Henri IV - An unfinished reign
"New France"
Section 1/2
The explorer Samuel de Champlain coined the term "New France" to describe France's holdings in North America, the first of which had been established in the 16th century.
The project of founding a French colony in North America was initially connected to Henri IV's interest in maritime matters. Concurrent with the construction of a fleet of galleons to safeguard the Mediterranean shore from Turkish corsairs, Henri IV was filled with enthusiasm by the exploits of Francis Drake, the first Englishman to circumnavigate the earth. He went so far as to order a portrait of Drake and a map of his voyage.
Equally crucial was the economic aspect of colonisation. Very early on, Henri understood the importance of building an empire, as he was well placed to see the strategic importance of the gold from Spain's colonies. This concern was in line with the tenets of mercantilism, a popular economic theory of the time. Mercantilism held that the prosperity of a nation depends on foreign trade, that that colonial expansion provided a vector for such trade.
Another factor may have been France desire to catch up with the other great European powers. Spain, Portugal, England and even the United Provinces had a lead in this area, and had all built colonial empire, mostly in the Americas.
Finally, there had been, under Henri's predecessors, a tradition of voyages to America. Under François I, Giovanni de Verrazano , following the routes taken by Basque and Breton sailors, explored the North American coastline between Florida and Newfoundland in 1524. Under François II, Canada was the focus of voyages by Jacques Cartier (3 trips between 1534 and 1542) and by Jean-François de la Rocque de Roberval in 1542, none of which were really successful. Finally, under Henri II, in 1555, Nicolas Durand de Villegagnon attempted to found the short-lived colony of "France Antartique" in Brazil, which was intended to provide a refuge for French Huguenots.
All of these reasons explain why the reign of Henri IV was marked by a series of expeditions, only some of which were successful.
Related multimedia
Title: Map of America. Épitome du théâtre du monde
- Copyright:
- © Musée national du château de Pau / Jean-Yves Chermeux
- Caption:
- Map of America. Épitome du théâtre du monde (Anvers, Imprimerie Plantienne, 1598. Printed book, 118 pages of commentaries and maps). Musée national du château de Pau, Inv. P. BP. 1469.
Title: Map of North America
- Copyright:
- © Musée national du château de Pau / Jean-Yves Chermeux
- Caption:
- Map of North America (Bussenmacher, Matthias Quad and Théodore de Bry, 1600), map engraved on copper. Musée national du château de Pau, P. 54.7.1.
Title: Description of a royal ship
- Copyright:
- © Musée national de la marine / P. Dantec
- Caption:
- Description of a royal ship, in "Hydrographie (...) de la navigation" by Père Georges Fournier, 1667. Musée national de la Marine, n° inv. 27 CN 7
Title: Ship of the line
- Copyright:
- © Musée national de la marine / A. Fux
- Caption:
- Ship of the line, anonymous drawing, 17th c. Musée national de la marine, n° inv. 25 OA 7
Title: Ship of the line under construction
- Copyright:
- © Musée national de la marine / A. Fux
- Caption:
- Ship of the line under construction, view of starboard side, Atelier du musée naval (Louvre), 1836
Section 2/2
The failure of the Compagnie des Indes Orientales (French East India Company) established in 1601 and again in 1604 did not dampen Henri IV's enthusiasm for overseas territories. He was particularly interested in Canada, a land ripe for expansion as it was located outside the areas of influence of his main rivals. In January 1598, Henri presented Troilus de La Roche de Mesgouez with letters patent, appointing him "lieutenant-general of the territories of Canada, Hochelaga, Newfoundland, Labrador, La Grande River and Norumbega and lands adjacent to these provinces and rivers, of great length and extent, that are not inhabited by any Christian subject or prince […]." Mesgouez's attempt to found a colony on Sable Island was, however, a failure. The project was taken up again in 1601 by a Norman sea captain, Pierre de Chauvin de Tonnetuit, who tried to establish the colony of Tadoussac. Unfortunately, the expedition was poorly prepared and badly provisioned. It was a stinging setback.
Despite these disappointments and the lack of enthusiasm among his entourage, Henri IV did not give up. On the contrary, he was eager for news of the progress of the various expeditions, and to meet the indigenous natives brought back from Canada. In 1603, a trading company was set up. François Gravé and Samuel de Champlain , two captains in the Royal Navy, agreed to explore the banks of the Saint Laurence River. A map was made and presented to the king upon their return. Both men were encouraged by the results of their voyage and – escorted by Jean de Biencourt de Poutrincourt and under the aegis of a new lieutenant general, Pierre du Gua, Sieur de Mons – they set out once again in 1604 to establish a permanent colony in Arcadia. The location they selected, Saint Croix Island, turned out to be an unhappy choice – during the harsh winter of 1604–04, 35 of the company of 80 men died of scurvy. They decided to move the colony the following year; Champlain et Gravé set their sights on Port-Royal (present-day Annapolis), located southwest of New Scotland. During another expedition, Champlain founded, on 3 July 1608, the colony of Quebec, a new "habitation" at the source of the Saint Laurence River.
Although the permanent European occupation of Canada began under the reign of Henri IV, it was only at the end of his successor's tenure that these tiny outposts would begin to really expand.
Related multimedia
Title: Model of the ship "Don de Dieu"
- Copyright:
- © Centre européen d’architecture militaire
- Caption:
- Model of the ship "Don de Dieu"
Title: Map of New France
- Copyright:
- © BnF
- Caption:
- Map of New France, by Samuel de Champlain, 1612
Title: "Les Voyages du Sieur de Champlain Xaintongeois, Capitane ordinaire pour le Roy"
- Caption:
- Les Voyages du Sieur de Champlain Xaintongeois, Capitane ordinaire pour le Roy, en la marine Source: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada/Les Voyages du Sieur de Champlain Xaintongeois, Capitane ordinaire pour le Roy, en la marine/Amicus 4700723/Page titre/NL-008758
Title: Mémoire au sujet des neuf familles iroquoises et totems de famille
- Copyright:
- © Archives nationales d’outre-mer
- Caption:
- Mémoire au sujet des neuf familles iroquoises et totems de famille, 1666
Title: Saint Croix Island (New France)
- Caption:
- Saint Croix Island. Source: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada/Les Voyages du Sieur de Champlain Xaintongeois, Capitane ordinaire pour le Roy, en la marine/Amicus 4700723/Page 34/e010764741
Title: Habitation de Lile S'te Croix
- Caption:
- Habitation de Lile S'te Croix Source: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada/Les Voyages du Sieur de Champlain Xaintongeois, Capitane ordinaire pour le Roy, en la marine/Amicus 4700723/Page 38/e010764742
Title: Abitation du port royal
- Caption:
- Abitation du port royal Source: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada/Les Voyages du Sieur de Champlain Xaintongeois, Capitane ordinaire pour le Roy, en la marine/Amicus 4700723/Page 99/e010764747
Title: Reconstruction of Samuel Champlain's house
- Caption:
- Reconstruction of Samuel Champlain's house
Title: Abitation de Quebecq
- Caption:
- Abitation de Quebecq Source: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada/Les Voyages du Sieur de Champlain Xaintongeois, Capitane ordinaire pour le Roy, en la marine/Amicus 4700723/Page 187