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The French in North America ChapterChapter 22 France Expands Its Empire J acques Cartier’s settlement o...

The French in North America ChapterChapter 22 France Expands Its Empire J acques Cartier’s settlement on the St. Lawrence River had failed, but the French did not forget about North America be the most powerful ruler in Europe. To reach his goal, he needed to expand France’s colonial empire. Resources from completely. Fishing fleets still came to the the colonies would give France a military North Atlantic each year. Fur advantage over its imperial rivals. Focus traders still came to trade with The king knew that a colony so far How were the first First Nations trappers. In this from home would be expensive for him to permanent French section, you’ll learn how France build and support. So he decided to let colonies established began to build North American someone else pay for it. The king granted a in North America? colonies at Acadia and Québec. trade monopoly to a group of merchants. You’ll see why the explorer This meant that only the merchants within Champlain and some First Nations the group would be allowed to trade for furs forged alliances, and you’ll investigate the in the colony. In return, the merchants impact these alliances had on the colonies. agreed to build settlements in North America and find French citizens to live in them. The French Return By the early 1600s, the demand for furs in Europe was growing. The French king, Louis The French in Acadia XIII, decided that France should build a In 1604, a French noble named Pierre de colony in North America. Then they would Monts received a monopoly. He sailed to have access to the abundant supply of furs. North America to set up a colony. He took a Another reason the French returned to map-maker and explorer named Samuel de North America was that Louis XIII wanted to Champlain with him. In the spring of 1605, de Monts established a settlement at Port Royal on the Bay of Fundy. The French called the area Acadia. It was from the Greek word Arcadia, meaning “an earthly paradise.” At first, the Mi’kmaq who lived there did not object to the newcomers. The French did not interfere with their fishing and hunting activities, and the Mi’kmaq welcomed the chance to trade their furs for metal goods and blankets. The Mi’kmaq were willing to share the land as long as they had access to it. In time, more and more French people Figure 2.7 A re-creation of Port Royal in Acadia. The early French came to Acadia. Although life was hard, it colonists in North America built forts called habitations. What do you think it would have been like living in such a place at that was no harder than it had been back in time? What type of person do you think would have been willing to France. Acadia offered poor farmers from take on the challenge of colonization? France an opportunity to make a new start. 39 VOICES VOICES AND VISIONS AND VISIONS A Story of Canada Tech Link You can see a video re-enactment of the hard work of the wood artisans who helped build New France. Just Figure 2.8 Locations of French settlements and exploration routes. From the east, ships from open Chapter 2 on France could bring supplies to Québec. From the west, canoes could travel from the interior, bringing furs. As a result of the fur trade, strong partnerships developed between the First your Voices and Nations and the French. Why was water transportation so important in those days? Visions CD-ROM. The colonists spread out along the shores of Figure 2.8 shows. However, living conditions the Bay of Fundy. They survived through were far from ideal for the colonists. During farming, fishing, and hunting. These French their first winter, 20 of the 28 newcomers pioneers formed a unique community and died due to the weather and lack of food. culture. They were the first Acadians. The Founding of Québec Port Royal was a long way from the centre of the fur trade, so de Monts and Tech Link Champlain decided to move to the The Voices and St. Lawrence River. They chose a Visions CD-ROM site near Stadacona, where Jacques contains an image Cartier had built a fort many years of the original earlier. plan for Québec. The French colonists called Figure 2.9 Annual temperatures and precipitation Look at the image, their settlement Québec. The name in Paris, France, and Québec. The lines show and explain how came from an Algonquin [al- temperature while the bars show precipitation. security issues GONG-kwin] word meaning “the Compare these two graphs. How do they explain influenced the plan. place where the river narrows.” It one of the reasons why Champlain and his men was an ideal place to trade furs, as had such a difficult time surviving in New France? 40 The French in North America ChapterChapter 22 ography BiBiography Samuel de Champlain (1567–1635) the Wendat, Champlain fuelled a conflict that would last for another 100 years. It would make Samuel de Champlain worked to build the life insecure and unstable for all sides. colony at Québec and to develop the fur trade. Champlain died at Québec on Christmas He lived in Québec for 27 years. During that Day in 1635. At that time, Québec was still a time, he returned to France eight times to struggling settlement with just a few dozen persuade the king to send more French colonists people. In time, though, the colony began to and to provide greater support for the settlement. flourish. Champlain came to be known as the At the same time, Champlain built alliances founder of New France. with the Montagnais [MON-tun-yay] and Algonquin First Nations. He travelled the rivers into the interior. When he reached the Great Lakes, he established a friendship with the Wendat [WAH-n-dot] (also known as Huron) who lived in what is now Central Ontario. Champlain wanted to trade with the Wendat. He agreed to fight with them against their enemies, the Haudenosaunee. The French and the Haudenosaunee had been enemies since Figure 2.10 A self-portrait by Champlain. This is the only picture of Champlain that dates from his lifetime. Jacques Cartier’s encounter with them years It shows him firing his gun at a group of before. The two First Nations raided one another Haudenosaunee during a battle. Is this a primary to obtain furs and to take revenge for relatives source image or a secondary source image? Give who had died in earlier conflicts. By siding with reasons for your choice. ▲ Think It 1. Examine the painting at the beginning of b) Write one of the following letters: this chapter (pages 30–31). It shows early Imagine you are Samuel de Through Acadians. Describe the details of the scene Champlain. Write a letter to the king to get a better idea of the Acadian way of of France asking him to send more life. Consider clothing, tools, farming colonists to Québec. techniques, roles of men/women, and so on. Imagine you are the king. Write a 2. a) Working in a small group, brainstorm a letter to Champlain explaining why list of challenges the French faced as you cannot fulfill his request. they tried to build the colonies. Prepare 3. Create a chart like the one below in which a list of arguments to justify France you outline both the positive and negative spending more money on the colony. economic aspects of the colonies from the Then prepare a list of arguments to perspective of each of the people listed. justify France not spending more money. Positive Negative The king A French colonist A First Nations person 41 VOICES VOICES AND VISIONS AND VISIONS A Story of Canada Exploring Deeper into the Continent A side from the official explorers, the first people to leave the settlements of New France and begin roaming the countryside were the coureurs de bois (in English, “runners of the woods”). In this section, you’ll investigate Focus how these adventurers and the First What did the Nations built the fur trade. You’ll early French see why they pushed farther west explorers in New and south into the continent. As France achieve? you read about their explorations, you’ll analyze how European ideas of land ownership caused conflict between them and the First Nations peoples. Figure 2.11 An artist’s portrayal of a coureur de The Coureurs de Bois bois. Many of these adventurers married First Nations women and had families. Their children The coureurs de bois were a unique group of were the Métis. The Métis learned both French and adventurers. They lived for long periods First Nations languages from their parents. They among the First Nations. In fact, many also learned the customs and ways of life of both coureurs de bois married First Nations peoples. What effect do you think these families women, and these couples became parents might have had on the fur trade? to the first Métis [may-TEE]. The coureurs de bois learned to speak the First Nations’ cultural exchange. Brûlé went to live with the languages and how to build birchbark Wendat. A young Wendat man named canoes. They also learned many of the other Savignon went to live in France. skills they needed to survive in the woods. Brûlé wanted to learn as much as Many of the young French men who possible about the Wendat. During his years became coureurs de bois were lured into the living with them, he gained an appreciation fur trade by the promise of adventure, for the Wendat way of life. He learned to freedom, and money. Their main interest was speak their language. He practised their fur trapping, but they also acted as guides customs. Brûlé travelled with the Wendat and interpreters for the French traders. In this hunters and came to know their territory. He way, they were responsible for much of the was the first European to travel up the early European exploration of the continent. Ottawa River and into Georgian Bay. Things did not go as well for Savignon in France. He learned to speak French, but he Cultural Exchange... was eager to return to North America. When Even Then he did, Savignon described France as a place A young French colonist named Étienne where children were treated badly. He Brûlé was one of the first coureurs de bois. In described beggars living in the streets, 1610, the French and the Wendat agreed to a arguing loudly with one another. 42 The French in North America ChapterChapter 22 Expanding West to New France in 1650 as a boy. When he was a teenager, a group of Mohawk took him to Two of the most adventurous coureurs de their home and adopted him into their family. bois were Pierre Radisson and his brother-in- For two years, Radisson lived among the law, the Sieur des Groseilliers. Radisson came Mohawk before deciding to return to Québec. During the time he lived with the Mohawk, Radisson learned to speak their language and survive in the woods. It seemed only natural that he would become a coureur de bois. In 1659, he joined des Groseilliers on a trading trip. It took them deep inland to the far end of Lake Superior. No Europeans had ever been there before. Everywhere they went, the First Nations people welcomed them. Their knowledge of the fur country grew. As they travelled, they gave French names to some of the settlements, lakes, rivers, mountains, and other landforms they Figure 2.12 A painting of Radisson and des Groseilliers (Radisson encountered. In this way, they claimed these is standing), by Frederick Remington, 1905. Because the coureurs lands for France. de bois lived with First Nations peoples, each side learned about In 1670, Radisson and des Groseilliers the other’s culture. How can this type of cultural exchange affect travelled to Hudson Bay because First Nations the relationship between peoples? people had told them the land was rich in fur-bearing animals. Later the same year, a fur-trading business called the Hudson’s Bay Company was founded as a result of the accomplishments of these two explorers. Visuals, such as photos, diagrams, and maps, often help us better understand the text we are reading. For the section of text on the next page titled “Expanding South,” use the map in Figure 2.13 to see the route the explorers took and the land they claimed. Figure 2.13 New France at its largest extent. Some people believe that New France grew too large too quickly and that this was a disadvantage to the French colony. Look at the map. What problems do you think the size of the colony posed? 43 VOICES VOICES AND VISIONS AND VISIONS A Story of Canada Expanding South [] Different Perspectives For many years, the French heard the First about Land ] Nations talk about a mighty river beyond the Like people from the other imperial Great Lakes that flowed into the south. In the countries of Europe, the French claimed Cree (Nehiyawak [nay-HI-uh-wuk]) language, “ownership” of the territories they explored. the river was called the Mississippi—the “big They did not discuss land ownership with river.” In 1672, the king of France sent two the First Nations or Inuit. They did not explorers, Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, understand that the First Nations had a to find out where this mysterious river different idea about land. Although a First flowed. Would it take them south to the Gulf Nation granted certain bands or families the of Mexico or west to the Pacific Ocean? right to hunt and fish in a territory, no one After several weeks of canoeing, they owned land privately. First Nations believed learned that there was a Spanish colony only land was to be shared by everyone. a few days’ journey away. Worried that the While France claimed a vast territory, Spanish might take them hostage, Jolliet and most colonists remained clustered along the Marquette turned back. They had travelled a St. Lawrence River. First Nations people long way and learned that the river emptied lived in other parts of the colony. To gain into the Gulf of Mexico. But they still had not control of the territory, France needed more reached the mouth of the mighty Mississippi. colonists. It wasn’t easy to persuade people In 1682, a French fur trader named to come to New France, though. The climate René Robert Cavelier de la Salle finally was much colder than it was in France. reached the mouth of the Mississippi River at Also, it was hard to start a farm in the the Gulf of Mexico. Due to his expedition, wilderness. As a result, the population in France claimed ownership of all of the the colony grew slowly. Mississippi country. They called it Louisiana, after the French king Louis XIV. ▲ Think It 1. a) Make a colourful poster to show the people to occupy it. accomplishments of a French explorer. a) Come up with at least two possible Through Your poster should include solutions to this problem. Create a images of the explorer table to show the advantages and a map(s) and/or photos showing the disadvantages of each solution. areas explored b) Choose the solution you feel is the best an explanation of the challenges one. Explain your choice. faced and the person’s contributions 3. Outline in writing, orally, or using a visual to the growth of the colony illustration the differing perspectives that any other biographical information the First Nations and the Europeans had you can find at the library or online on the idea of land ownership. b) In your opinion, how important was this 4. Why do you think the First Nations helped person’s exploration to the future the French survive in the wilderness? Write development of Canada? a scenario predicting what might have 2. The French claimed a great deal of land in happened if the First Nations had not North America, but there were not enough helped the French. 44