French Colonization

• The French mainly colonized Canada and the Midwest (ex. Quebec)

• The main motive for this was furs, and relations with Native Americans were mostly healthy and based on trade

English Colonization

• Motives: The English were jealous of French and Spanish riches and did not want the entirety of the New World to become Catholic

  • Queen Elizabeth: Protestant queen who united the country against Catholicism, and whose jealousy of Spanish riches led to the actions of Sir Francis Drake

  • Sir Francis Drake: Led the sea dogs to attack Spanish ships returning from the colonies and steal their riches

  • Spain responded to the sea dogs by sending the Spanish Armada to attack England, but they were hindered by the sea dogs and decimated by a storm that the English named the Protestant Wind (“must be an act of God stopping the Catholic Spanish from attacking us”)

  • With the Spanish navy weakened, the English could safely send ships to colonize North America

• Motives to move to the Americas:

  • Primogeniture: Only the oldest son could inherit land, so younger sons were enticed by the idea of claiming their own land in the New World

  • Religious persecution of Pilgrims and Puritans by the Church of England led to them wanting a new place to freely practice their religion

  • Population increases in England that doubled the population in only 50 years led to a huge increase in demand for job opportunities

• Joint Stock Companies allowed multiple investors in a company to amass more funds and less liability, enticing people to fund colonies

  • Virginia Company was one such company that founded Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement