Jacques Cartier: The Colonization Of New France

The French started colonizing in the early 1500s, by the order of King Francis I to explore North America. King Francis I, had an explorer by the name of Jacques Cartier to explore the St. Lawrence River and the coast of the Newfoundland. Jacques Cartier founded New France by plotting a cross on the shore of the Gaspe Peninsula. The French at that time unsuccessfully tried to establish several colonies throughout North America that failed, because of high rate of diseases such as Smallpox’s, Typhus, Measles, and influenza and many others. Which killed in record numbers, weather, and or conflict with other European powers during the religious movement known as the Reformation. At this time, many citizens of France and other European nations

Spain had become the richest country in Europe due to the discovering of gold and silver in the America’s. France wanted to gain European domination over Spain and went on a quest to top the wealth of the Spanish by finding unexplored territory the discovery more wealth. France knew that the country that was the wealthiest is the country that held the advantage of power. The French felt that their colonies to be as successful as it could there would have to be natural means of supplies also valuable resources that are not only important but useful to the people. When the French started to explore the America’s, they found value in natural raw materials, Fur Trade, Fisheries, whaling and most importantly Sugar. Besides France branching out to gain natural resources but they wanted to expand their territory and continue to increase their religious beliefs onto the Native Indians. They decided settled in places like Canada, along the Gulf Coast, and the Mississippi Valley. Among the settlers of New France were Indentured Servants, it is important to state that not all of the servants where of the African decent, the government would pay their way to the New World requiring that they give two to three years of work in return. Which wasn’t easy work and working conditions where not pleasant. Many of these settlers did not intend to stay permanently in the New World, they just wanted to come for a brief period of time. The

Pushing then further North and West. If the French wanted power they would have done as the Spanish and stored their riches and stock piled. New France could have flourished in the New World although there main concern with them would have took their gold and cached it. Although freedom to practice their religious faith was a major factor in the French setting sail to the New World it was not the only reason. The French in the New World decided to trade with the Native Indians tribes in the area for fishes off the coast and for fur. The French was looking to populate their Newfoundland but most didn’t want to settle or colonies there because of the laws, rules where unpredictable. If they did colonize it was rewarded by allowing those French who did to have proceeds from some of the post that traded fur. Things changed when Cardinal Richelieu took charge he turned it over to a government company that was sponsored by New France. That company failed at its responsibilities to build wealth. When King Louis XIV came into power of New France in 1663 he managed to be successful but could not obtain wealth or growth like New Spain and the British