Final answer:
The French objective in settling the lower Mississippi Valley was to establish commercially viable outposts for trade, particularly in the fur trade, and to contest Spanish power in the region.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Objective of Iberville and the French in the Lower Mississippi Valley
The main objective of Iberville and the French in settling the lower Mississippi Valley was to establish commercially viable colonial outposts. This endeavor was part of a larger French effort to create extensive trading networks in New France, with a particular focus on the lucrative fur trade. They engaged with native hunters to secure beaver pelts, which were in high demand in France due to the popularity of beaver fur-trimmed hats. The French also sought to weaken Spanish power and contest their control in the Caribbean, hence they eyed strategic locations like Florida and the Mississippi Valley. Moreover, the French aspired to replicate the wealth of Spain through sugar plantation sites in the West Indies, ultimately depending on African slave labor for profitability. The settlement of the lower Mississippi Valley was thus intertwined with broader French colonial strategies that combined economic interests, primarily in the form of trade, with geopolitical ambitions.
Beyond economic motives, French settlers also included Catholic missionaries, particularly Jesuits, who aimed to convert indigenous peoples to Christianity. However, the main strategy remained trade-focused, partnering with local tribes and integrating culturally for better trade relations.