Final answer:
The French had various reasons for exploration and colonization, including trading for furs, establishing commercially viable outposts, and converting Native Americans to Catholicism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The French had various reasons for exploration and colonization:
- Trading for furs: The fur trade was a major source of economic profit for the French. They established extensive trading networks in New France and relied on native hunters to harvest furs, especially beaver pelts, in exchange for French trade goods.
- Establishing commercially viable outposts: The French aimed to establish profitable colonial outposts. They created trading networks in Canada and the West Indies to extract raw materials like hides, furs, agricultural products, and sugar through lucrative industries like fishing, whaling, and sugar plantations.
- Conversion to Catholicism: Some French Catholic priests, such as members of the Jesuits, attempted to convert Native Americans to Christianity. They focused on spreading Catholicism without forcing full assimilation to European culture.
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