France

American Colonial American Colonial Empires: FranceEmpires: France

David RobargeDavid Robarge

HIST 140HIST 140

American Colonies Chapter 5: American Colonies Chapter 5: Canada and IroquoisCanada and Iroquois

JesuitsJesuits

The French wanted to convert the Indians The French wanted to convert the Indians in New France to Christianity to make them in New France to Christianity to make them more dependable as trading partnersmore dependable as trading partners

The fur trade and the missionary system The fur trade and the missionary system often had conflicting points of interest, but often had conflicting points of interest, but both systems had to be pacified to keep both systems had to be pacified to keep peace between the French and nativespeace between the French and natives

Many Indians resented the missionaries and Many Indians resented the missionaries and desired trade insteaddesired trade instead

The first mission to convert the natives in The first mission to convert the natives in Canada was in 1615, but after 10 years Canada was in 1615, but after 10 years only 50 natives were convertedonly 50 natives were converted

Later, priests arrived in Indian villages to Later, priests arrived in Indian villages to build churches, but the Indians were more build churches, but the Indians were more impressed by the supernatural power of the impressed by the supernatural power of the priests than the Christian messagepriests than the Christian message

In order to retain trade with the French, the In order to retain trade with the French, the Indians continued to put up with the JesuitsIndians continued to put up with the Jesuits

American Colonies Chapter 5: American Colonies Chapter 5: Canada and IroquoisCanada and Iroquois

Iroquois WarfareIroquois Warfare

During the 1640s and 1650s, large During the 1640s and 1650s, large scale fighting between Iroquois scale fighting between Iroquois tribes escalatedtribes escalated

Guns allowed Indians to increase Guns allowed Indians to increase their attack power, while the their attack power, while the diseases the French brought diseases the French brought increased the amount of deathsincreased the amount of deaths

The Hurons and Iroquois were The Hurons and Iroquois were competing tribes, and the French competing tribes, and the French trade increased competition and trade increased competition and their aggression towards each their aggression towards each otherother

The Iroquois sought captives to The Iroquois sought captives to replace the people they lost in the replace the people they lost in the wars and diseaseswars and diseases

American Colonies Chapter 5: American Colonies Chapter 5: Canada and IroquoisCanada and Iroquois

Mourning WarsMourning Wars

The Five Nations Iroquois were a The Five Nations Iroquois were a powerful tribe, outmatching most powerful tribe, outmatching most other Canadian tribesother Canadian tribes

The Iroquois could raid from long The Iroquois could raid from long distance and in great forcedistance and in great force

The Iroquois had a tradition of The Iroquois had a tradition of capturing people to be a part of their capturing people to be a part of their tribe, to replace the dead which were tribe, to replace the dead which were seen as a negative impact on the seen as a negative impact on the strength of the tribestrength of the tribe

Wars conducted to capture prisoners Wars conducted to capture prisoners from Iroquois enemies were called from Iroquois enemies were called “mourning wars”“mourning wars”

Women and children were most Women and children were most sought after for captives, and men sought after for captives, and men were usually tortured to death, and were usually tortured to death, and then eaten by the entire village in then eaten by the entire village in order to absorb his powerorder to absorb his power

American Colonies Chapter 5: American Colonies Chapter 5: Canada and IroquoisCanada and Iroquois

The Fur TradeThe Fur Trade Europeans offered the Indians Europeans offered the Indians

manufactured goods, such as manufactured goods, such as beads, kettles and knives in beads, kettles and knives in exchange for valuable fursexchange for valuable furs

Europeans desired the furs in Europeans desired the furs in Europe because of overhunting Europe because of overhunting there, making furs scarce – furs there, making furs scarce – furs were also valuable because the were also valuable because the Indians provided the labor of Indians provided the labor of hunting the animalshunting the animals

Indians desired metal and beads Indians desired metal and beads from Europeans because they from Europeans because they believed shiny objects to be believed shiny objects to be possessed with more spiritual possessed with more spiritual power than other objectspower than other objects

Alcohol was also a valuable Alcohol was also a valuable trading chip, as the Indians trading chip, as the Indians would use it as an easier would use it as an easier method of obtaining a spiritual method of obtaining a spiritual trancetrance

American Colonies Chapter 16: American Colonies Chapter 16: French AmericaFrench AmericaLoss of a ColonyLoss of a Colony

In 1629, 3 British privateers sacked the In 1629, 3 British privateers sacked the French colony of Quebec, due to its French colony of Quebec, due to its small population of only 85 colonistssmall population of only 85 colonists

The French had kept inhabitants of the The French had kept inhabitants of the colony to a minimum to maximize profits colony to a minimum to maximize profits and reduce competition of the fur tradeand reduce competition of the fur trade

To inhibit any further losses, the French To inhibit any further losses, the French royalty hired “seigneurs” who were royalty hired “seigneurs” who were tasked at finding new colonists to tasked at finding new colonists to protect the French Canadian settlementprotect the French Canadian settlement

However, the British still had far more However, the British still had far more people in their colonies and the French people in their colonies and the French royalty took control of New France in royalty took control of New France in 16631663

The problem of few immigrants to New The problem of few immigrants to New France was that French peasantry France was that French peasantry feared the unknownfeared the unknown

American Colonies Chapter 16: American Colonies Chapter 16: French AmericaFrench America

New Lives in CanadaNew Lives in Canada Canadian immigrants often Canadian immigrants often

led better lives than led better lives than peasants in France, owning peasants in France, owning much larger plots of lands, much larger plots of lands, paying no taxes and living paying no taxes and living in relative freedom while in relative freedom while owning their own houses owning their own houses and eating better foodand eating better food

The immigrants adapted to The immigrants adapted to the cold climates and held the cold climates and held festivities and used horse festivities and used horse drawn sleighsdrawn sleighs

Due to the climate, Canada Due to the climate, Canada did not facilitate big did not facilitate big business and encouraged business and encouraged smart use of resourcessmart use of resources

American Colonies Chapter 16: American Colonies Chapter 16: French AmericaFrench America

Development of LouisianaDevelopment of Louisiana During the 1670s and 1680s During the 1670s and 1680s

the French explored the the French explored the Mississippi riverMississippi river

The French wanted to extend The French wanted to extend trading posts from Canada to trading posts from Canada to Louisiana to control America Louisiana to control America West of the MississippiWest of the Mississippi

During this period, missionary During this period, missionary activity was put in the activity was put in the backburner and trade backburner and trade relations were formed with relations were formed with nativesnatives

To inspire development of the To inspire development of the Mississippi colony, France Mississippi colony, France made the Company of the made the Company of the Indies ruler of the colony to Indies ruler of the colony to instigate growth of tobacco instigate growth of tobacco and indigoand indigo

American Colonies Chapter 16: American Colonies Chapter 16: French AmericaFrench America

Difficulties in LouisianaDifficulties in Louisiana France sought volunteers to colonize France sought volunteers to colonize

Louisiana, and many outcasts such as Louisiana, and many outcasts such as thieves and prostitutes were sent thieves and prostitutes were sent because of the unwillingness of the because of the unwillingness of the French peasantryFrench peasantry

The environment made Louisiana a The environment made Louisiana a difficult place to settle; the vegetation difficult place to settle; the vegetation was dense, swampy, promoted disease was dense, swampy, promoted disease and had harsh temperature shiftsand had harsh temperature shifts

By 1731, one third of the immigrants By 1731, one third of the immigrants sent to Louisiana were still alivesent to Louisiana were still alive

It was difficult for Louisiana to make It was difficult for Louisiana to make profitable exports, because shipping profitable exports, because shipping was dangerous and expensive, and was dangerous and expensive, and Louisianan tobacco and indigo was Louisianan tobacco and indigo was inferior to that of Franceinferior to that of France

In addition, the government was In addition, the government was corrupt, misusing funds and smuggled corrupt, misusing funds and smuggled to Spanish coloniesto Spanish colonies