The French Empire of the St. Lawrence was based on trade with the Indigenous inhabitants of the continent's interior. Settlement was sparse. French farms could be found on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Elsewhere, the French presence was confined to trading posts.

On 3 May 1789, the Nor'Wester Alexander Mackenzie set out from Lake Athabasca believing he was on a course that would take him to the Pacific Ocean.  On 9 June, he and his men arrived at Great Slave Lake, finding it still covered with ice.  On 29 June they found the lake's outlet, a river that tantalizingly flowed westward.  But to their dismay, it soon turned north.  On 12 July they reached its delta on the Arctic Ocean.  Mackenzie gave the river a name that reflected his mood: "River of Disappointment."

The French Empire of the St. Lawrence was based on trade with the Indigenous inhabitants of the continent's interior.  Settlement was sparse.  French farms could be found on the banks of the St. Lawrence River.  Elsewhere, the French presence was confined to trading posts.

On 3 May 1789, the Nor'Wester Alexander Mackenzie set out from Lake Athabasca believing he was on a course that would take him to the Pacific Ocean.  On 9 June, he and his men arrived at Great Slave Lake, finding it still covered with ice.  On 29 June they found the lake's outlet, a river that tantalizingly flowed westward.  But to their dismay, it soon turned north.  On 12 July they reached its delta on the Arctic Ocean.  Mackenzie gave the river a name that reflected his mood: "River of Disappointment."

Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumque nihil impedit quo minus id quod maxime placeat facere possimus, omnis voluptas assumenda est, omnis dolor repellendus. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non.

Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumque nihil impedit quo minus id quod maxime placeat facere possimus, omnis voluptas assumenda est, omnis dolor repellendus. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae. Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus asperiores repellat."

Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumque nihil impedit quo minus id quod maxime placeat facere possimus, omnis voluptas assumenda est, omnis dolor repellendus. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae. Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus asperiores repellat."

Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumque nihil impedit quo minus id quod maxime placeat facere possimus, omnis voluptas assumenda est, omnis dolor repellendus. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae. Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus asperiores repellat."

Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumque nihil impedit quo minus id quod maxime placeat facere possimus, omnis voluptas assumenda est, omnis dolor repellendus. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae. Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus asperiores repellat."

Nam libero tempore, cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio cumque nihil impedit quo minus id quod maxime placeat facere possimus, omnis voluptas assumenda est, omnis dolor repellendus. Temporibus autem quibusdam et aut officiis debitis aut rerum necessitatibus saepe eveniet ut et voluptates repudiandae sint et molestiae non recusandae. Itaque earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut aut reiciendis voluptatibus maiores alias consequatur aut perferendis doloribus asperiores repellat."