French colonization of the Americas French colonization of the Americas The French colonization of the Americas began in the 16th century, and continued on into the following centuries as France established a colonial empire in the Western Hemisphere. France founded colonies in much of eastern North America, on a number of Caribbean islands, and in South America. Most colonies were developed to export products such as fish, rice sugar, and furs. As they colonized the New World, the French established forts and settlements that would become such cities as Quebec and Montreal in Canada; Detroit, Green Bay, St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, Mobile, Biloxi, Baton Rouge
Alcohol in New France Recollect and Jesuit missionaries needing to provide for religious ceremony, who found their imported supplies often close to depletion. The Sulpicians even attempted to make wine from imported French grapes. Such production was limited to religious purposes. Attempts to domesticate local varieties, beginning with Samuel de Champlain in 1608, or to profitably cultivate imported French varieties, were largely unsuccessful. Aside from the aforementioned missionaries, production of Canadian wine in New France was non-existent. Consequently, colonists imported large quantities of wine from France, especially during the 18th century, with a strong preference for red wine. During the 16th and 17th Centuries,