French Monarchical Influence
The expeditions of Samuel de Champlain, Jacques Cartier and other French explorers were sponsored by the kings of France, who were absolutist rulers. Monarchism played a key role in these early expeditions: lands were claimed for the king and settlements were often given royal place names. Monarchism also influenced how Europeans engaged with Indigenous peoples as they sought a familiar social hierarchy, identifying a “king” among the leaders of the communities they encountered.