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The French did not make efforts to colonize any part of the Indian Ocean, but they did colonize a considerable amount of
land in what is present-day Canada. In 1608, French explorer Samuel de Champlain founded the colony of Quebec as a
central fur-trading post. The French were also interested in converting the Natives to Christianity, using the fur-trading to
fund thier missionary activities.Later on, the French were interested in expansion. In 1673, explorer Louis Joliet and missionary Jecques Marquette reached the Mississippi River and traveled down it by canoe as far down sa the Arkansas River. In 1682, an expedition was lead on the Mississippi all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico, with the French claiming all of land that was by the river for King Louis XIV, naming it Louisiana. As they expanded, they developed a rivalry with England that came to a huge clash in the 18th century.
