Final answer:
The major regions of North America that France and England were competing for included the St. Lawrence River Valley, the Great Lakes, and the Ohio River Valley. This competition led to several conflicts, culminating in the French and Indian War, which ended French territorial claims in North America after the Treaty of Paris in 1763.
Step-by-step explanation:
Competition for North American Territories
France and England were competing for control of major regions in North America during the colonial period. The primary areas of contest included the St. Lawrence River Valley, the Great Lakes region, and the Ohio River Valley. These territories were valuable for different reasons: while the English were establishing family farms and growing cash crops like tobacco in the South, the French focused on the lucrative fur trade with Native Americans, particularly for beaver pelts in the colder regions of Canada.
As both European powers expanded their frontiers, the competition escalated into a series of conflicts, peaking with the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years' War in Europe. This war, which began over rival claims along the frontier in present-day western Pennsylvania, ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763, effectively ceasing the French territory known as New France. Consequently, the British expanded their territorial claims from Canada to Florida, although their control was challenged by powerful native confederacies and external powers.
Despite their efforts, France's settlements, such as those in the St. Lawrence River Valley and cities like St. Louis, Detroit, and Des Moines, faced the continual obstacle of British ambition. The eventual outcome dramatically reshaped control over North America, with the British seizing extensive territory.