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Jan 1, 1492
The Vikings Arrival
Before Christopher Columbus "discovered' America, the vikings, who were europeans from greenland -
Jun 24, 1497
John Cabot
In 1497, John Cabot, a navigator from Europe, who landed in Newfoundland. He was in search of the Northwest Passage but what he found instead were hundreds of fish off of the Newfoundland shores. This discovery helped the English move in to provide sailors with plentiful fishing opportunities. There was no contact with the First Nations people, but signs up human life were found. -
Apr 20, 1534
Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer who claimed what is now Canada for France. Jacques Cartier was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River. Jacques Cartier is also credited with giving Canada its name. He reportedly misused the Iroquois word kanata meaning settlement to refer to what is now Quebec City. Aside form giving Canada its name he is also credited with the finding of Prince Edward Island. -
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The Fur Trade
The demand for beaver fur hats in Europe increased causing many European settlers to come to Canada to trap beavers. Many fur trading posts were set up along the Hudson's Bay to make trading with the First Nations people more accessible. The First Nations would trade beaver pelts for objects such as blankets and guns. Since fur was a high demand product, major companies were also formed in the fur trade era such as the Hudsons Bay Company and the Northwest Company. -
Samuel De Champlain
On July 3, 1608, Champlain landed at the "Point of Quebec". even though Champlain was not the first one to try building a settlement in Quebec. Champlain set out to provide the potential French settlers with a colony. He was the first person to make a permanent successful settlement in the area which is known as Quebec City. -
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France Controls Canada
With the founding of Quebec City, the soon to be capitol of New France, the french people were in control of Canada In 1630, there were only 103 colonists living in the settlement, but by 1640, the population had reached 355. At the end of the Seven Year War, the French lost New France and Quebec to the British during the Battle of the Plains of Abraham -
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator. His voyge of 1611, upon the ship the Discovery, Hudson sought out to find the Northwest Passage. His plan was foiled when his crew mutinied and he was left stranded in what is now the Hudsons Bay Straight. His voyage helped establish a connection to the land locked parts of Canada. This helped the formation of the Hudson's Bay company as they could now trade with the Aboriginal peoples further in Canada. -
Battle of The Plains of Abraham
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham was a pivotal moment in the Seven Year War, but also in the history of Canada. A British invasion force led by General James Wolfe defeated French troops under the Marquis de Montcalm, leading to the surrender of Québec to the British.The French never recaptured Québec and effectively lost control of New France in 1760. -
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The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved people of African descent in the United States in efforts to escape to Canada The network now generally known as the Underground Railroad was formed in the early 19th century, and reached its height between 1850 and 1860. It is estimated that by 1850, 100,000 slaves had escaped via the "Railroad". The most famous “conductor,” an escaped slave named Harriet Tubman who made nineteen trips in total. -
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European Migration
Many people from European countries such as Great Britian made there way over to Canada aboard ships. As many as 800,000 immigrants made there way over to the promised new land, and over sixty percent of those were British. -
Ireland Potato Famine
The main cause of the Great Famine in Ireland was the lack of potatoes. The potato, one of Ireland's main food sources, was affected by a disease which decreased the yield dramatically. A mass famine had taken place forcing the Irish to migrate to places such as Canada in search of a second chance. -
The Creation of Canada
Canada officially becomes a country of its own. Forming its own provinces and territories the country works in unification. When formed by the Confederation there were four original provinces, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Once Canada was its own country many British settlers who were seeking new lifestyles came to this new land. -
Manitoba Joins Confederation
A lack of attention to Métis concerns caused Métis leader Louis Riel to establish a local provisional government as part of the Red River Rebellion. In response, Prime Minister John A. Macdonald introduced the Manitoba Act. Manitoba was created as a place for Metis people to create settlements of their own -
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Chinese Immigration
Once British Columbia had joined confederation they requested a railway to be built connecting British Columbia with the rest of Canada. Onderdonk, a main constructor on the Canadian Pacific Railroad had recruited over 7,000 Chinese railway workers from California. By the end of 1881, the first group of Chinese had less than 1,500 remaining. Since the Chinese were payed a dollar a day, where as the African Americans were payed three times that, many Chinese went to work in the gold fields. -
Canadian Pacific Railway
After years of hard work the Canadian Pacific Railroad was finally completed linking all of Canada together. This made migration much more convenient since the western part of the nation could now be easily accessible. Canadian Pacific began an intense campaign to bring immigrants to Canada. Canadian Pacific agents operated in many overseas locations. Immigrants were often sold a package that included passage on a CP ship, travel on a CP train and land sold by the CP railway.
