French Colonization Efforts: Fur Trade, Missions, and Growth

1. French Colonization Initial Colonization Efforts Establishing the Fur Trade Recruiting Competition – The Dutch Growth of French Colonies Expanding Along the Mississippi Missionaries

2. Failed Ventures • 1534 - Jacques Cartier • Northwest passage • 1535 -Tried to establish colonies along the St. Lawrence • 1564 - French attempted a colony near Jacksonville, Fla • Learned from mistakes

3. First Economic Colony • Avoid the Spanish • 1608 - Samuel de Champlain established Quebec • First inland Fur trading post • Private venture - New France Trading Company

4. Establishing the Fur Trade • Furs in demand • St. Lawrence – transportation • Native Americans • Established amicable relationships (Algonquians). • Guns/tools for furs • Disease an issue

5. French–Native American Relations • Three reasons for positive relations • Interdependency • French weren’t a threat • Native allies of the French remained autonomous

6. Recruiting Colonists • No need • Fur trade didn’t require many people to operate • New World not popular • Cold • Wilderness • Unfamiliar

7. Purpose of Colony • This was a business colony • Make money and go home – young men • French often married native women • The population of French in Canada was small. (In 1650 – 700 men)

8. Competition - The Dutch • 1609 – Henry Hudson - found Hudson River • 1614 - Dutch established Ft Nassau (Albany) as a trading post. • Fails by 1617 • Establish Ft. Orange in same location in 1624 as a permanent settlement/trading post

9. Peter Minuit • Director of the Dutch colonies in the New World • Established trading relationships • Peace with Pilgrims • Purchased Manhattan in 1626

10. Relationship with Natives • Amicable • Guns for Furs • Traded with Iroquois, not Algonquians • Eventually furs will not be in demand in Europe, so Natives will trade land for guns, tools, wampum, alcohol

11. End of the Dutch • Dutch neglected North America • Distracted by eastern colonization • Lack of immigrants • 1664 - British seized New Amsterdam (New York) • 1667, Dutch forfeit all possessions in N. America to England

12. French Growth in Americas • 1663 - New France Co. sold the colony to the Crown • Crown feared British growth

13. Growth of New France • Land grants • Indentured servants/orphans • New France: • 1650 - 700 • 1663 - 3,000 • 1700 - 15,000 • English colonies in 1700 – 234,000

14. Missionaries • 1620s - Jesuit missionaries - Great Lakes region • Indians initially indifferent, but warmed to Jesuits, why? • Jesuits not greedy • Jesuits learned native culture before converting • Had some success • Felt they had to accept Jesuits to maintain French trade (they were correct)

15. Pere Jacques Marquette • 1666 –sent to New France • Built relationships with tribes in Northern WI, MI and Ontario – Huron and Ottawa • 1673 –Marquette and Louis Joliet explore Mississippi River • First French to find the Mississippi

16. Further Expansion • Expanding along the Mississippi • The West Indies - slavery • Martinique • St. Lucie • Guadeloupe • Robert LaSalle, 1682 • Explored the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River • First European to travel the length of the river • Established small colonies/trading posts along this arc • Claimed territory along the Mississippi for France