Key Terms from New France

Governor

• The French king’s representative in New France who made important decisions, especially about the military.

• A local leader in charge of managing the economy of New France.

• A military officer responsible for leading troops in battle.

• The chief diplomat representing France in negotiations with Indigenous tribes.

What were the two companies the voyageurs worked for?

• The Hudson Bay Company and the North West Company

• The East India Company and the Hudson Bay Company

• The North West Company and the British East Company

• The Hudson Bay Company and the French Trading Company

Coureurs des bois

• Brave men who traveled deep into the forest to trade with Indigenous peoples for furs — often without permission.

• French explorers who mapped the rivers of North America.

• Indigenous peoples who traded furs with European settlers.

• Settlers who established permanent farms in the New World.

Voyageur

• A man who transported furs and goods by canoe across rivers and lakes, facing tough journeys.

• A type of canoe used for long-distance travel.

• A French term for a river guide.

• A person who sells furs in a marketplace.

What were two challenges the voyageurs faced while out working?

• drowning, broken bones

• hernias, mosquitoes

• extreme heat and cold

• none of the above

Habitant

• A French farmer who lived and worked on the land in New France.

• A type of French cheese popular in the 18th century.

• A French nobleman who owned large estates in Canada.

• A French explorer who discovered new territories in North America.

Seigneur

• A title for a noble in medieval Europe

• A landowner in New France who divided the land and let farmers live and work on it.

• A type of French pastry

• A term for a military leader in ancient Rome

What are two of the skills the Indigenous taught the coureurs des bois?

• Indigenous languages; how to build a birchbark canoe

• how to live off the land; how to get around

• how to hunt and fish; how to navigate by stars

• how to make fire; how to weave baskets

Why was the voyageurs' relationship with the indigenous so important?

• They learned knowledge, skills, and tools to survive.

• They competed for resources and territory.

• They established trade routes that excluded indigenous people.

• They sought to convert indigenous people to their religion.

Filles du Roi

• Young women sent from France to New France to marry settlers and help grow the population.

• French soldiers sent to protect New France from invasions.

• Wealthy merchants who established trade routes in New France.

• Noblewomen who governed the colonies in France.