Transcript Collision of Civilizations

Collision of Civilizations
French and British Colonialism
French settlement
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The first French settlement was developed
in Nova Scotia in 1605 in what was called
the “Habitation”. It was founded by two
men Pierre de Monts and Samuel de
Champlain.
Initial settlers were fur traders looking to
get rich and return to France
By the mid 1600s the French had explored
the Saint Lawrence River and determined
that there was no passage to the East
The towns of Quebec and Montreal
quickly developed as political and
economic centers for New France.
At its Highest point, there were only 70,000
people French in North America.
Part of reason for the slow growth was the
system of Mercantilism.
Mercantilism restricted the development of
finished goods and the reliance on primary
goods. (export furs – import glass ware,
etc.)
Mutual Reliance: Native –
European Alliances
• The first years of settlement were
harsh for the Europeans and they
suffered until the Natives taught
them how to survive the long and
harsh winters.
• For the Natives the assistance they
offered to the French as they were
given metal tools and weapons in
return.
• More importantly the natives were
able to get the French to assist
them to attack rival tribes.
• By the mid 18th century, the French had developed a strong
alliance with the Hurons based mainly in the Great Lakes
Region. They also had alliances with the Mi’kmaq and
Maliseet in the Atlantic Region.
• The colonial government relied on the natives to strengthen
their armies times of war and served as spies and scouts in
times of peace.
• Because the French were never successful in drawing settlers,
the alliance remained strong with the Huron peoples until
1763.
British Settlement
• The British settles in North
America in Virginia in 1607
• While there were initial set backs,
British settlers flocked to the New
World so that by the mid 1700s
there were almost 1.5 million
people living in the 13 Colonies
• As the colonies developed they
displaced the indigenous peoples
pushing them onto the French and
their native Allies.
• Over the 1700s, the British
developed an alliance with the
Iroquoian peoples and assisted
them in attacking and dispersing
the Huron.
Conflict
• The settlers in the 13 Colonies
were fiercely anti-Catholic and saw
New France as a constant threat to
their existence.
• For the French, the British settlers
encroached into their territory and
or tried to usurp them in the fur
trade.
• The Natives became pawns in the
larger struggle for Empire and
ultimately lost the most as each
successive war left them weaker
and unable to resist European
encroachment.
Britain Dominant
• As the American colonies
flourished the French government
decided to invest in protecting
their holdings in North America
• Under the guidance of Cardinal
Richelieu the French spared no
expense in 1713 for the
construction of a fortified town
that would protect the Saint
Lawrence Gulf and river. The
town was named in honor of the
king – Louisburg.
• The development of Louisburg
was seen as a direct threat to the
American colonists as it also
threatened shipping crossing the
Atlantic.
• In 1745 and 1758 the
British and American
Colonists besieged
the town forcing it to
surrender. At the end
of the second siege,
the British razed the
town so that it would
never be re-occupied.
• Between 1713 and
1763 the French
holdings in North
America were
whittled away in order
to preserve more
lucrative holdings in
the Caribbean. In
1759, the British
defeated the French
garrison at Quebec
ending French
Colonial rule in
North America.
The Most Foul of Deeds
• In 1754, the British and French
were unofficially at war.
• The British colonial
administration was nervous about
the loyalty of the majority French
population; the Acadians
• When the British capture Fort
Beauséjour in 1755, they
discovered among the defenders
some 200 Acadians and Mi’kmaq
warriors. It was the excuse they
needed
• The Lieutenant - Governor
Charles Lawrence took it upon
himself to disperse the Acadians
by force after they refuse to swear
allegiance to the British king.
• Troops round up 11,000 people
and take them to the American
colonies.
• The British government learned of
the expulsion after the fact but
decided to publicly support the
move.
Consolidation
• After 1763 the British move to
preserve the peace.
• Thousands of French Canadian
elites return to France.
(Seigneurs)
• The Proclamation of 1763
freezes colonial expansion in
the 13 Colonies and sets up
guarantees to preserve Native
lands.
• The Proclamation also
preserved the Catholic Church
(minus the Jesuits) in Quebec.
• The proclamation ended up
further eroding native society
and promoting American
Colonial sovereignty.
The Wars
• King William’s War (War of the Grand Alliance) 1688 – 1697
– France and their Native Allies attacked the Iroquois and
British. The British regained lost territory. The Iroquois
were abandoned and continued to fight.
• Queen Ann’s War (War of Spanish Succession) 1702 – 1713
– The British capture and keep Nova Scotia, French start
building Louisburg
• King George’s War (War of the Austrian Succession) 1744 –
1748
– British capture Louisburg
• French / Indian Wars (Seven Years War) 1756 – 1763
– Acadians Deported, Louisburg destroyed, Quebec captured,