrence• “Father of New France”• 1608 chose site at old Native village of

Stadacona• Built “Habitation” at Quebec beside river

on high cliff• Mutiny crushed early on

• Scurvy a problem

• Needed more men

• Champlain made trips to France to gain settlers

• Merchants feared settlers would disturb trade

Champlain and NativesChamplain and Natives

• Champlain knew importance of Natives

• French were outnumbered

• Natives could trap beaver

• Algonquins and Montagnais asked him to help them attack Iroquois

• Met at battle near Lake Champlain

• Arquebus (gun) killed two Iroquois & scared rest away

Champlain and NativesChamplain and Natives

• Made Iroquois enemies

• Iroquois became friends with English to south

Champlain’s ExplorationChamplain’s Exploration

• Traveled and mapped up Ottawa River, Georgian Bay in Huron territory

• Joined Huron in attack on Iroquois

• Spent the winter with Huron

• Died in 1635 in Quebec