Why did French immigrants come to America and when?

Answer 1

The French claimed New France one year after Jamestown was founded. The French government was driven by the same impulses as the British crown, determined to keep up with the British as far as colonization of the New World. The problem was that most French citizens did not want to come to the area known as New France. The soil and climate were not suited for farming. The soil and climate of Nova Scotia were worse than New England. Most French settlers were laborers or tradesmen, not farmers. The crown would only allow French citizens in their colonies. The Huguenots, for example, were harassed in France and eventually many ended up in the British colonies. The French did find a good trade with the Indians in furs and trapping animals for their fur became an important industry as well as colonial fishing. The French colonies grew slowly.