A Brief History of Canada to the mid 18th Century

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANADA

Geopolitic map of Canada

1st discovery: Paleo-Indian Migration to the North and South Americas10,000 years agoBering Strait Land Bridge and the Migration of Early Indians As many as 10 million people may have crossedEven when the ice melted, the crossing was ca 80 km wide easily crossable

Directions of migration across the North American continent250 500 thousand people roamed the present-day Canada11 linguistic families, 53 distinct languagesNomadic life-style

Linguistic map of Canada

Linguistic map of North America

2nd discovery: Norse peoplesLate 10th and early 11th century, in search of farmland, Vikings discover Newfoundland They call it VinlandLeif Eriksson, son of Eric the RedExploits described in Norse sagas: Greenlanders Saga and Erik the Reds Saga

LAnse aux MeadowsOriginally, LAnse-aux-Mduses, Jellyfish CoveIs the only confirmed site of the Viking landing to Canada and North American territory (outside of Greenland)Discovered in the 1960s; its on the northernmost tip of Newfoundland

Reconstructions of the Viking settlement

3rd (re)discovery: accidental discoveryLate 15th-century EuropeNo knowledge of the New World (Natives left no written trace, Norse sagas lost until the end of the 16th century)Search for the Northwest passage to the Indies (India and China) Rivalry by Portugal and SpainPortugal: Bartholomeu Diaz and Vasco da Gama Eastern routesSpain: Christopher Columbus Western route

Reconstruction of Santa Maria

Search for the Northwest Passage1497 Givanni Caboto = John Cabot is the 1st European to land on the coast of North America, New-found-landHe found: a) rich cod fishing grounds; whalesb) the Gulf of St. LawrenceThroughout the 16th century the Spanish, Portuguese, French, English and Basque fishing fleets visit the areaFrench and English fleets build temporary huts and trade with the Native peoples

Ferryland was one of the most popular fishing harbours in Newfoundland. Established as a station for migratory fishermen in the late 16th century.

16th century France: Jacques Cartier1520s Europes disillusionment: this is not China the search continuesAmerica is a distinct continent that needs to be explored1535 Jacques Cartier explores the Gulf of St. Lawrence in search of a passage to AsiaIroquoian Chief DonnaconaCanada gets its name from the Iroquoian word kanata, meaning village, settlement

Englands Quest for Arctic Passage1576 Martin Frobisher looked for a passage to Asia through the uncharted Arctic watersStrayed into the Mistaken Strait, later known as the Hudson Strait1610 Henry Hudson discovered Hudson Bay and James Bay1615 William Baffin continues to search for northwest passageUnsuccessful expeditions, conclusion: Canada is an inhospitable land

William Baffins explorations2 voyages: 1st v. explores Hudson Strait2nd v. reaches Lancaster Sound, almost finds the Arctic passage

The Rise of New France,17th century17th and 18th centuries imperial rivalry between France and England, both in Europe and colonies

Until mid-18th c. France dominates in the exploration of North America

New France fur trade and coloniesMain reason for exploration/exploitation of Canada: beaverBeaver felt hat became fashionable in late 16th-century EuropeIntense competition royal charters of monopoly issued16th c.: new doctrine of imperialism: discovery, conquest and settlementEstablishment of colony necessary to retain exclusive rights to the resources of Canada

Samuel de ChamplainFrench explorer of the 17th century, the Father of CanadaExplored the St. Lawrence River and Atlantic coast1604 first French colony in North America in Acadia (today Nova Scotia)Acadia ~ Arcadia, mythical , idyllic French settlementIn reality, at first it was a struggling colonyThe 1st European agricultural settlement on Canadian soil

Founded Quebec - kebec, Algonquian for where the river narrowsQuebec important strategic point, controls access to the interior, and fur trade1609 trade relations with the Huron and Algonquin tribes And war alliance against the Iroquois bad consequencesIroquois imperil French colonization throughout the 17th c. The Dutch (later English) colonizers ally with the Iroquois, supplying them with firearms in exchange for furs via the Hudson and Mohawk rivers

Five Nations Federation = Iroquois ConfederacyOne of the strongest alliances on the North American continentthe League was formed sometime between about 1450 and 1600The Seneca, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga and Mohawk1720 Tuscarora joined Six Nations Confederacy

Coureurs de boisWoodsmen, runners of the woods, voyagers, trappers Champlain instituted the practice

early settlers, young men sent to live with the Native peoples to learn language and customs, survival in the bushHired by large European companies seeking trade monopolies

tienne Brul coureur de bois 1610 tienne Brul lived with the Huron one of the first European explorers to see the Great LakesDiscovered pathway to Humber (Toronto lies on it)

Early 17th century world

Jesuit Missionaries arrive to New FranceChamplains 1st task in Canada: build a colony2nd task: regularisation of the fur trade3rd task: Christianization of the native population, i.e. conversion of the heathensChamplain invites missionaries 1632-1652 the golden years for the missions in CanadaFather Jean de Brbeuf set out to convert the Iroquois, was tortured and killedMade famous by E. J. Pratts poem Brbeuf and his Brethren (1941)Jesuits become the main recruiting force for colonistsQuebec university founded in 1635

Development of New France mid-17th to mid-18th centuryMid-17th century, New France under virtual siege by the IroquoisThe English are closing in they capture New Amsterdam from the Dutch and rename it New York (1664)Acadia is lost to the English (one of many times)The New France colony has ca 1000 settlers in mid-17th c., but more than 60 000 by mid-18th c.Reform needed: mercantilism Jean Baptiste Colbert (late 17th c.)Habitants and the seigneurial system, emphasis on agricultural economy, reduces the dominance of the fur trade

Canadien IdentityBy mid 18th c. distinct Canadien identityDistinctly hierarchical and Catholic society(Catholic Church will remain a strong force in the Quebec province until 1960s Quiet Revolution)Three major centres: Quebec, Trois-Rivieres and MontrealThe beaver aristocracyMtis community