Use the passage to answer the question- france took the lead in colonizing the upper midwest region from the early 16th century on, french soldiers, missionaries in fur traders left there slight mark up on the st. lawrence valley, upper great lakes and points west. were the early french explorers, the more continent they discovered the more their hopes were frustrated. they had hoped that st. lawrence– great lakes water weigh which part of the northwest passage to the wealth of the orient. the french presence was asserted by a network of forts, trading post in missions guarding the lake and river routes traveling the continental interior- library of congress based on your text and this reading why was land near the water so important french settlers a-settlers relied on water routes for transportation b-settlers used water route to hunt for food c-settlers depended on water from rivers and lakes for their crops d-settlers continue to work for a northwest passage across the continent