Lesson 1 Commentary: The Europeans—Exploration by the English and French and Competitive Exploration

Exploration by the English and French

England lay isolated by the ocean. The English people farmed, grew sheep to provide wool for trade with France, and did some fishing. They had little money and no ships for exploration. The need for new fishing grounds led them to commission an Italian, John Cabot, to explore the West. He returned with good reports of the fishing along the Newfoundland banks. His later trip took him down the coast as far as Virginia. He did not land, but his trips gave the English a claim one hundred years later.

Across the English Channel, the French were in a far better position than the English to mount voyages of exploration. But they had less inclination, because they were receiving limited supplies of silk and spices through Russia and the Mediterranean. However, national pride dictated that they, too, participate in the search for a western route to Asia. They explored the coast of North America, sailed up the St. Lawrence River, and soon were involved in a rich trade with the natives of the area.

Competitive Exploration

As the European countries engaged in competitive exploration and settlement, each developed its own style. The earliest explorers, the Spanish, were interested in gold, the spread of the Catholic faith, and some settlement. The French were also interested in the spread of religion, but they really saw the new territories as opportunities for trade in fur and timber. Because they were not trying to claim land, the French had good relations with the Indians. The English didn't arrive on the scene until the seventeenth century. They were too late to take advantage of the riches of Central America and not very interested in trade. For years they had gained their wealth by raiding the Spanish Gold Fleet. The commissioned privateers, who were really just pirates defended by Britain, brought wealth to the British crown. As the competition with Spain grew, the English saw the development of colonies as another way to irritate the Spanish.

The break with the Catholic Church by Henry VIII of England freed money and men. Ships were built, but England was still not strong enough to support colonies. Its one early attempt at colonization, on Roanoke Island, ended disastrously. The entire settlement disappeared with no hint of what had happened.

By the middle of the seventeenth century, the European countries had established their stakes in America: the Spanish controlled most of South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Florida, Texas, and California; the French were in Canada and the Mississippi River Valley; and the English were along the eastern seaboard of the United States. Other nations had colonies also: the Portuguese claimed Brazil, and the Dutch settled in Canada and New York. European competition and American development had become the same.