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Compare And Contrast The English And French Colonies

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The English and French both developed colonies in the Americas with the purpose of expanding and growing their territory. The beginning of the England’s colonization in America started with James I and Charles I’s religious forces pushing for a civil war. The English were happy to ship Puritans and Catholics across the sea. So those who were unhappy at home, had the opportunity to go live in a new place that accepted their religious beliefs (Jones, 36). While the beginning of France’s colonization in America began in the 1600s, after France’s domestic situation improved, King Henry IV decided it was time to build colonies within the Americas. Both nations had difference in their ways of governing, developing relationships with Indians, and handling the demand for labor in the New World. The English had very high hopes for their American colonies, but had a shaky start. James I hired the Virginia Company to govern all of Virginia. Under the charter’s leadership, a group of merchants from London colonized Chesapeake Bay, while merchants from England, specifically Plymouth, Exeter, and Bristol, colonized the northern side of the coast. The merchants from England managed to built forts and homes by 1608, while the merchants from London sailed to a secluded island within the waters of Chesapeake Bay. They named the river James River and their village Jamestown, after their leader. Unfortunately, many people of Jamestown's couldn’t survive through the winter. A fire destroyed most of the settlement, people starved, and diseases killed.It cut the population in half and the Virginia Company representatives kept fighting and bickering with each other. All of the citizens were employees of the Virginia Company, so any profit they made was being shipped right back to their London investors (Jones, 36).
Luckily for the people of Jamestown, their conditions temporarily improved thanks to John Smith. John Smith had a pretty good relationship with the Powhatan chief, due to protecting his young daughter, Matoaka. In addition, the London merchants changed their strategies and decided to produce fresh crops to earn their capita (Jones, 36).
Meanwhile, the French took a different route. Once France had economic

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