Why were the French in North America?

Background. The French first came to the New World as travelers, seeking a route to the Pacific Ocean and wealth. Major French exploration of North America began under the rule of Francis I, King of France.Click to see full answer. Similarly one may ask, why did the French come to America?The reasons for the French Immigration to America were for a variety of reasons including religious and political persecution and natural disasters such as the potato blight that caused hunger and famine. Also refer to Examples of PUSH and PULL Factors of French Immigration.Also, what did the French do in North America? New France (French: Nouvelle-France), also sometimes known as the French North American Empire or Royal New France, was the area colonized by France in America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spain in Similarly one may ask, why did the French want to colonize North America? Motivations for colonization: The French colonized North America to create trading posts for the fur trade. Some French missionaries eventually made their way to North America in order to convert Native Americans to Catholicism. The French in particular created alliances with the Hurons and Algonquians.Where did the French settle in North America?In the next year he was on the Bay of Fundy and had a share in founding the first French colony in North America—that of Port-Royal, (now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia). In 1608 he began the settlement that was named Quebec, selecting a commanding site that controlled the narrowing of the St. Lawrence River estuary.