4.3 French, Dutch, and Swedish Colonies

Objectives: Discuss French colonization in North America. Investigate why the Dutch established New Netherland.

Review: 1. Who was the last Aztec emperor? 2. Who was the leader of the Spanish quest to conquer the Aztec? 3. Define conquistadors— 4. List some advantages of the conquistadors. 5. What were three motivations of the conquistadors? 6. What was the name of the Aztec capital city? 7. What was Cortés interested in finding in Tenochtitlán? 8. What disease wiped out thousands of Aztec people? 9. What city was built on the ruins of Tenochtitlán? 10. Who was the leader of the conquistadors who conquered the Inca of Peru? 11. Who was the Incan ruler?

12. Into what two parts did Spain divide its American empire? 13. Define borderlands— 14. Define viceroy— 15. Define pueblo— 16. Define mission— 17. Define presidio— 18. Define peninsulares— 19. Define creoles— 20. Define mestizos— 21. Who made up the bottom rung of society in New Spain? 22. What two things was Juan Ponce de León looking for in Florida? 23. What is the name of the oldest city in the United States started by Europeans? 24. Who claimed that Native Americans had told him of seven cities of gold in a land called Cibola? 25. Whose explorations of the American Southwest gave Spain a claim to the area? 26. Who explored much of the American Southeast, including the northwest portion of what is today the state of Mississippi, searching for the Seven Cities of Cibola? 27. Where was Hernando de Soto buried?

A. Establishing New France French fur companies hired Samuel de Champlain (the “Father of New France”) to lead the effort to settle North America. In 1608, Champlain established Quebec—the first permanent French settlement—near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. Only 8 of the first 24 settlers survived the first winter.

B. The French and Native Americans Champlain saw the importance of maintaining peace with the Native Americans. Unlike the Spaniards, most French settlers accepted their ways. Because of this attitude, some Native Americans became strong allies of the French.

C. The French Fur Trade The economy of New France was based on the fur trade. French fur trappers were known as coureurs de bois, or “runners of the woods.” The skins and pelts they traded were in great demand in Europe, where beaver hats were very popular.

D. Exploring the Mississippi A trader, Louis Joliet, and a Catholic priest, Father Jacques Marquette, traveled more than 1,000 miles down the Mississippi in the mistaken belief that it was the Northwest Passage. Ten years later, Robert de La Salle followed the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. La Salle claimed all the lands of the Mississippi Valley for France, naming it Louisiana in honor of King Louis XIV.

E. Attracting French Settlers New France encompassed Acadia (Newfoundland region), Canada, and Louisiana. The French built settlements that later became today’s cities of Detroit, St. Louis, and New Orleans. A chain of forts connecting Louisiana with Canada discouraged invaders from other European nations.

F. Dutch and Swedish Settlements In 1609 an English sailor named Henry Hudson led the earliest Dutch explorations of North America. The Dutch established a fur-trading settlement called New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island, and eventually set up a colony they called New Netherland. Sweden established a colony just south of New Netherland.

Review: 28. Who was hired by French fur companies to lead the settlement of America? 29. What was Champlain known as? 30. What was the name of the first permanent French settlement in the Americas? 31. Describe French relations with Native Americans. 32. Define coureur de bois— 33. What was the economy of New France based on? 34. Which pair of French explorers floated down part of the Mississippi River in search of a route to the Pacific Ocean? 35. Whose expedition reached the mouth of the Mississippi River? 36. What did La Salle name the Mississippi Valley and why? 37. List three present-day U.S. cities that stand on the sites of earlier French trading posts. 38. Which English sailor led the earliest Dutch explorations of North America? 39. What settlement did the Dutch establish on Manhattan Island (present-day New York City)? 40. Which European nation established a settlement south of the Dutch colony of New Netherland?