France and the Netherlands in North America Chapter 2 Section 4

New France Samuel de Champlain – In 1603, Champlain made the first of 11 voyages to explore and map the lands along the St. Lawrence River. Champlain established a settlement on the banks of the St. Lawrence, which he named Quebec. In 1609, he explored the large lake on the border of present-day Vermont and New York that bears his name. His activities gave the French an influence in the region that lasted 150 years.

Life in New France The French Colony, New France, developed in quite different ways than New Spain. In New Spain, the Spanish looked for gold, silver, and precious minerals. In New France, the French profited from fish and furs. The French traded for animals skins from the Native Americans because they were highly valued in Europe. On the other hand, the Spanish forced the NA into harsh labor.

Trading Posts Champlain established a trading post in what is now Nova Scotia for the French. He convinced local Indians to bring pelts to the trading posts established by the French. Trading Posts such as Quebec City and Montreal became busy centers of commerce.

Coureurs de bois Brave employees of the fur companies paddled large canoes into the wilderness to find and acquire pelts for Native Americans. Coureurs de bois, the French term for “runners of the woods,” were independent traders who lived among the Native Americans. Many married Native American women and started families.

Farming in New France In the late 1600s, large numbers of French colonists began to farm. One reason for this is because the fur markets in Europe began to decline. Another is that Indian wars disrupted the fur trade. Finally, King Louis XIV sent many new settlers to New France including young single women. By 1672, the population of New France was up to approximately 5000 colonists.

Exploring the Mississippi By 1670, a French missionary, Jacques Marquette, had founded two missions along the Great Lakes, in present-day Michigan. In 1673, Father Marquette and Louis Joliet, a French Canadian trader, paddled along the shores of Lake Michigan to what is now Green Bay, Wisconsin. They made their way west until they reached the Mississippi River.

La Salle For the next month, Marquette and Joliet followed the Mississippi downstream thinking they had found the Northwest Passage. Although they were wrong, Marquette and Joliet did discover a water route into the heart of North Americas. The river’s exploration was completed in 1682 by Rene Robert Cavelier, also known as La Salle. Reaching the river’s mouth at the Gulf of Mexico, La Salle claimed the Mississippi Valley for France and named the region Louisiana in honor of King Louis XIV.

New Netherlands Dutch claims in North America were based on Henry Hudson’s exploration of the Hudson River. In 1610, Dutch traders arrived in the Hudson River Valley and began a busy trade with Native Americans. The trade was so profitable that the Dutch West India Company decided to establish a permanent colony in what the Dutch called New Netherlands.

Albany and New Amsterdam In 1624, about 300 settlers arrived from the Netherlands. Most of them settled at Fort Orange, a fur trading post that was later renamed Albany. In 1626, another group settled at the mouth of the Hudson River. The colony’s governor, Peter Minuit, purchased the island from nearby Native Americans. The colonists named their new home New Amsterdam.

New York New Netherland was a barrier to the English. It kept English settlers from moving westward. In 1664, English forces seized New Netherland and renamed the territory New York after the king’s brother the Duke of York.

The Impact on Native Americans Native Americans provided the French and Dutch with fur pelts. In exchange the Europeans gave Native Americans manufactured goods, such as cloth, iron pots, tools, and guns. Ultimately, the fur trade had a grave effect on Native Americans.

Native Americans cont. The French and Dutch each made alliances with Native Americans. An alliance is an agreement between parties that benefit them both. The Huron and the Iroquois were long time enemies. The Huron became partners with the French and the Dutch had an agreement with the Iroquois.

Negative Impact on Native Americans The Huron were devastated by the Iroquois’ attacks because the Iroquois used guns they received from the Dutch. Even worse, were the diseases caused by contact with Europeans. Furthermore, the over-trapping of animals weakened the food chain which the Native Americans depended on. As the fur-bearing animals decreased, so did the Native Americans’ value to the colonists. The colonists valued the Native Americans’ land more than the Native American people.