North America
Canada
Canada was first discovered by an Italian for the British empire in 1497 when he reached Newfoundland or Nova Scotia. Jacques Cartier took Canada for France in 1534. In the 17th century, French exploration extended beyond the Great Lakes to the western prairies and south to the gulf of Mexico. Because of the value of fur trades, hostility developed between France and Britain. In 1713, France lost the areas of Nova Scotia, Hudson Bay, and Newfoundland to Britain and in 1763, Britain received all of Canada through the Treaty of Paris. Almost the entire territory was French until the British migrated there from the British Isles and American colonies. In 1849, Canada received the right to self government, but in 1982, Queen Elizabeth signed the Constitution Act cutting all legal ties between Canada and Britain. However, she is still retained as their Queen.
Quebec
Quebec was founded in 1608 and is legally a part of Canada. This province is one of the major predominantly French speaking regions in Canada. Separatism and conflict between the French- and English speaking Canadians have led Quebec to establish French as the official language of the province in 1974.
St. Pierre and Miquelon
These islands are the sole remnants of the French empire in North America. They were not a part of Canada and thus were not given to Britain in theTreaty of Paris in 1763. France first occupied these islands in 1604. They are at the center of the French Atlantic cod fisheries. They became an Overseas Department of the French Republic in 1976.
United States of America
In early years, the U.S. was divided between Britain, France and Spain. The Spanish layed legal claim to the territory but had not placed any settlements which gave the British the go ahead to colonize. French influence in the U.S. began with Canada. They set up their fort in Quebec in 1608 and spreaded downward and across along the St. Lawrence valley, through the Great Lakes, and down to the Gulf of Mexico. They had no large migrations and the few who were there were hunters, trappers, missionaries and explorers. The French set up missionaries to convert the Native Americans throughout Maine, Vermont and northern New York. The northern New England territory still has a considerable number of French speaking communities mostly due to immigration and its proximity to French speaking Canada.
Louisiana
In 1682, La Salle claimed the Mississippi Valley for France and named it "Louisiane" to honor King Louis XIV. Louisiana became a French crown colony in 1731, but was ceded to Spain in 1763 due to economic difficulties. The territory prospered under Spanish rule. The Spanish never attempted to colonize the area; thus, the colony remained almost completely French in cutlure. Spain ceded Louisiana back to France in 1800. Napolean sold Louisiana with large territories to the north and northwest to the U.S. in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Today, Louisiana has kept its French identity with a bilingual school system and a French Quarter.