New France
Definition
New France was a territory in North America that was claimed by France from 1534 until it was ceded to Great Britain and Spain in 1763. It included parts of what is now Quebec, Canada, as well as other territories in North America.
Analogy
Think about when you play a game like Monopoly - you try to buy up as many properties as you can. That's similar to what countries like France were doing during this time period - they were trying to claim (or "buy") as much land overseas as possible.
Related terms
Fur Trade: The worldwide buying, selling, and exchange of animal fur since the colonial period which became one of the main economic ventures in North America attracting competition among the French, British, Dutch, Spanish, and Russians.
Treaty of Paris (1763): This ended the Seven Years War (known in America as the French and Indian War), removing France from mainland North America; Britain gained all territory east of Mississippi River; Spain kept territory west of Mississippi but exchanged East & West Florida for Cuba.
Seigneurial System: An institutional form of land distribution established in New France. It was semi-feudal system where landlords called seigneurs rented out their lands to peasants or habitants.
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