Samuel de Champlain
French explorer known as the "father of New France" who established Quebec in Acadia.
Robert de LaSalle
French explorer and fur trapper who claimed the Mississippi River and Basin for France.
Pontiac/Pontiac’s War
Conflict led by Ottawa leader Pontiac against British control over Native Americans, resulting in significant Native resistance.
William Pitt
Popular British leader known as the "Great Commoner" who focused military efforts on French Canada during the French and Indian War.
James Wolfe/Battle of Quebec
British general who led the successful attack at the Battle of Quebec in 1759, breaking French control in North America.
Antoine Cadillac
Explorer who promoted settlement in Detroit and became governor of Louisiana in 1711.
Edward Braddock
British general whose ineffective tactics in the French and Indian War led to a significant defeat and inspired future American soldiers.
Huguenots
French Protestants who faced persecution from Catholics but were granted limited religious freedom by the Edict of Nantes.
Iroquois
Native American tribe that allied with the British during the French and Indian War but ultimately lost land and autonomy.
Albany Congress
1754 intercolonial meeting aimed at securing Iroquois loyalty and promoting colonial unity, though it ultimately failed.
Edict of Nantes
1598 decree that provided limited religious freedom to Huguenots in France, an early example of religious toleration.
Acadians
French-speaking people deported by the British in 1755, whose descendants are known as Cajuns in Louisiana.
Proclamation of 1763
British decree aimed at preventing settlement beyond the Appalachians, which angered American colonists seeking land.
French and Indian War
Conflict between Britain and France (1754-1763) that resulted in British dominance in North America and significant colonial unity.
New France
French settlement in Quebec known for its fur trade, which was lost to Britain after the French and Indian War.
War of Spanish Succession
Conflict (1701-1713) that resulted in British territorial gains in North America and a period of salutary neglect for the colonies.
Mercantilism
Economic theory justifying British control over colonies, viewing them as suppliers and consumers, which fostered colonial resentment.