North american colonies

• French, Dutch, and English established colonies in North America in the early 1600s
• French settlers focused on fur trading along the Mississippi River system down to New Orleans
• French colonized along the St. Lawrence River and established Quebec City and Montreal as fortified cities for fur trade with indigenous people
• Dutch settlers tried to settle in New York along the Hudson River but were taken over by the English
• Dutch focused on possessions in the Caribbean islands of Curacao and Aruba, establishing sugar plantations through the West India Company
• First English settlement was attempted in 1607 at Jamestown, in the colony of Virginia
• English settlers brought enslaved people from Africa to work on plantations starting in 1619
• English settlers did not mix with indigenous people and forced native populations to leave
• British established the New England colonies, with a settlement at Plymouth in the colony of Massachusetts by 1627
• In British colonies, people were not allowed to trade directly with non-English colonies; all valuable products had to be shipped to England first
• Disputes between British and French in Europe led to conflicts in North America during the Seven Years War (1753-1764)
• After the French were defeated, they were forced to withdraw from North America, and the British gained colonial control of Canada areas
• Iroquois tribes in the region of Ontario and New York were used by both sides during the conflicts, leading to their weakening