New France
New France was a place a very long time ago - like a hundred of your birthdays ago - where French people lived in what is now Canada and some parts of the United States.
Imagine you are playing pretend, and you have your own secret hideout in the backyard. Well, New France was like a secret hideout for the French. They wanted to have a place for themselves away from all the other countries like England or Spain, who were also exploring and settling in the Americas.
The French started exploring and finding new places to live about 400 years ago - that's even before your grandparents were born! They found a lot of good land and started making little towns and cities, just like your own. But because they were far away from France, they had to learn how to make everything themselves. The French people had to grow their own food, build their own houses, and make their own clothes.
New France became famous for its fur trade. Do you know what fur is? Think of cute fuzzy animals like beavers, foxes and raccoons. The French would trap them, and then sell their fur to people in Europe. The fur was really warm and cozy and helped people stay comfortable in the winter.
But not everyone was happy about the French living in their own little hideout. The English began to get jealous and wanted to take over New France. They fought a series of wars against the French, and eventually, they won. This happened a long time before your parents were born. But even though it's not here anymore, New France has a really important part in the history of Canada and the United States.
Imagine you are playing pretend, and you have your own secret hideout in the backyard. Well, New France was like a secret hideout for the French. They wanted to have a place for themselves away from all the other countries like England or Spain, who were also exploring and settling in the Americas.
The French started exploring and finding new places to live about 400 years ago - that's even before your grandparents were born! They found a lot of good land and started making little towns and cities, just like your own. But because they were far away from France, they had to learn how to make everything themselves. The French people had to grow their own food, build their own houses, and make their own clothes.
New France became famous for its fur trade. Do you know what fur is? Think of cute fuzzy animals like beavers, foxes and raccoons. The French would trap them, and then sell their fur to people in Europe. The fur was really warm and cozy and helped people stay comfortable in the winter.
But not everyone was happy about the French living in their own little hideout. The English began to get jealous and wanted to take over New France. They fought a series of wars against the French, and eventually, they won. This happened a long time before your parents were born. But even though it's not here anymore, New France has a really important part in the history of Canada and the United States.