A Brief History of the United StatesMcMaster, John Bach
History
A Brief History of the United States
McMaster, John Bach
United States -- History
[10] Thirty-one years later another outbreak occurred, and for months
burning and scalping went on along the border, till the Indians were
beaten by the men under Nathaniel Bacon (p. 94).
[11] Read Fiske's _Beginnings of New England_, pp. 128-133, 211-226,
235-236.
[12] Read Fiske's _Dutch and Quaker Colonies_, Vol. I, pp. 177-180,
183-188.
[13] Read Fiske's _Old Virginia and her Neighbours_, Vol. II, pp. 298-304.
CHAPTER IX
THE FRENCH IN AMERICA
While English, Dutch, and Swedes were settling on the Atlantic seaboard of
North America, the French took possession of the St. Lawrence, the Great
Lakes, and the Mississippi. Though the attempt of Cartier to plant a
colony on the St. Lawrence failed (p. 30), the French never lost interest
in that part of the world, and new attempts were made to plant colonies.
[Illustration: CANADA (NEW FRANCE) AND ACADIA.]
THE FRENCH IN NOVA SCOTIA.--All failed till De Monts (d'mawng) and
Champlain (sham-plan') [1] came over in 1604 with two shiploads of
colonists. Some landed on the shore of what is now Nova Scotia and founded
Port Royal. The others, led by De Monts, explored the Bay of Fundy, and on
an island at the mouth of a river planted a colony called St. Croix. The
name St. Croix (croy) in time was given to the river which is now part of
the eastern boundary of Maine. One winter in that climate was enough, and
in the spring (1605) the coast from Maine to Massachusetts was explored in
search of a better site for the colony. None suited, and, returning to St.
Croix, De Monts moved the settlers to Port Royal.
QUEBEC FOUNDED.--This too was abandoned for a time, and in 1607 the
colonists were back in France. Champlain, however, longed to be again in
the New World, and soon persuaded De Monts once more to attempt
colonization. In 1608, therefore, Champlain with two ships sailed up the
St. Lawrence and founded Quebec. Here, as was so often the case, the first
winter was a struggle for life; when spring came, only eight of the
colonists were alive. But help soon reached them, and France at last had
secured a permanent foothold in America. The drainage basin of the St.
Lawrence was called New France (or Canada); the lands near Port Royal
became another French colony, called Acadia.
EXPLORATION OF NEW FRANCE.--Champlain at once made friends with the
Indians, and in 1609 went with a party of Hurons to help fight their
enemies, the Iroquois Indians who dwelt in central New York. [2] The way
was up the St. Lawrence and up a branch of that river to the lake which
now bears the name of Champlain. On its western shore the expected fight
took place, and a victory, due to the fire-arms of Champlain and his
companions, was won for the Hurons. [3] Later Champlain explored the
Ottawa River, saw the waters of Lake Huron, and crossed Lake Ontario. But
the real work of French discovery and exploration in the interior was done
by Catholic priests and missionaries.
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