Final answer:
The St. Lawrence Lowlands were first inhabited by indigenous groups before the arrival of Europeans. French explorers, led by Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain, established early European settlements in the 16th and early 17th centuries. The French and later British presence in the area shaped the region's history due to fur trade and colonial wars.
Step-by-step explanation:
Who First Lived in the St. Lawrence Lowlands?
The first inhabitants of the St. Lawrence Lowlands were indigenous peoples who lived in the region long before European colonization. With the arrival of European explorers in the 16th century, France began to establish a presence in the area. Notably, French Canada began with Jacques Cartier claiming the mouth of the St. Lawrence River for France. Following Cartier, Samuel de Champlain fortified Quebec and expanded the French territory in the region. The French engaged in fur trading with the local native populations, like the Algonquian people, and formed economic and sometimes personal alliances, such as marriage, with them. However, following the French and Indian War, Great Britain acquired the territory from France in 1763, and the area began to shift more towards British influence, though a considerable French-speaking population remained.