Like the British Empire, France did not see the height of its power during the age of maritime empires from 1450 to 1750. Instead, the French maritime empire was busy laying the groundwork for a global empire that would sustain and inspire Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor of France in his quest for world domination. From 1450 to 1750, France followed the other maritime empires in establishing colonies in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Fierce competition between France and Britain developed during the age of maritime empires, such as in the Wars for Austrian and Spanish Succession in the early 18th century. The Anglo-French competition was only heating up, however, with the world acting as their canvas for war.
Early French Colonies
In terms of maritime imperialism, France was late to the party. England, Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands made significant developments abroad while France struggled to mobilize. Due to internal conflicts, such as the French Wars of Religion, and a low desire among France's population to immigrate, French colonization efforts did not pick up until the 17th century. However, there were attempts during the 1500s, when French settlers made colonies in South America and Florida. These colonies did not last, however.
Fig. 1- Map depicting the colonies of the French maritime empire. (The light blue territories correspond with French colonies from 1450-1750, the dark blue colonies are from after 1750.)
As pictured above, France did find early success in grabbing land in North America. In Nova Scotia, Canada, French Settlers established the colony of Acadia in 1605. Soon after, the city of Quebec was founded. Finding agricultural development difficult in the cold of Canada, the French settlers survived on the North American fur trade with the Native Americans of Canada, particularly the Iroquois Confederacy, from who the French learned to call the new land "Canada". (In the Iroquois language, the word 'kanata' meant 'settlement'). From the fur trade, the French made good relations with the natives, giving them access to lands deeper into North America in the modern-day USA.
| Term | Definition |
| North American fur trade | Trade system between Native Americans and Europeans in North America that relied upon the exchange of animal furs, such as beaver pelts, for goods. The system drove fierce competition among native tribes and European settlers in North America. |
| Iroquois Confederacy | Confederacy of Native Americans in North America who spoke the Iroquoian language. During the 17th century, the Iroquois Confederacy was comprised of five tribes: the Seneca, Oneida, Mohawk, Cayuga, and Onondaga. |
The French Colonies
French holdings in North America continued to grow throughout the 17th century and into the 18th century. In 1682, the French claimed the majority of central modern-day USA as the Louisiana Territory. Along their colonial borders, the French constructed wilderness forts and maintained relations with the native tribesmen.
Fig. 2- French Flag during the reign of King Louis XIV.
The French maritime empire also made progress in the Caribbean during the 17th century. Along the coast of South America, the French established colonies in French Guiana in 1624. Founded in 1659, the French colony of Saint-Dominique (modern-day Haiti) was France's most important holding in the Caribbean, providing profitable cash crops through the use of imported African slave labor.
French Maritime Empire Social Structure:
In many ways, the social structure of the early French colonies during the reign of the French maritime empire closely resembled the Three Estates System in mainland France. At the top of the social hierarchy were Catholic missionaries, along with military officers and the wealthy. Below them were craftsmen, hunters, and soldiers. At the bottom were the peasant class equivalent: slaves and servants of African or American descent.
Once again, France was behind the curve in establishing colonies in Africa and Asia. The French were somewhat successful in Africa with the establishment of a colony in Senegal, but real French colonial success on the African continent would not occur until the 19th century. In the Indian Ocean, all four other maritime empires were already present, most notably the British and the Dutch. In an attempt to emulate its competitors, France founded their own French East India Company in 1664, but the corporation would come nowhere close to the power and influence of the British and Dutch East India Companies.
France Colonial Empire
One king, one law, one faith.
-King Louis XIV
The most important ruler of the French maritime empire was King Louis XVI, also known as the "Sun King". His extensive 72-year reign from 1643 to 1715 was the longest in French history. He ruled as an absolute monarchy over France, single-handedly directing the nation in its expansion and development.
Fig. 3- Art depicting King Louis XIV.
French Maritime Empire Colonialism Under King Louis XVI
It was during the reign of King Louis XVI that French explorers discovered the Mississippi River, leading to the establishment of the Louisiana Territory (guess who the Louisiana Territory was named after). Although French maritime power was not particularly prevalent in the Indian Ocean and East Asia, King Louis XIV maintained diplomatic relations with the Ottoman Empire, Siam in Southeast Asia, and China.
Additionally, King Louis XIV passed a series of Grand Ordinances (French royal decrees) that consolidated and solidified mainland France's dominion over its colonial territories. The Sun King established uniform legal proceedings across all of France and its holdings and, although officially sanctioning slavery in France's colonies, notably made the separation of slave families illegal. In many cases, these Grand Ordinances diminished the Catholic Church's power in French politics, allowing more and more power to the central authority of French kingship.
French Maritime Empire Government:
French governmental power was held among the nobility, aristocrats, officials, and members of the clergy. That is until King Louis XIV came to power. King Louis XIV was an absolute monarch, believing his rule to be divinely ordained. In 1682, the Sun King famously repositioned the French court away from Paris and to a new palace in Versailles. At Versailles, King Louis XIV invited his greatest political rivals to permanently reside on the illustrious palace grounds, inhibiting their ability to plan against him.
French immigration increased as a side effect of King Louis XIV's decision to revoke the 1598 Edict of Nantes. The edict formerly protected the Huguenots (people who practiced a branch of Protestant Christianity called Calvinism in France), but King Louis XIV was intent on making France a purely Catholic nation. Unfortunately, the Huguenots were also banned from settling in Quebec, so many made way for the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, a British colony.
French Maritime Empire Wars Under King Louis XVI
Fig. 4- Art depicting a French Fleet attacking the English.
The French Maritime Empire remained deeply ingrained in European wars throughout the reign of King Louis XIV. Engaging in the Nine Years War and the War of Spanish Succession, as well as a host of smaller wars, France was intent on maintaining its military power in relation to the other European maritime empires. King Louis XIV saw war as a chance to display the glory of France. Most of these battles occurred in and around Europe, with many of the engagements pitting the French navy against its many competitors.
French Maritime Empire - Key Takeaways
- The French Maritime Empire was behind the other European maritime empires in its colonial expansionism. France's maritime imperial efforts began late and settled few territories from 1450 to 1750 compared to the other European maritime empires.
- The most significant of France's colonial efforts in the age of maritime empires was the settling of Quebec in North America, which led to France claiming the Louisiana Territory in the modern-day USA.
- French settlements in North America relied on the competitive fur trade with the Native Americans of the Iroquois Confederacy.
- King Louis XIV was the absolute monarch of France from 1643 to 1715; his reign covered much of France's history during the age of maritime empires. He centralized power in France and engaged France in many European conflicts.
References
- Fig. 1 French Maritime Empire Map (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_the_French_colonial_empire.png) by Hardouin (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Hardouin), licensed by CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en).
- Fig. 2 French Maritime Empire Flag (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Standard_of_Louis_XV_and_Louis_XVI.png) by Louis XIV, King of France (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Louis_XIV,_King_of_France&action=edit&redlink=1), licensed by CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en).
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