France Finds a Foothold in Canada

France was late in scrambling for colonies because it was busy with foreign wars and domestic strife.

With the issuance of the Edict of Nantes, which granted limited toleration to French Protestants (Huguenots) religious wars ceased.

In 1608, soldier and explorer, Samuel de Champlain estab the French settlement of Quebec.

For this he earned the title "Father of New France."

They befriended the Huron Indians and help them fight off the Iroquois (they became enemies of the French).

Iroquois became allies to the British.

Gov't of NF came under the direct control of the king, they had no popularly elected assemblies.

On valuable resource in NF was the millions of beavers.

NA suffered from their association with the French: debauchery by the alcohol, the weakening of their traditional way of life, decimation by diseases, and violation of their religious beliefs.

In pursuit of beaver, they ventured far.

French Catholic missionaries (Jesuits) attempted to convert the Indians, but they were not very successful.

Their major contribution was their efforts of exploration and geographers.

Antoine Cadillac founded Detroit in an attempt to keep the British out of the Ohio Valley.

In an attempt to check Spanish influence Robert de la Salle traveled down the Mississippi River.

Later forts were estab in Mississippi and Louisiana; with control of these areas, they would control the mouth of the Mississippi River.

During King William's War and Queen Anne's War, British colonist and France fur traders fought each other.

Each side recruited Indian allies.

The French and British gov't did not want to commit troops to the fighting so these early wars were notable for the use of primitive guerrilla warfare.

Fight ensued until the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, GB was rewarded with Acadia, Newfoundland and Hudson Bay.

Bibliography: notes from my teacher