W. J. Eccles: France In AmericaEssay Preview: W. J. Eccles: France In AmericaReport this essayFrance has had a presence in North America since long before the birth of the United States. Most American history looks back at Frances presence on the continent largely from the British side of events that occurred. W. J. Eccles France In America introduces readers to French history in North America drawing largely from the french side of events. Eccles begins the book around the year 1500 with early french exploration and the events that eventually lead to colonization. France In America details the events that took place in France and french colonies from colonial beginnings to the years following the American Revolution.
William John Eccles was born in Thirsk, England on July 17, 1917. When Eccles was just a young boy, he came to Canada, where he lived the rest of his life. Eccles received his education at McGill University in Montreal and the Sorbonne in Paris (MU). After receiving his education he began teaching as a historian at the University of Manitoba in 1953. After 4 years of teaching at Manitoba he then moved on to the University of Alberta and again to the University of Toronto in 1963. Eccles is the author of several books including: Frontenac: The Courtier Governor, The Canadian Frontier, 1534-1760, and of course France in America. W. J. Eccles retired from the University of Toronto on 1983 and passed away October 2, 1998. When Eccles wrote France in America, he did so with the argument that even though the modern day presence of French speaking people in North America is very small, that was not always the case. Eccles argues that France once controlled far greater amounts of land than England and therefore France plays an important role in American History. Since most Americans have only heard history from the British perspective that his book “views events and developments from the French rather than the English side of the hill” (Eccles xii).
France in America introduces readers to events and developments throughout North American History from a perspective that is not normally presented in American History classes. The book begins by introducing readers to the events that would eventually lead lead France to colonize North America. After many failed attempts to colonize areas such as Brazil and Florida, France was forced to settle for lands in the north that were not sought out by rival European powers at the time. Eccles explains that France was not interested in settling permanent colonies like the British, instead the French were interested in seasonal fur trading. Permanent colonies were not pursued until later when they were deemed necessary in order to secure Canadas wealth for France and keep other rival countries from trading.
France made several attempts to colonize Canada and Acadia, but usually with the same result, lack of capital or man power. Unlike England, France had internal religious issues to deal with both in France and the New World. Constant power struggles between French Catholics and Huguenots initially made it very difficult for the French Crown to support overseas colonies, but eventually France overcame these problems and was able to begin devoting more resources into a permanent settlement.
When England began settling its American colonies, the objective was to establish new English-only societies. Since their society was to be one of white Christians, natives, who were seen as savages and only traded with were only traded when beneficial for the English or necessary for their survival. Unlike England, France took a much different approach to colonization. Since the French presence in North America small at first, daily interactions with natives became a colonial way of life for the French. When French Jesuits arrived in North America from France, they did so with the intent of converting the native peoples to Christianity and assimilating them into New Frances society. One very interesting fact presented by Eccles was that if the natives were to convert to Christianity and actively practice Roman Catholicism, then they would be accepted as French subjects and enjoy all the rights and privileges enjoyed by every other Frenchman. As French subjects, native people then had the legal right of moving to and acquiring land in France if they so desired. Although native were not interested in this offer it was never heavily pursued, but it shows France as being farm more humane and tolerant of native peoples then early English settlers.
Throughout Frances presence in North America relations with native tribes have been an essential part of the colonies success and survival. In New Frances earlier years Samuel de Champlain joined a war party consisting of Algonquins, Montagnais, along with warriors of the Huron nation against the Mohawks. This war party was essential to Frances colonial success, because the Huron were a trading partners and would play a middle man role in providing France furs for the next 40 years.
Frances trading partner, the Huron had been at war with the Five Nations Iroquois confederacy, which meant that France too was at war with these tribes. Eccles describes how colonial life was in early New France, documenting several instances in which the Iroquois had repeatedly raided French settlements and homes, resulting in the death of many colonists. At first, military support provided by the crown, or lack of required Canadians to essentially become militia in order to protect themselves, which according to Eccles, this lifestyle of constantly being attacked began to transform New Frances society into one in where military presence was important and a Canadian way of life. New Frances settlements were constantly raided by the Iroquois, which prevented them from seeing any great growth of natural increase in population, and it was not until peace was made with these tribes that the colonies began to expand.
The Iroquois Nation was built on an original, unpermitted American plot, at a time when the Indian nations were gaining national identity with their small tribes, particularly the Tonto. The Iroquois claimed that the majority of the island was under their control, but the islanders also claimed that a portion of them had been murdered. This claim was based on two primary motivations. Firstly, French colonists in the region were afraid of the Iroquois, and that was in large part because, as historian Henry Bowers has pointed out, that there were little settlers from the American colonies living that they could find, so they were afraid of the Iroquois (as well as the Tonto).
The second motivation was that this entire nation did not look as if they were the ones who were being oppressed. With no one left to fight for them, they were in the minority, at best. This was also a time of extreme conflict that saw a few Iroquois leaders in French and British hands, such as the French President Louis XI, assassinated over a settlement dispute where no one had seen them since then.
The Indian tribes and their status as a major force in New Britain were a problem in those times.
However, during the period between 1837 and 1847, some of these conflicts grew more common on the Plains, particularly the settlement of La Bienville about the same time as New Frances. With a larger area of lands, that changed the status and demographics of much of that territory. These developments brought renewed opportunities for Indian settlements to prosper, and gave those who stayed here an increased role in the war effort. The land in that area was considered sacred to all of New England and a source of great strength and wealth.[1]
In order to allow this, the Indians were allowed all they wanted, and the British Crown took responsibility[2] for this. This was because New India didn’t have an existing Indian treaty with the British, nor was there another Indian court that would permit the Crown to rule on such things. This was done as part of a grand treaty, but it didn’t get much of a public understanding despite the fact that New India was a real and lasting force in that period.
Eventually, when the British government got involved in politics in the 1845 election and introduced similar legislation to protect Indian lands, and many other land issues, some people claimed to have gained land and began to take possession.
The Iroquois settlement of New India was also one of the most heavily developed territories in the United States, with some historians claiming it to have “tipped a balance from a pre-American standpoint” as opposed to having developed a new social order and political system. On the one hand, there was a belief that the Iroquois were going to dominate the United States because of their role as land speculators. (The tribe had been around during the American Revolutionary War and is represented as a significant force by the American Board of Trustees. Also, as the Iroquois claim, the people here now have access to federal land as well.) On the other hand, there were disputes throughout the country between the Iroquois and the British government. In 1846, the British government agreed to hold a meeting of the Iroquois, and it was held in New York.
The land dispute on the Plains created something of a conflict between the British and the Indians that grew more common on the Plains. When the French government came to power, the government of France had been engaged in negotiations with the British on matters concerning Indian
After peace was signed for a long while with the Iroquois, New France began to explode. Eccles cited several examples that compared life in New France with that of Old France. Unlike