France in America
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Go directly to the collection, France in America/France en Amérique in American Memory, or view a Summary of Resources related to the collection.
Chronological Thinking: Constructing a Timeline
In 1668, King Louis XIV wrote a memoir to the governor-general of New France. The memoir, written to justify French claims to North America from Florida to Cape Breton, provides a survey of French explorations and settlements from the voyage of Giovanni da Verrazano through the 1660s. Use the memoir (and footnotes) to construct a timeline of French exploration and colonization of North America, including a title that describes its contents.
Compare your timeline with the France in America: Chronology provided with the collection. Do you note any differences?
Chronological Thinking: Interpreting Data Presented in Timelines and Maps
The theme Descriptive Maps includes five maps showing imperial claims and political boundaries from before 1763 to the era of the Louisiana Purchase. Study the five maps and note important changes. What questions do you have about the changes, particularly the reasons for the changes?
Now look for answers to your questions in the France in America: Chronology. Use information from the timeline to construct a brief explanation of the changes from map to map. What questions remain unanswered? Where might you find answers to those questions?