French empire

Like many other European explorers, Jacques Cartier went to North America looking for gold, spices, and perhaps a shortcut to Asia. Instead he found the found the Saint Lawrence River, which became France’s main route in & out of Canada. Cartier and his men were among the first Europeans to winter in what is now Canada. The bitter cold surprised them, and some of the men died. After returning to France he reported tales told by the native people of treasures farther inland. Cartier once again crossed the Atlantic in 1541. He explored further and found what he thought were gold and diamonds. When he returned to France in 1542, he was told that they were just common minerals.

Louis XIV, also popularly known as the Sun King, reigned for 72 years and 110 days and is the longest recorded of any monarch of a sovereign country in European history. He is often seen as the typical example of an absolute monarch. Starting in 1661, King Louis XIV transformed a humble hunting lodge into a glittering palace. Over 30,000 men worked on constructing the Palace of Versailles, a project that drained the royal treasury for decades.

France was one of the leading participants in the Seven Years' War which lasted between 1755 and 1762. France entered the war with the hope of achieving a lasting victory against Prussia, Britain and their German allies and with the hope of expanding its colonial possessions. The Seven Years' War ended with the signing of the treaties of Hubertusburg and Paris in February 1763. In the Treaty of Paris, France lost all claims to Canada and gave Louisiana to Spain, while Britain received Spanish Florida, Upper Canada, and various French holdings overseas. It was devastating for the French Empire; both financially and morally.