France took the lead in colonizing the Upper Midwest region. From the

Question

early sixteenth century on, French soldiers, missionaries and fur traders
left their slight mark upon the St. Lawrence valley, the upper Great Lakes
and points west. For the early French explorers, the more continent they
discovered the more their hopes were frustrated. They had hoped that
the vast St. Lawrence-Great Lakes waterway was part of a Northwest
Passage to the wealth of the Orient. The French presence was asserted
by a network of forts, trading posts and missions dotting the lake and
river routes traversing the continental interior. —Library of Congress
Use the passage to answer the question.
Based on your text and this reading, why was land near water so
important for French settlers?
(1 point)
Settlers relied on water routes for transportation
Settlers used water routes to hunt for food
Settlers continued to look for a Northwest Passage Across the

Answer 1

Settlers relied on water routes for transportation.