French and British Colonies in North America: Key Terms & Events

French established colonies in North America

The French presence in North America was characterized by a bitter rivalry with Great Britain and France's desire to challenge English dominance in the Caribbean, Canada, and the region west of the Appalachian Mountains.

Catholic settlements

The French presence in North America was explicitly tied to Catholic settlements, distinguishing them from the Protestant British. In 1627, the French government decreed that only Catholics could live in New France.

Appalachian Mountains

This geographical feature is mentioned as a boundary to the west of the British settlements and a region where France sought to challenge English dominance.

New France

This term refers to the French colonial territory in North America. Its actual settlement began in 1605. New France was governed by trading companies on behalf of Champlain until his death in 1635, with the French government encouraging trade and supporting companies like the Company of New France.

Samuel de Champlain

Known as the 'father of New France,' he founded Port-Royal in Acadia in 1605 and governed New France on behalf of trading companies until his death in 1635.

Port-Royal (Acadia)

The first actual settlement of New France, founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1605.

Quebec

Founded by Samuel de Champlain three years after Port-Royal, on the St. Lawrence River.

St. Lawrence River

The river where Quebec was founded.

Algonquin word

Quebec is an Algonquin word meaning 'where the river narrows'.

Great Lakes

This region was explored and mapped by Champlain, Marquette, and Jolliet. French explorers like René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, organized expeditions that crossed these lakes.

Marquette and Jolliet

Along with Champlain, they were crucial in exploring and mapping the Great Lakes region. Marquette was a Jesuit priest fluent in Indian languages.

René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle

Organized expeditions that started in Montreal, crossed the Great Lakes, and explored the Mississippi River to its mouth. In 1682, he claimed the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys and the Rocky Mountains for France.

Ohio Valley

Claimed by La Salle for France in 1682, encompassing the Mississippi Valley. Control of the Ohio Valley was a primary objective for the French and British during the French and Indian War.

Mississippi River

Explored to its mouth by La Salle. Its valley was claimed for France. After the Treaty of Paris in 1763, Britain gained all land east of the Mississippi River.

Rocky Mountains

Claimed by La Salle for France in 1682.

Louisiana

Named after King Louis XIV, its territorial claims formally began in 1699, with a French colony established near Biloxi, Mississippi.

King Louis XIV

The French king for whom Louisiana was named.

Biloxi, Mississippi

Location where the French established a colony in 1699, marking the formal beginning of Louisiana's territorial claims.

Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, sieur de Bienville

Often called the Father of Louisiana, he served periodically as governor and founded New Orleans in 1718.

New Orleans

Founded in 1718 by Bienville, becoming the capital of sprawling Louisiana.

Fur trade

The basis of French success in North America. Trading companies benefited from government support, and French coureurs des bois and voyageurs were integral to this trade.

Company of New France

A trading company that benefited from government support in the fur trade.

Coureurs des bois

French 'runners of the woods' who lived among and traded with Indigenous peoples in the fur trade. Many married Indigenous women and served as ambassadors.

Voyageurs

Another term for French individuals involved in the fur trade, living among and trading with Indigenous peoples.

Jesuits

French religious orders who converted Indigenous people to Catholicism, which helped foster trade and military alliances. They established missions like 'Haute Illinois' (High Land) and 'Ouiatenon' (what is now Indiana) and Des Moines ('Of the Monks').

Seigneurs

Land grants were made to these individuals in New France, creating an aristocratic settlement. The poorest farmers typically rented land from the seigneur.

Filles du Roi

'King's Daughters,' women dispatched by the king to become wives for male colonists to solidify New France.

Montreal

An expedition organized by La Salle started in Montreal.

Dominion of New England

In 1686, King James II reorganized the New England colonies into a single royal supercolony, the Dominion of New England. Sir Edmund Andros was appointed governor, and he attempted to rule without an assembly, disregarding town governments and strictly enforcing the Navigation Acts. The Glorious Revolution led to its overthrow.

The British Colonial System

The system of governance for the diverse British colonies in North America, which differed from that of New France. British colonial governments were typically headed by a royal governor.

King Charles II

Attempted to teach rebellious colonists a lesson by revoking the royal charter for Massachusetts. His death in 1685 led to his brother, King James II, becoming king.

Navigation Acts

These acts were strictly enforced by Sir Edmund Andros in the Dominion of New England. Later, William and Mary sought to maintain them but also appointed new royal governors to Massachusetts, New York, and Maryland, requiring representative assemblies to approve permanent funds for their governance. The acts were designed to ensure that raw materials like timber, tobacco, rice, and indigo went only to Great Britain, and manufactured goods came only from Great Britain. They were loosely enforced during the period of salutary neglect.

Glorious Revolution (1688)

This event led to the removal of King James II, who had fled to France, and the ascension of the Protestant William III and Mary II as King and Queen. They accepted a Bill of Rights, establishing a constitutional monarchy in England. In the colonies, it led to the overthrow of the Dominion of New England and a return to previous charters and representative assemblies.

King James II

Removed from power during the Glorious Revolution, fled to France.

William III and Mary II

The Protestant monarchs who ascended to the English throne after the Glorious Revolution.

English Bill of Rights

Accepted by William III and Mary II, establishing a constitutional monarchy in England and ensuring that the crown would never again rule without Parliament.

Sir Edmund Andros

Royal governor of the Dominion of New England who attempted to rule without an assembly and strictly enforce Navigation Acts. Overthrown during the Glorious Revolution.

John Locke

English political philosopher whose ideas on natural rights (life, liberty, and property) and the right of the people to establish governments profoundly influenced thought in the colonies.

Natural rights

John Locke's concept that people are endowed with rights to life, liberty, and property, and that governments are established by the people to protect these rights.

Salutary neglect

A British policy, particularly under Robert Walpole, of loosely enforcing economic regulations, which allowed the American colonies to develop a tradition of self-rule and political autonomy.

Robert Walpole

Long-serving prime minister (1721-1742) and Lord of the Treasury, who decided that the American colonies should be left alone to export raw materials and import manufactured goods from Britain. His policy fostered salutary neglect.

The Habit of Self-Government

This refers to the growing political power exercised by colonial assemblies throughout the eighteenth century, as they controlled tax revenue, local spending, and initiated legislation. It fostered a tradition of self-reliance and local autonomy.

Colonial assemblies/legislatures

These bodies gained power over tax revenue and local spending, and were often composed of property owners. They resisted attempts by royal governors to rule without them.

Property owners

The composition of colonial assemblies, as only property owners could vote and hold office, leading to a system where only 'respectable' individuals held political power.

Whigs

A political faction in England who opposed Grenville's policies and advocated for greater rights for the colonists. They were seen as allies by some colonists.

Vice-Admiralty courts

These courts, which bypassed colonial juries, had their jurisdiction expanded under the Sugar Act to try smuggling cases.

Warfare in the Colonies

Refers to the series of conflicts between European powers in North America, particularly the French and British, for territorial and economic dominance.

Seven Years' War (1756-1763)

The global conflict of which the French and Indian War (1754-1763) was the North American theater. It involved France, Britain, Spain, and their respective allies, and profoundly reshaped the world map.

French and Indian War (1754-1763)

The most important conflict between Britain and France in North America, a struggle for control over the Ohio Valley and the Mississippi River. It began when George Washington's militia clashed with French forces in 1754.

George Washington

A twenty-two-year-old militia officer who led an expedition to the Ohio Country in 1754, clashing with French forces near Fort Duquesne. He was praised for his service as a planter, surveyor, and land speculator. He was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army by the Second Continental Congress.

Fort Duquesne

A French fort near present-day Pittsburgh, where Washington's forces engaged the French in 1754.

Fort Necessity

A hastily constructed 'charming field for an encounter' where Washington was forced to surrender to French forces in 1754.

General Edward Braddock

British commander-in-chief in America, whose forces were ambushed and defeated near Fort Duquesne in 1755, resulting in his death and a significant early British setback. He was known for his 'inconvenient warfare' against Native Americans.

Albany Plan of Union (1754)

Proposed by Benjamin Franklin for a unified colonial government to manage defense and Indian affairs. It was rejected by both colonial assemblies and the British Crown. It served as a model for the formation of governance in 1777.

Treaty of Paris (1763)

Ended the French and Indian War. France ceded Canada and all land east of the Mississippi River to Britain, while Spain received Louisiana. This effectively removed France as a major colonial power in North America.

Pontiac's Rebellion (1763)

A rebellion led by the Ottawa chief Pontiac, following the French and Indian War, as Native Americans in the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions resisted British occupation of their lands. They were dismayed that the French had ceded their ancestral lands to the British without consulting them.

Pontiac

An Ottawa chief who led a widespread Native American uprising against the British after the French and Indian War. He advocated for a pan-Indian identity to unite tribes against the British.

Proclamation Line of 1763

Issued by King George III, it drew an imaginary line along the crest of the Appalachian Mountains, forbidding colonists from settling west of it. It was intended to prevent conflict with Native Americans and was viewed by colonists as an infringement on their rights.

King George III

The British monarch who issued the Proclamation of 1763 and against whom the colonies eventually declared independence.

Regulating the Colonies

Refers to the new British policies implemented after the French and Indian War aimed at asserting greater control and extracting revenue from the colonies.

Grenville Colonial Policy (1763)

Initiated by Prime Minister George Grenville to help pay down Britain's massive war debt. It included strict enforcement of the Navigation Acts and new revenue-generating taxes, believing colonists should contribute to their own defense costs.

George Grenville

British Prime Minister who implemented a series of acts (Sugar Act, Currency Act, Stamp Act) designed to raise revenue from the colonies after the French and Indian War.

Sugar Act (1764)

Lowered the duty on molasses but aimed to strictly enforce its collection, ending widespread smuggling. It also placed new duties on foreign goods like sugar, wines, coffee, pimiento, and expanded the jurisdiction of vice-admiralty courts.

Currency Act (1764)

Prohibited colonies from issuing paper money, hindering their ability to pay debts and stimulate their economies. It was a measure to prevent the depreciation of colonial currency.

Stamp Act (1765)

Required a tax stamp on all legal documents, newspapers, playing cards, and other printed materials. This was the first direct tax on the colonies and sparked widespread opposition, leading to the cry of 'taxation without representation'. It was repealed in 1766.

Direct Tax

A tax imposed directly on individuals or goods within the colonies, as opposed to indirect duties on imports. The Stamp Act was the first such tax.

Taxation without representation

The central argument of the colonists against the Stamp Act and other British taxes, stating that Parliament could not tax them without their consent through their elected representatives.

Stamp Act Congress (1765)

Representatives from nine colonies met and issued a declaration asserting that Parliament could not tax the colonies without their consent. They stated that colonists had all the rights and liberties of Englishmen.

Nonimportation Movement

Colonial boycotts of British goods, which had a significant impact on British merchants and provided a means of organized resistance against British policies.

Sons of Liberty

Groups formed by colonists, particularly in major port cities, to protest British policies like the Stamp Act. They adopted slogans like 'Liberty, Property, and no Stamps!'.

Daughters of Liberty

Organizations of colonial women who promoted home manufacturing and discouraged the consumption of British goods to support nonimportation movements.

Boston Massacre (1770)

An incident where British soldiers fired into a crowd, killing five colonists, including Crispus Attucks. It fueled anti-British sentiment.

Townshend Acts (1767)

Imposed duties on imported goods like glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea. The revenue was intended to pay the salaries of royal governors and judges, making them independent of colonial assemblies.

Tea Act (1773)

Maintained a tax on tea and gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies, allowing it to sell tea directly at a lower price, which undercut colonial merchants.

Gaspee Incident (1772)

Colonists burned the British revenue ship, HMS Gaspee, in Rhode Island, after it ran aground while chasing smugglers.

Boston Tea Party (1773)

In response to the Tea Act, colonists disguised as Mohawks boarded British tea ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water.

Committees of Correspondence

Organized by Samuel Adams in 1772, these committees served to communicate between towns and colonies about British actions, fostering a unified network of resistance.

Thomas Jefferson

A Virginian planter and lawyer, he drafted the Declaration of Independence and helped organize committees of correspondence.

John Adams

Noted that 'independence' meant different things to different people.

Samuel Adams

Organized the Committees of Correspondence.

Thomas Hutchinson

The royal governor of Massachusetts who was often the target of colonial anger, particularly after the Boston Tea Party.

Crispus Attucks

A colonist killed during the Boston Massacre.

Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) (1774)

A series of punitive measures passed by Parliament in response to the Boston Tea Party.

Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775)

The first military engagements of the American Revolution where British troops clashed with colonial militia at Lexington and Concord.

Minutemen

Colonial militia members who were prepared to fight at a moment's notice.

Battle of Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775)

A significant battle where colonial forces occupied Breed's Hill and inflicted heavy casualties on British assaults before retreating.

Charlestown

The location of the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Breed's Hill

The primary elevation where colonial forces engaged the British during the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Second Continental Congress (1775)

This body assumed the role of a national government, appointed George Washington as commander-in-chief, and declared independence.

Continental Army

The unified colonial military force, with George Washington as its commander-in-chief.

Olive Branch Petition (1775)

Sent by the Continental Congress to King George III as a final attempt to negotiate peace, but it was rejected.

Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776)

Formally adopted by the Continental Congress, it declared the thirteen colonies to be 'Free and Independent States'.

Enlightenment ideas

Philosophical concepts that influenced the Declaration of Independence, emphasizing natural rights and the social contract.

Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness

The unalienable rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, adapted from John Locke's 'life, liberty, and property'.

Contradictions of Freedom

Refers to the inconsistency of asserting liberty and equality in the Declaration of Independence while slavery persisted.

Slavery/African Americans

The Declaration of Independence did not address slavery, which contradicted its ideals of freedom and equality.

Phillis Wheatley

An African American poet whose works supported the revolutionary cause and celebrated the concept of 'American freedom'.

Mercy Otis Warren

A playwright and advocate for American independence who articulated the rights of Americans against British tyranny.

Loyalists

Colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution, also known as Tories.

Patriots

Colonists who supported American independence from Britain.