The main economic activity of the French settlers in New France was fur trading. The French engaged significantly in the fur trade, particularly with Native American tribes, and they established trading posts and relationships with various tribes to facilitate this commerce. This economic focus on fur trading shaped the development and expansion of New France, as the demand for beaver pelts and other animal furs became a lucrative enterprise in Europe.
What was the main economic activity of the French settlers in New France.
A)By the 1600s, Spain, France, England, and the Netherlands all had colonies in North America. They fought—both in the colonies and around the world—to protect and advance their interests. Meanwhile, thousands of English settlers migrated to the new colonies on the east coast seeking economic opportunity or religious freedom.
England Gains the Middle Colonies
B)By the mid-1600s, the English and the Dutch had become rivals in global trade. This conflict spilled over into the colonies. In 1664, the English conquered New Netherland from the Dutch. They created the Middle Colonies—New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. William Penn founded the colony of Pennsylvania in 1681 for fellow Quakers and others seeking religious freedom.
C)Conflict Between Britain and France
The English also sought the lands controlled by the French. In the early 1700s, the English seized French territory along what is now Canada’s Atlantic coast. France still held most of New France, including Quebec and Louisiana. By 1750, British settlers began to push westward. Meanwhile, Britain became an ally of the Iroquois and other groups who were opposed to the French and their American Indian allies, the Huron.
Soon, the French and Indian War broke out between Britain and France. It lasted from 1754 to 1763. Eventually, the British defeated the French and won control of their land east of the Mississippi River.
D) Taxing the Colonies
Before the French and Indian War, the English colonies had largely been free to govern themselves. Attempts to tax the colonies had been limited. After the war, the British Parliament sought to make the colonists pay for the war’s expenses. Britain also moved to control colonial trade. Britain banned British settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, aiming to win the loyalty of American Indians in that region.
Britain’s actions angered colonists who wanted to move across the mountains. British attempts to tax and limit the freedom of the colonists also angered them. Colonial resistance only made the British crack down harder.
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