The first settlement was in Cap-Rouge Québec. However, explorer Jacques Cartier first tried setting up near the Saint Croix River at the site of Stadacona, but he was faced with hostility by the chief there and was forced to move up to the edges of the Cap-Rouge River. Cartier was in search of another river, St Lawrence, which supposedly crossed over to Canada. 

Cap-Rouge was constructed in a way to defend from attacks, whether it be from competition like Spain, which has previously attacked, or indigenous groups. It had lodges for about 500 colonists. 

At first, Cartier reported possible findings of precious metals like gold on Cap-Rouge, but these turned out to be misleading. The lack of usable resources for the French and the harsh winters then made this first settlement abandoned in 1542. 

After the Cap-Rouge disappointment, the French wanted to find a colony with milder weather conditions. 

In 1555, the French constructed Fort Coligny in Brazil. The head of the colony was appointed Nicolas Durand de Villegagnon, a strict ruler. Internal had been sharply manifested by religious contradictions between Catholics and Protestants, aggravated by Villegagnon’s rule. This resulted in the uprisings of both religious groups and the subsequent expelling of Calvinists. In 1560, the Portuguese destroyed Fort Coligny—after which there was no relevant evidence found for the French in Brazil anymore.

In 1612, there was another attempt at colonization with the founding of Equinoctial France at São Luís do Maranhão, which after some initial success fell to the Portuguese in 1615.

The French attempted to settle Florida as a reaction to Spanish territorial claims of the area and to provide a haven for persecuted Huguenots in France. ( French Protestants). An expedition to the New World was organized, with the head being powerful Huguenot leader Admiral Gaspard de Coligny.

Initially, the first expedition was led by Captain Jean Ribault, who sailed from Le Havre in 1562. He arrived at St. Johns River, (which Ribault named the "River May,") and established a settlement called Charlesfort on Parris Island, South Carolina. This fortified site was to serve as a base for further exploration and defense against the Spanish.

Ribault left behind a few men at Charlesfort, leaving America to inform Coligny of his findings. The remaining colonists had a shortage of supplies and eventually turned against each other. Later, Charlesfort was destroyed by Spanish forces under Manrique de Rojas after the colonists abandoned it.

In 1564, another expedition, this time headed by René de Laudonnière,  Fort Caroline was established on the River May to place 300 colonists and have a permanent French settlement. Although initially enjoying good relations with the local Timucua tribes, it suffered from food scarcity and depended much on resupply from France. The Spanish, under Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, discovered Fort Caroline in 1565 only a week after the French had settled.

Defeats in Brazil and Florida led to a shift in French interest northward, also known by its fishing and fur trading ventures. This land was less claimed by the Spanish and Portuguese, and settlement might prove possible. The severe winters that killed off previous French colonists encouraged the journey to a more favorable site.

In 1563, Étienne Bellanger was tasked with organizing a trading post in Acadia, from where he established an active fur trading relationship with indigenous locals in the region. Nevertheless, French explorers continued to explore this land, named "Arcadia" by Verrazzano because of its luxuriant soil. In 1598, Marquis de La Roche attempted to settle on Sable Island, where most of his men died during the winter.

Henri IV, on November 8, 1603, appointed Pierre Du Gua de Monts to the position of Lieutenant-General of Acadia and Canada. He was tasked with establishing settlers and conducting the evangelization of aboriginal people in return for a fur trade monopoly. On this strategic island of defense and commerce, located in Île Sainte-Croix, De Gua de Monts had already initiated a settlement as far back as 1604.

The winter of 1604-05 proved catastrophic as very low temperatures and ice prevented supply to the colonists. Of the 80 colonists, 35-36 were killed by diseases such as scurvy. This prompted Du Gua de Monts and Samuel Champlain to explore the land lying to the south of the settlement and discover more habitable land but with much hostility from the Aboriginals.

The survivors relocated to Port-Royal, aimed at establishing a more feasible settlement after the disastrous winter. Though efficient at first, it soon had issues in the colony, for instance, the loss of Du Gua de Monts' trade monopoly in 1607, and was left abandoned until 1610.

The Acadian French settlers became farmers, fishermen, and fur traders, establishing relations with the Mi'kmaq and other local Native American people despite English rivalry.

The French founded New France at Port-Royal to protect them from the northwest winds. Initially, Cartier had named the place Port Réal, strategically positioned at the entry of the river "Du Dauphin."

The Royal Habitation was constructed with a four-sided shape for defense and features like a courtyard, walls, and a platform with canons.

Gardens and a trout farm provided food; local game was supplied by the Souriquois, led by Chief Membertou, who allied with the French and proved loyal.

The winter of 1605–1606 claimed fewer lives from scurvy than had the previous ones, and the next winter, even though there was better access to food, people still died of scurvy. However, about fifty new settlers arrived in 1606 which gave the colony some stability.

 In the spring of 1607, Du Gua de Monts lost his trade monopoly to competing traders, and his colonists were disappointed. After the last harvest, in September 1607, the colonists abandoned Port-Royal and left their settlement in the care of Chief Membertou.

Spring 1607 saw overlapping lands claimed by the establishment of Fort St. George by the English.

The first attack on Port-Royal occurred in 1613 by Samuel Argall, marking the beginning of territorial wars between the newly formed New France and New England.

After the failure in the profitability of the settlement at Port-Royal, the French shifted their interest to the North American interior and established New France. The trading monopoly for Pierre Du Gua de Monts was resumed in January 1608, allowing him to take charge of colonial undertakings as they continued changing up to the time the establishment of New France was taken over by the direct authority of the king in 1663.

Lieutenant to Du Gua de Monts, Samuel Champlain chose a secure site for a settlement based on his earlier surveys. At Quebec, he built the first habitation, which was designed as a fortified trading post and base for exploration. It comprised a small fort with few facilities. The settlers suffered more than they could bear, and the winter was hard to survive, especially due to scurvy, so out of 25 occupying the building, only eight were alive by spring.

The idea behind Champlain's explorations was the identification of new resources and trade routes. He traveled by many different rivers, like Saguenay and Richelieu, while developing relationships with First Nations. These voyages would chart the land from 1608 to 1616 and form alliances that gave the French a foothold in North America and their further expansion.

Growth in Quebec was very slow. In 1617, the first settler family arrived. In 1620, Champlain's wife joined her husband to establish a residence. Shortly thereafter, the colony had to face strong opposition from English privateers. In 1628, the capture of Quebec by the Kirke brothers ended this colony. Not until the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1632, by which Quebec was returned to the French, did immigration resume.

At the time of his death in 1635, there were only 150 settlers in New France. Still, in the next three decades, it grew at a rapid rate to reach 3,500 settlers by 1663. The establishment of religious and governmental institutions, along with military backing, helped structure society and solidify New France as the major French colony in North America.