The Lost Code

The Trading Colony

For France, the colony was a raw materials trading post whose role was to boost the mother country's wealth. It supplied the Kingdom of France with raw materials such as furs, which were then resold for profit to other countries. The colony also served as an export market for the mother country, which sold its finished products to colonists.

The French monarch granted companies a monopoly (exclusive rights) on the fur trade in its colonies for a set period of time. These companies were created by individuals who injected them with capital and then reaped the profits. They were required to administer and populate the colony. However, the expensive task of populating the colony held less of an allure than pocketing the profits.