The Influence of the French and English In North America

Imperialism is a policy that one country uses to dominate other regions of the world. Ultimately, a colony is set up to exert control over the culture, the economy and the development of the existing culture.

A colony supplies other parts of the world with natural resources that can be converted to manufactured goods. An example would be beaver pelts that were obtained cheaply and then, after being shipped to Europe, were sold as expensive felt hats.

Obtaining cheap, natural resources and converting them to expensive, profitable goods is an economic theory known as mercantilism. Monopolies were set up with certain people that gave them special economic rights that others did not get. This made it possible for company owners to get rich quickly.

The British were focused on establishing farms. To do this they needed to remove the First Nations and viewed them as obstacles. The French viewed the First nations as infidels that required conversion to Catholicism. They also felt they could use the First Nations to help them get cheap resources like furs.

1608 – Founding of Quebec Hudson’s Bay Company 1713 – Treaty of Utrecht: The Spanish War of Succession (Borders and power changed hands in Europe, Africa and North America) 1756 – 1763 – Seven Years War (French and British fought a war in all of their territories all over the world) 1759 – Britain capture Quebec 1763 – Treaty of Paris (New France becomes a British Colony)

This colony had very little population and was used primarily for trading with First Nations. Unlike the French, the British had no desire to go and pursue trades but preferred to stay at their forts and let the First Nations come to them.

First Nations tribes created alliances against one another in an effort to ‘get ahead’ in the fur trade. The Haudenosaunee and the Huron, for example, had years of war in an effort to gain the upper hand. The lack of a developed immune system also created problems. Small Pox, Measles and Tuberculosis decimated large populations of people.

Clergy (The Church) – provided moral leadership, schools, hospitals and, orphanages. The Governor represented the King and was in charge of the military. He also dealt with trade with the First Nations. Habitants and Seigneurs – They lived in a feudal society.

Coureur de bois – ‘runner of the woods’ – worked for themselves to gather furs and sell them to whomever would take them. Voyageur – ‘traveler’ – traveled between Montreal and the western frontier to trade furs for New France.

YearNew FranceThirteen Colonies

The thirteen colonies became attractive for newcomers because: Economic opportunity – free land to grow crops and make money. Tobacco was becoming very valuable in Europe. Competition – The British King encouraged settlers to move to the new world to prevent the Spanish and the French from moving in on their territory. Quality of Life – Cities in England were becoming very crowded and dirty. Religious Freedom – Quakers, Puritans, and Baptists were persecuted in England. In North America they were allowed freedom.

The colonies developed corn, fruit, tobacco, iron-ore, lumber, furs and grains for England. England used the natural resources to make money and then shipped cloth, furniture, weapons, pots and pans to the new world.