Struggles and Wars for the North American Continent

The English King viz. King Charles II gave the Hudson’s Bay Company an exclusive right to trade in the watersheds of Hudson Bay. The competition for the English company came from the traders based in Montreal. The courageous and skilled traders used canoes for traveling and trade and were named “Coureurs des Bois” and “voyageurs”. They formed strong trade and other alliances with the people of the First Nations.

In the later developments, the French colonies were left behind by English colonies. The latter became more populous and richer. Battles took place between Great Britain and France during the 1700s. The French were defeated by the British comprehensively in 1759 at Quebec City in the battle of “The Plains of Abraham”. The loss of the battle marked the end of the French Empire in North America. Commanders of both armies (Marquis de Montcalm and James Wolfe) were killed during the battle.