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1530
France began to send explorers
France began to send explorers to find new lands. The area around what is now called the St. Lawrence was among the new lands explored by France. Eventually, France decided to set up colonies there. -
1534
Jacques Cartier's 1st Voyage
Jacques Cartier was sent to find two things:
- a shipping route to the Orient to follow French traders to import silk and other fine products to Europe.
- precious gems and gold to make the French rich. He landed in PEI and mapped out the Gulf of the St.Lawrence River. Conflicts with the Iroquois (Donnacona), and later convinced him to take two of his sons, back to France, who after a year served as the interpreters for French. -
1535
Jacques Cartier 2nd Voyage
Jacques Cartier set out on another voyage to New France. He sailed up the St-Lawrence and reached Stadacona (Quebec today) He spent winter in Stadacona but almost all of the crew became sick with scurvy. -
1541
Jacques Cartier 3rd Voyage
- Donnacona died during this voyage.
- Relations with First Nation people suffered.
- This time Cartier discovered that what he thought were diamonds were quartz.
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French settlement in Acadia - Port Royal
*Port Royal was one of the first settlements attempted by the French in North America *. In 1605, the king of France wanted to establish a settlement in Acadia (Nova Scotia) called Port Royal. He sent Samuel de Champlain to establish this settlement but it failed because of its position. Port Royal was too far for the First Nations peoples to travel. -
New France (Quebec) First permanent settlement
In 1608-09, Samuel de Champlain created the first permanent settlement. He founded Québec to facilitate the fur trade with the Amerindians. Québec is on the part of the St-Lawrence River that is very narrow, allowing to control river traffic. Also, being on the River made travel and exportation easier. -
The Jesuits Priests
The first Jesuits arrived in New France. They had two immediate goals in mind: 1- To spread the Roman Catholic religion to the First Nation peoples. 2- to establish schools for boys. -
Company of One Hundred Associates
The King of France ordered the Company of One Hundred Associates to populate the colony (which had around 100 European inhabitants). They attracted several hundred colonists but did not reach their goal of 4000. Mainly men for: fur trades, and battle against Iroquois. -
Hudson’s Bay Company was established
The Hudson’s Bay Company is established, forming a monopoly and increasing the volume of goods in the fur trade. -
Great Peace of Montreal
The French traded fur with the Native nations. They established alliances with nations that were enemies of the Iroquois. The war ended with the signing of the Great Peace of Montreal in 1701, re-establishing a certain level of security in New France. The First Nations peoples signed a treaty with New France, in which both sides agreed to cooperate in the future. This treaty meant that many First Nations peoples would not help the British and would stay neutral. -
The War of Spanish Succession
The war was fought between 1702 and 1713
The war was caused by conflicting claims to the Spanish throne after the death of the childless King Charles II. The conflict spilled over into the North American colonies of France and England. French forces destroyed the English settlement at Bonavista, Newfoundland, in 1704 and captured St. John's in 1708. The English gained control of Port-Royal and with it Acadia in 1710. -
Treaty of Utrecht
This treaty settled several succession disputes between England and France and granted considerable territory to England. France retained Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton but ceded Acadia and Newfoundland to the English and restored to them the vast territories whose rivers drain into Hudson Bay (see also: Rupert's Land). The Treaty of Utrecht is acknowledged as the end of French expansion, and the beginning of the rise of the British Empire. -
Oath of allegiance
The majority of Acadians signed an oath of allegiance to the British Crown but stated that they would not take up arms against France. -
Founding of Halifax
Edward Cornwallis arrived in Chebucto harbour in advance of 2,567 settlers. Work began on the town of Halifax, which replaced Annapolis Royal as the capital of Nova Scotia and established a strong British foothold in Nova Scotia. -
Acadian Expulsion
The Acadians had lived on Nova Scotia’s territory since the founding of Port-Royal in 1604. Acadia had 12000 French inhabitants. Between 1755 to 1760, about 10000 of them were expelled from the region.
Fearing that the Acadians would side with France if war ensued, the British Governor Charles Lawrence issued an ultimatum: swear unconditional loyalty or be deported.
The Acadians were then deported to the Thirteen Colonies in the south, Britain and France. -
Period: to
Seven Years' War
British wanted to take over the Fur trade and rule.
The Seven Years' War was fought between France and Britain over supremacy in North America. It is also called the French and Indian War in the United States, and the** War of the Conquest** in Quebec. -
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
It was a 15-20 minute battle that happened in 1969. General Wolfe took 4000 troops to attack Quebec during a fall evening. After 20 minutes of battle, the English won. This battle was the turning point as the odds turned against the French and their indigenous allies. At the end of the Seven Years' War, France ceded Canada to Britain. -
Treaty of Paris
In 1759, The British defeated the French at Quebec City, and they took over all of New France in 1763.
In the same year, the Treaty of Paris was signed, officially ending the Seven Years' War. France gave Canada to Britain. Having endured both French and British occupations, Canada became a bilingual country. -
The Royal Proclamation
- establishing the Province of Quebec with a British-style government.
- not allowing Catholics to hold government positions.
- getting rid of French law and social structure.
- encouraged settlers of the Thirteen Colonies to move to Quebec by stating that settlers could no longer freely move west
- establishing a line separating the Thirteen colonies from “Indian Territory”, where no settlement could take place unless First Nations had agreed about these lands.
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Pontiac's War
Pontiac, chief of Ottawa First Nation brought together an alliance of First Nations of Ottawa, Ojibwe, Huron and Pottawatomie. In 1763, he led his army of warriors against the British.
Pontiac's War was the most successful First Nations resistance to the European invasion in our history. Though it failed to oust the British from Indigenous lands, the conflict forced British authorities to a recognition of Indigenous rights. -
The Quebec Act
The English created the Quebec Act so that the French would not start a revolution and take back the land. The Quebec Act established French civil law, British criminal law, freedom of worship for Roman Catholics and government by the appointed council. It extended the boundaries of the province to the Ohio Valley. The contents consist of protection of their language, protection of religion, and protection of culture, but they must pay taxes and obey the laws. -
American Revolutionary war started
- After 1763 Britain went into debt because of the Seven Years’ War and therefore raised taxes in the colonies. “No taxation without representation”.
- In 1775, the colonies that protested to tax hikes rebelled. George Washington, who later became the first president of the United States, led the rebellion.
- In 1776 the United States declared itself independent of Britain and began a war called The American War of Independence.
- The war lasted until 1783