France took the lead in colonizing the Upper Midwest region. From the early sixteenth century on, French soldiersmissionaries and fur traders left their slight mark upon the St Lawrence valley, the upper Great Lakes and points west For the early French explorersthe more continent they discovered the more their hopes were frustratedThey had hoped that the vast St Lawrence-Great Lakes waterway was part of a Northwest Passage to the wealth of the OnentThe French presence was asserted by a network of forts, trading posts and missions dotting the lake and river routes traversing the continental interior

Use the passage to answer the question

Based on your text and this reading, why was land near water so important for French settlers?

O Setters reled on water routes for transportation

O Semers used water toutes to hunt for food

O Setters depended on water from rivers and lakes for their crops

Seters continued to look for a Northwest Passage across the continent

-Library of Congress

(1 point)

Based on the passage, the correct answer is:

Settlers relied on water routes for transportation.

Based on the passage, the correct answer would be:

- Settlers relied on water routes for transportation.

Based on the given passage, the land near water was important for French settlers because they relied on water routes for transportation. The passage mentions that the French presence was asserted by a network of forts, trading posts, and missions dotting the lake and river routes. This suggests that the French settlers used the waterways to navigate and establish their presence in the Upper Midwest region. Therefore, the correct answer is: French settlers relied on water routes for transportation.