France in North america
Old French Maps
Discovering Wisconsin's Past
created in connection with French Heritage Corridor: frenchheritagecorridor.org
When were the French in Wisconsin?
Four hundred years ago, Wisconsin was not yet a state, and the United States of America was not yet a country. The land that is Wisconsin today was home to Native Americans (sometimes called Indians).
From France to North America
Starting in about 1600, people from France came across the Atlantic Ocean to live in North America. They founded some towns, like Montreal.
What year was it, 400 years ago today??? Click here to check your answer!
Trading for furs
The French also came to the land that is now Wisconsin, where they wanted to trade with the Native people who were here. The French people saw the furs that the Native people used, like mink, beaver, and otter, and they knew that they could sell those furs back in France. Often, hats were made from the furs.
What is this?
What is this?
Here are some hats made out of fur! Do you know anyone who wears one of these hat styles today?
Trade Goods
The Native people traded the furs of animals that they had trapped for useful objects that the French people brought over from France. We call these objects “trade goods." The trade goods were things like cloth, metal pots, and metal knives and axes. (We talk about “trading” these things, not “selling” them, because the French and Natives didn’t use paper money, they just traded furs for goods!)
What are these? Click here to find out!
What are these? Click here to find out!
Test your knowledge about Trade Goods
Here!
The French Arrive
The first French people to come here traveled through Wisconsin on its rivers, mostly in canoes. As they traveled, they made notes and drew maps of what they were learning. Later, they built some forts and villages in Wisconsin so that they could trade with the Native people and could grow some crops.
LOOKING AT MAPS
When you use a map, you can learn many kinds of information. On a map, you will see things like lakes and rivers, of course, but mapmakers can put other information on maps, too.
Wisconsin Map 2022
Bellin's Map 1744
Google Map 2024
Jolliet,'s Map 1679
You can click on each map's image to see that map online
OLD and NEW MAPS
Let’s look at some maps of Wisconsin. First, let’s look at some modern maps, and next, some maps that the French people made in the 1600s and 1700s. We’ll compare the maps and see what is different! And, we’ll think about what the French mapmakers thought it was important to show on their maps.
wisconsin today
Let's take a look at what is on this modern map.
What cities and towns do you see?Name four! (What's your town?)
What rivers do you see? Name three!
What roads do you see? Name three of the interstate highways that you see.
What lakes do you see?
Remember the directions, North, South, East, and West!
Map by Louis Jolliet, drawn after his trip on the Mississippi in 1673
What language is used on this French map??
Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette traveled down the MIssissippi River in 1673.They were the first Europeans to travel down the Mississippi. They traveled through what is now Wisconsin! They met Native people who helped them to learn something about this territory, which was unknown to European people. What geographical features like lakes and rivers can you recognize on this map? Do their shapes look a little different from what you see on modern maps? Why?
And now a French map made in 1744!
Map by N. Bellin, 1744
Take a look at this map, which was published in 1744. You can see that it shows the eastern part of North America.
Can you recognize the Great Lakes? Can you see the land that is now Wisconsin? Why do you think the map doesn't look exactly like a modern map of the United States and North America? What do you think the curvy lines on the map (like this) represent?
Click here to see the map online
From New York Public Library
1744 Map
Let's Compare Maps!
2024 Map
VS
Guess the English names of the rivers and the bay that are circled! (Click on the dots to find out.)
Now, find those rivers and that bay on this map of Wisconsin waterways!
You'll find the answers on the next page!
Click here to see this map online!
1744 Map
Let's Compare Maps!
2024 Map
VS
The rivers and the bay are circled on the old map.
Here are those rivers (and that bay!) on the modern map of Wisconsin
Native Americans on the Map
On this map, the names of different Native American tribes are written. It shows where these groups lived when the map was created in about 1744. Some of their villages are also shown.
Here are the names of the groups: Renards (Fox -- the French name for the Meskwaki) Sakis (Sac or Sauks -- allies of the Meskwaki) Mascoutens (a tribe which has disappeared)
Why was it important for the French to show where people of different Native tribes lived? And how did the French interact with the Native people? Click to learn more about these Native tribes: Meskwaki: https://www.meskwaki.org/ Sac: https://www.sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov/ (These are NOT the only Native groups from Wisconsin and in Wisconsin today!)
Think about it!
On the modern map of Wisconsin, we noticed highways and roads. Why do you think there are no roads on the old maps created by the French?
Here's an answer!
Think about it!
So... what information did the French people put on their maps? What have you observed?
Names of... 1) 2) 3) Shapes of... 1) 2) Anything else??
???
???
???
???
???
More information!
You can learn more! Go to the French Heritage Corridor website: https://frenchheritagecorridor.org/
© 2024 French Heritage Corridorand Randa Duvick randa.duvick@valpo.edu
Map Activity
Create your own map!
Choose a place you know well: your classroom or your home or the state of Indiana or another place. Draw or find a map of that place that doesn't already have labels on it. (Your teacher can find some maps at frenchheritagecorridor.org)
On that map, put in the labels that you think are important for someone looking at the map to know!
What kinds of labels will you include? Why? Who will think that these labels are useful (that means, who is the audience for your map, who will look at it?)?
You can use an online app like this one or you can draw and write the information on paper!
then, show your map to the class and explain what you labeled and why!
What are these?
These are kettles made of metal. They could be used for cooking.
What year was it?
400 years ago...
Today, it's 2025: 400 years ago, it was 1625 !!
(2025 - 400 = 1625).
1625Remember: we call the century of 1625 "the 17th century"
The name on the map for this river is "R. Colbert." ("R." stands for "Rivière) What is the name of this river today? MISSISSIPPI, of course!
French and Native people
Each group of Native people was different! They had different languages and different customs. If the French wanted to trade with different groups, they had to know the different groups well. They also tried to make sure that there were not conflicts among groups!
Route through Wisconsin
When Marquette and Jolliet came through what is today Wisconsin, they came down Green Bay and then took the Fox River to the portage at today's city of.... Portage! Then they took the Wisconsin River to where it meets the Mississippi River, at today's city of Prairie du Chien.
They were led by Native people who knew this route and could help them navigate. On the way, they met other Native people who lived in the regions they were passing through.
What is the English name today for "Lac des Illinois"?
(It's Lake Michigan, of course!)
Remember the directions of the compass!
N means North: it is the "up" direction
South is the "down" direction
East is the "right" direction
West is the "left" direction
Cool Title
Cool Title
With this function... You can add additional content that excites the brain of your audience: videos, images, links, interactivity... Whatever you want!
Cool Title
Cool Title
What are these?
These are fish hooks made of metal.
Remember the directions of the compass!
N means North: it is the "up" direction
South is the "down" direction
East is the "right" direction
West is the "left" direction
What are these?
These are fish hooks made of metal.
Traveling on water
Remember that the Native people and the French mostly traveled on rivers and lakes! Cars did not exist, and you needed horses to pull wagons. It was much simpler to travel on water! There were very few actual roads in North America at that time! Native people traveled on paths, but rivers and lakes were the fastest way to travel. So it was important for the French to show the rivers and lakes on maps. This helped them navigate! The Native people also traveled by water much of the time. The French adopted the bark canoes used by the Native people!
Old French Maps--Wisconsin
Randa
Created on December 2, 2024
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Transcript
France in North america
Old French Maps
Discovering Wisconsin's Past
created in connection with French Heritage Corridor: frenchheritagecorridor.org
When were the French in Wisconsin?
Four hundred years ago, Wisconsin was not yet a state, and the United States of America was not yet a country. The land that is Wisconsin today was home to Native Americans (sometimes called Indians).
From France to North America
Starting in about 1600, people from France came across the Atlantic Ocean to live in North America. They founded some towns, like Montreal.
What year was it, 400 years ago today??? Click here to check your answer!
Trading for furs
The French also came to the land that is now Wisconsin, where they wanted to trade with the Native people who were here. The French people saw the furs that the Native people used, like mink, beaver, and otter, and they knew that they could sell those furs back in France. Often, hats were made from the furs.
What is this?
What is this?
Here are some hats made out of fur! Do you know anyone who wears one of these hat styles today?
Trade Goods
The Native people traded the furs of animals that they had trapped for useful objects that the French people brought over from France. We call these objects “trade goods." The trade goods were things like cloth, metal pots, and metal knives and axes. (We talk about “trading” these things, not “selling” them, because the French and Natives didn’t use paper money, they just traded furs for goods!)
What are these? Click here to find out!
What are these? Click here to find out!
Test your knowledge about Trade Goods
Here!
The French Arrive
The first French people to come here traveled through Wisconsin on its rivers, mostly in canoes. As they traveled, they made notes and drew maps of what they were learning. Later, they built some forts and villages in Wisconsin so that they could trade with the Native people and could grow some crops.
LOOKING AT MAPS
When you use a map, you can learn many kinds of information. On a map, you will see things like lakes and rivers, of course, but mapmakers can put other information on maps, too.
Wisconsin Map 2022
Bellin's Map 1744
Google Map 2024
Jolliet,'s Map 1679
You can click on each map's image to see that map online
OLD and NEW MAPS
Let’s look at some maps of Wisconsin. First, let’s look at some modern maps, and next, some maps that the French people made in the 1600s and 1700s. We’ll compare the maps and see what is different! And, we’ll think about what the French mapmakers thought it was important to show on their maps.
wisconsin today
Let's take a look at what is on this modern map.
What cities and towns do you see?Name four! (What's your town?)
What rivers do you see? Name three!
What roads do you see? Name three of the interstate highways that you see.
What lakes do you see?
Remember the directions, North, South, East, and West!
Map by Louis Jolliet, drawn after his trip on the Mississippi in 1673
What language is used on this French map??
Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette traveled down the MIssissippi River in 1673.They were the first Europeans to travel down the Mississippi. They traveled through what is now Wisconsin! They met Native people who helped them to learn something about this territory, which was unknown to European people. What geographical features like lakes and rivers can you recognize on this map? Do their shapes look a little different from what you see on modern maps? Why?
And now a French map made in 1744!
Map by N. Bellin, 1744
Take a look at this map, which was published in 1744. You can see that it shows the eastern part of North America.
Can you recognize the Great Lakes? Can you see the land that is now Wisconsin? Why do you think the map doesn't look exactly like a modern map of the United States and North America? What do you think the curvy lines on the map (like this) represent?
Click here to see the map online
From New York Public Library
1744 Map
Let's Compare Maps!
2024 Map
VS
Guess the English names of the rivers and the bay that are circled! (Click on the dots to find out.)
Now, find those rivers and that bay on this map of Wisconsin waterways!
You'll find the answers on the next page!
Click here to see this map online!
1744 Map
Let's Compare Maps!
2024 Map
VS
The rivers and the bay are circled on the old map.
Here are those rivers (and that bay!) on the modern map of Wisconsin
Native Americans on the Map
On this map, the names of different Native American tribes are written. It shows where these groups lived when the map was created in about 1744. Some of their villages are also shown.
Here are the names of the groups: Renards (Fox -- the French name for the Meskwaki) Sakis (Sac or Sauks -- allies of the Meskwaki) Mascoutens (a tribe which has disappeared)
Why was it important for the French to show where people of different Native tribes lived? And how did the French interact with the Native people? Click to learn more about these Native tribes: Meskwaki: https://www.meskwaki.org/ Sac: https://www.sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov/ (These are NOT the only Native groups from Wisconsin and in Wisconsin today!)
Think about it!
On the modern map of Wisconsin, we noticed highways and roads. Why do you think there are no roads on the old maps created by the French?
Here's an answer!
Think about it!
So... what information did the French people put on their maps? What have you observed?
Names of... 1) 2) 3) Shapes of... 1) 2) Anything else??
???
???
???
???
???
More information!
You can learn more! Go to the French Heritage Corridor website: https://frenchheritagecorridor.org/
© 2024 French Heritage Corridorand Randa Duvick randa.duvick@valpo.edu
Map Activity
Create your own map!
Choose a place you know well: your classroom or your home or the state of Indiana or another place. Draw or find a map of that place that doesn't already have labels on it. (Your teacher can find some maps at frenchheritagecorridor.org)
On that map, put in the labels that you think are important for someone looking at the map to know!
What kinds of labels will you include? Why? Who will think that these labels are useful (that means, who is the audience for your map, who will look at it?)?
You can use an online app like this one or you can draw and write the information on paper!
then, show your map to the class and explain what you labeled and why!
What are these?
These are kettles made of metal. They could be used for cooking.
What year was it?
400 years ago...
Today, it's 2025: 400 years ago, it was 1625 !!
(2025 - 400 = 1625).
1625Remember: we call the century of 1625 "the 17th century"
The name on the map for this river is "R. Colbert." ("R." stands for "Rivière) What is the name of this river today? MISSISSIPPI, of course!
French and Native people
Each group of Native people was different! They had different languages and different customs. If the French wanted to trade with different groups, they had to know the different groups well. They also tried to make sure that there were not conflicts among groups!
Route through Wisconsin
When Marquette and Jolliet came through what is today Wisconsin, they came down Green Bay and then took the Fox River to the portage at today's city of.... Portage! Then they took the Wisconsin River to where it meets the Mississippi River, at today's city of Prairie du Chien.
They were led by Native people who knew this route and could help them navigate. On the way, they met other Native people who lived in the regions they were passing through.
What is the English name today for "Lac des Illinois"?
(It's Lake Michigan, of course!)
Remember the directions of the compass!
N means North: it is the "up" direction
South is the "down" direction
East is the "right" direction
West is the "left" direction
Cool Title
Cool Title
With this function... You can add additional content that excites the brain of your audience: videos, images, links, interactivity... Whatever you want!
Cool Title
Cool Title
What are these?
These are fish hooks made of metal.
Remember the directions of the compass!
N means North: it is the "up" direction
South is the "down" direction
East is the "right" direction
West is the "left" direction
What are these?
These are fish hooks made of metal.
Traveling on water
Remember that the Native people and the French mostly traveled on rivers and lakes! Cars did not exist, and you needed horses to pull wagons. It was much simpler to travel on water! There were very few actual roads in North America at that time! Native people traveled on paths, but rivers and lakes were the fastest way to travel. So it was important for the French to show the rivers and lakes on maps. This helped them navigate! The Native people also traveled by water much of the time. The French adopted the bark canoes used by the Native people!