And then the Europeans arrived...
These overlapping claims for northeast North America would be the source of many armed conflicts for the next two-hundred and forty years. During this time, Passamaquoddy Bay (including Moose Island -- later Eastport) was part of a French colony known as “Acadia.”
The St. Croix Settlement (across Passamaquoddy Bay)
In 1604, the French launched an expedition to establish as settlement in the province of “Acadia.” On this expedition, Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons, and his crew sailed past Nova Scotia, and across Passamaquoddy Bay to the St. Croix River, choosing to locate a settlement on an island in the middle of the river between present day Calais, Maine and St. Stephen, New Brunswick. The settlement plan backfired when winter conditions froze the St. Croix River. 39 of the 79 French settlers died due to exposure, scurvy, and other illnesses.
The Settling of North America
Having failed to find a new westerly route to the Far East, European visitors from England, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Spain took to trading with the Indigenous people of North America. In Europe, furs were in hot demand, used as clothing, and used to create felt for hats (hats were status symbols). In exchange for furs, Europeans traded guns, tools, pots and pans, and alcohol. Against this backdrop, Europeans attempted to settle at Roanoke, Tadoussac, Quebec, St. Croix Island (across Passamaquoddy Bay from Eastport), Popham (about 240 miles down the coast from Eastport), Jamestown, Parris Island, St. Augustine, and other locations. Most of these initial attempts to settle in American resulted in abject failures.
The famous 1st map of the New World. Purchased by the U.S. Library of Congress for $10,000,000.
Early settlements through the founding of the United States of America.
Eastport Virtual History Museum
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