English and French Colonies: A Comparison

English Colonies / French Colonies
Settlements & Geography
(Where did they settle?) /
  • Most colonies started out as Royal Charters- land claimed by the King of England and given to groups of people to settle.
  • The colonies were located along the east coast from Maine to Georgia, as far inward as the Mississippi and Appalachian Mts.
/ The first colonies were small trading posts along the Atlantic Ocean, St Lawrence River, the Great Lakes, and the Mississippi.
Population
(Who came and why?) /
  • The King of England recruited farmers, artisans, and tradesmen to settle the Royal Charters.
  • Small religious groups left England to start colonies in order to practice their religious beliefs that were unpopular/illegal in England.
  • Convicted criminalsin were shipped to the colonies by England instead of being placed in the jails
  • People moved to the colonies to take advantage of the plentiful land available in the colonies.
  • Poor people came as indentured servants for better living conditions.
  • Slaves from Africa were brought to the colonies to work on plantations and for English colonists.
/
  • Fur traders and merchants came to set up the fur trade in the colonies.
  • In 1665 soldiers were given land by the King of France, 1100 came to claim that land.
  • People moved to the colonies to take advantage of the plentiful land available in the colonies.
  • Poor farmers were not allowed to move to the colonies.
  • Catholic priests were sent by the Catholic Church to serve as missionaries to the Native Americans.

Governmentin the Colonies / Colonists set up local governments and representative assemblies. They were allowed to govern and tax themselves as long as they did not take up arms against the crown. / Colonies were fully under the control of the French crown. There were no local governments and public meetings could not be held without permission.
Religion in the Colonies /
  • Protestant Christianity was the most popular.
  • Religious groups like the Puritans and Quakers are numerous in the northern colonies.
  • Religious tolerance was common.
/
  • Colonial life was largely controlled by the French Catholic Church.
  • Protestants were not allowed to immigrate to the colonies.

Economy
(How were they making money?) /
  • Farming, fishing, and trade were all a part of the economy.
  • Fishing, small trade, and shipping exports to England were found mainly in the northern colonies.
  • Large scale farming (plantations) were common in the southern colonies.
  • Exports included tobacco, rice, timber, and fish.
/
  • Farming was not successful due to the climate.
  • The fur trade was the largest part of the economy.

Population Growth /
  • The population grew quickly.
  • By 1754 there were over 1.5 million colonists.
  • German and French colonists were common.
/
  • The population grew slowly.
  • By 1734 the population had reached 40,000.

Relationships with Native Americans /
  • Originally relations were friendly. Early colonists relied on the Native Americans for trade and survival.
  • Eventually greed for land led to major conflicts and Native Americans were forced off their lands.
/
  • Despite the missionaries’ efforts to convert Native Americans, French respect for Native Americans allowed many to forge alliances.
  • Trade and military partnerships between tribes and the French were common.