Basic Info:

Pennsylvania is named after its founder, William Penn (he named the colony himself). He was a Quaker, and this religion is well known for their defense of equality, religious tolerance, and peace. Many colonists had left their original home to join Penn’s colony of tolerance and to live in peace. 

Purpose:

The ultimate purpose for the colony was to set up a colony that could truly be tolerant of all religions. People from many religions, as well as many home countries, joined the colony and its growth was assured by its tolerant policies.

First Encounters: 

The Native tribes in this area were the Iroquois, Algonquian, Delaware, and Susquehanna, to name a few. Relations for the first part of the colony were great, comparatively speaking. Many Indians had made their way to Pennsylvania after disease or war struck their village, because of its reputation for better treatment than other English colonies. The Iroquois and Lenape had signed peace treaties with Pennsylvania. This peace ended after three decades, however, when town officials took Native land without consultation to make room for more colonists. 

Impact:

The first impacts of colonization occurred before this colony had been established. Tribes closer to the coast had been pushed into the area, causing the political and hunting boundaries to be in conflict. Some tribes did not survive the Beaver Wars that ravaged through the area, with an exception to the Iroquois which gained power. Many of the tribes ended up dying from diseases, with survivors being driven away to join other tribes. All major tribes had been pushed out to the Ohio area, while being forced to sign over their land to the colonists. Pennsylvania colony had a short history with slavery, with little demand until the mid-1700s. Later, the colony played a crucial role in planning rebellions in the American Revolutionary War.

Basic Info:

The area that was claimed by the French as Louisiana encompassed today’s Louisiana up north to the great lakes. Several forts were constructed in this area for trade and protection. The French controlled this large area from 1682 until 1769. 

Purpose: 

The French and Spanish were at odds with each other in the colonial era. France’s first colonies were in eastern Canada, far north away from the Spanish colonies. Their Louisiana territory took a chance on this safety net, and settled in their southernmost part, Louisiana today, among what were common Spanish trails at that point. It was a point to “harass the Spaniards in those regions in which they derive their wealth,” as well as to take possession of the land’s resources and trading with Natives and capturing many for the slave trade.

First Encounters: 

A peace was first attempted by the French, as they wanted to capitalize on Indian’s disdain for the Spanish. The French did travel to many villages when they were first settling, and did make peace and truces with these tribes, such as the Natchez and Koroa. Tribes in Arkansas territory were very friendly and helpful towards them. The French recall warm welcomes and speak positively of Natives in the first decade of the colony. 

Impact:

Peace between the two groups did not last, as the Natives eventually stopped trusting the French as they did the Spanish and English. In 1769, the Spanish took possession as payment for a war debt and they held this until 1803, when the United States purchased it from Spain. When the Spanish had control, many Native slaves petitioned for freedom, and after proving their Native ancestry, were given their freedom.

Basic Info:

Located in today’s Texas, this was another French colony, but this time much more south than the norm of its colonies. It was the first attempt to settle any part of the Gulf Coast for France. 

Purpose: 

Fort Saint Louis was supposed to be a colony near the mouth of the Mississippi River, attempting to establish a claim on the river. They believed this river would spread far north, and would be a certain advantage for the French and future colonies if they could lay claim to the opening of the river. Unfortunately for the colonists, it was located too far away from the Mississippi. 

First Encounters: 

Because the French were there first, they were able to broker trade agreements with the local tribes which put them at an advantage over the British and Spanish. This didn’t last long, however, as relations with the local natives wavered. When the colonists were struggling to survive in 1688, the Karankawa tribe disguised themselves as friends, but laid massacre to the remaining colonists except the children who were taken in by the Native women and later by the Spanish.

Impact:

This colony only lasted a while, as Indian attacks and starvation left it vulnerable to the Spaniards. This attempt at the control of the Mississippi, however, set off a race for the three European countries – France, Spain, and England – to obtain the land near the river for their own benefit. Ultimately, the large tract of land called Louisiana (which spread northward and encompassed roughly the middle third of today’s United States) passed hands several times; about a century later Spain colonized the area and took possession, and it was returned to France before being sold to the United States in 1803. Whenever control of Louisiana was held by any country, there was much profit to be made through commerce on this vast river.