European colonization of the Americas

Part 3- France

Background info

• French colonization of the Americas began in the 16th century, and continued in the following centuries as France established a colonial empire in the Western Hemisphere. France founded colonies in much of eastern North America, on a number of Caribbean islands, and in South America. Most colonies were developed to export products such as fish, sugar, and furs.

• As they colonized the New World, the French established forts and settlements that would become such cities as Quebec and Montreal in Canada; Detroit, St. Louis, Mobile, Biloxi, Baton Rouge and New Orleans in the United States; and Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien in Haiti.

The “Big Four”

• Portugal

• Spain

• France

• Great Britain

France

• The French first came to the New World as explorers, seeking a route to the Pacific ocean and wealth.

• Major French exploration of North America began under the reign of King Francis I

• Credited with establishing the first major settlements in northern North America

France cont.

• The French empire in the new world included settlements in present day Canada and the United States.

• They initially settled off the coast of Newfoundland as fishing colonies, but quickly became interested in the lucrative fur trade which pushed them further south into what would later become the United States.

• They are credited for settling most of the the Great Lakes region

Map of French possessions in the Americas

France cont.

• The most notable French settlement in America was the colony of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans, which became a key port city in the quest for dominance in North America

• Even today, the culture of the French is engrained into the city of New Orleans

References

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_colonization_of_the_Americas

• http://gallica.bnf.fr/FranceAmerique/page.asp?/en/T1-1-intro.htm

• http://www.civilization.ca/vmnf/vmnfe.asp