Final answer:
French settlements in North America were often established along rivers, forming a linear or ribbon-like pattern, primarily due to their focus on trade, especially the fur trade. However, it cannot be definitively stated that the French 'brought' linear settlement patterns to North America.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement -
Linear settlement patterns
were brought to North America by the French - is
partially true
. The French settlers focused more on trade than agriculture, like their English counterparts, and primarily invested in the fur trade. They did not transport large populations from France but established dispersed settlements in the areas they colonized in North America.
Established primarily as trading posts in regions with abundant animal fur, the colonial settlements were typically situated along the major river systems, forming what can be seen as linear or ribbon-like patterns. Quebec, the first major French settlement in North America, for example, lies on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River.
However, it cannot be definitively said that the French solely 'brought' linear settlement patterns to North America, as this oversimplifies the complexity of historical migrations and settlement patterns, and presumes that no such patterns existed before their arrival.
Learn more about French settlements in North America