The French and the Northern Frontier PDF

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The French and the Northern Frontier Native Northeast -Huron Nation -Agriculture and trade; longhouses -Iroquois Confederacy: 5, later 6, tribes -Sophisticated political structures -Bitter rivalry Huron women maintained bloodlines and carried much more power than European women at this time. Huron and Iroquois very bitter rivals who wanted control of this NE Great Lakes region. French wanted to make alliances with these native peoples. Very big difference from Spanish approach to natives. Both were sedentary cultures that didn’t move. Early French Exploration -Motivation and method -Trade, Conversion; “middle ground” -Grand Banks: Cod! -Mi’kmaq (Nova Scotia) -Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot): 1497 -Jaques Cartier, “Northwest Passage.” -St. Lawrence River Cod was a really big deal for France, they loved that shit. St. Lawrence was a big deal cause it was a direct route from Atlantic to the Great Lakes. French had to do much negotiation to gain control of areas formerly controlled by varying tribes. Nearly all early settlements were based near water. French Settlements in the North -1605: Samuel de Champlian, Acadia. -1608: Founded Quebec -1627: Seigniorial system -Slow Growth -Bitter Winters -Lack of funding -Isolation, poor transportation -Catholics only! -1663-1373: Les Filles du Roi New France was very difficult to grow, struggled behind the Spanish and British colonies already in the area. The difference in climate made agriculture very difficult as well as basic day to day life. French government not very interested in supporting as New France was really only seen by them as a place for basic resources rather than colonization. Protestants were not allowed to settle in New France which limited how many people would show up. Water ways were nearly the only mode of transportation which would freeze during winter. Many young women were sent to New France in hopes of increasing population, most of the women hated the place so the entire scheme had a very small impact.1600: 15,000 French; 92,000 English were living in America. Biggest point of a lot of this is how far behind the French were behind the other major

colonizing countries. Trade on the Northern Frontier -Hudson Bay Company (1670) (Fur trade) -Exchange of goods: communities became intertwined -Coureurs de Bois; voyageur -Marriage a la façon du pays -Metis -“Beaver Wars” Beaver fur was by far the most popular animal to have, waterproof fur. European goods were eventually traded to Indians for their goods which cemented the alliances with the French and the Huron. All of this trade created a large industry. Huron culture was transformed because of European goods. Coureurs de Bois were responsible for distributing European goods for French companies. They lived as wilderness men who spent much of their lives in the woods Very hard job/life. Native woman and frenchmen would get married without a priest. Women played a pivotal role in helping with the fur trade as they commonly prepared the hides. Jesuit Missions -“Black Robes” -Mixed religious traditions -Education: Marie de I’Incarnation -Conflicting social values -Disease Contrasting from the Spanish, the Jesuits tried to blend christian beliefs with Indian cultures. They had other varying beliefs than common catholics. Lots of conflict between churches and New French cultures. Especially when it came to Voyageurs and Women in power....