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Period: Jan 1, 1492 to
European Disease Devastated the First Nations
European diseases killed 8 in 10 First Nations people. The diseases were unknowing brought over when Europeans started coming to North America. They were around for hundreds of years in Europe, so the Europeans had built up some immunity to them, whereas the First Nations had never been exposed to them before. Two diseases that devastated the First Nations were smallpox and influenza. -
Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus Discovers America
Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer. He sailed to North America in 1492 under the Catholic monarch of Spain in search of a route to Asia. He landed on an island now a part of the Bahamas. He “discovered” America in the sense that he brought European attention to the land and more and more Europeans sailed to it to try and find the Northwest Passage, although the Vikings had already discovered the land. He encountered many First Nations when he first arrived. -
Jan 1, 1497
John Cabot sails to Newfoundland
(Exact day and month is unknown)
John Cabot was an Italian navigator that England hired to find the Northwest Passage, a route through North America to Asia. He sailed to Newfoundland in 1497, claiming it for England, and although he didn’t find the Northwest Passage, he found an abundance of fish off the Grand Banks. The fish attracted many European fishermen to these waters. -
Apr 20, 1534
Jacques Cartier’s 1st Voyage
The king of France paid for Jacques Cartier’s trip to North America in 1534. He came across a group of Iroquois people and met their chief, Donnacona. The chief allowed for Cartier to take his two sons back to France with him, where they were taught French to be Cartier’s translators and guides on his second voyage. -
May 19, 1535
Jacques Cartier’s 2nd Voyage
With the help of chief Donnacona’s two sons, Cartier travelled back to North America and up the St. Lawrence River. At least 25 of Cartier’s men died from scurvy when he decided to spend the winter in Stadacona, the Iroquoian capital. When he returned to France he kidnapped Donnacona and his two sons, where they passed away. Cartier’s biggest accomplishment was mapping the St. Lawrence River and helping future explorers. -
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain was the first person to make a permanent settlement in the land that’s now Canada. He formed Quebec City in 1608, which is the oldest city in North America and the first French settlement in Canada. His goal was to create this trading post to stay in during the winter, so the First Nations would bring their furs to him first in the spring. He is also known as the “Father of New France”, since this settlement was the beginning of the colony of New France. -
Jesuits Come to New France
(Day and month are unknown)
The Jesuits, or the Black Robes, were members of the Catholic church that came to New France to convert the First Nations to Catholicism. They went to live among the Huron First Nations to try and instruct them in becoming Christians. The king’s officials made policies in New France that favored First Nations that converted, such as not allowing trade of guns with First Nations that weren’t Christian. -
Voyage of the Nonsuch
The Nonsuch was controlled by Medard Chouard. He and Pierre Radisson had the idea of taking a shortcut into the interior of Canada instead of taking the St. Lawrence. The French weren’t interested in the idea so they took it to the English, who funded the voyage. The Nonsuch sailed over Quebec into Hudson Bay, and set up a trading post at the base of James Bay, where very successful fur trade began. This was the beginning of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and it brought Europeans further into Canada. -
Husdon’s Bay Company
The HBC was formed as a result of the voyage of the Nonsuch. The first trading post was established at the base of James Bay, and it developed multiple trading locations along Hudson Bay and owned a large area of land. The First Nations would hunt and trap animals and trade their pelts for European goods such as guns, kettles and wine. HBC still exists today as a department store, and is North Americas oldest commercial corporation. -
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Country Marriages
Country marriages were marriages between a First Nations and a European, usually a First Nation woman and European man. The children of these marriages became the Metis people. Once these marriages started to occur, they kept happening and still do today. -
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Seven Years War
This war was the final struggle between Britain and France for control over North America. After the French lost the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, Quebec surrendered on Sept.18, 1759, and New France fell in 1760. This resulted in greatly reduced French presence in North America and a large amount of British settlers to come, making the First Nations the biggest losers of the war due to their massive loss of land to the settlers. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763. -
Joseph Brant Makes a Deal
Joseph Brant was the chief of the Mohawk tribe. He went to London in 1775 to strike a deal with Britain. Brant feared that if the US became independent with the American Revolution, the US would take all of the First Nations remaining land. Britain agreed to safe-guard the First Nations land in America in return for Brant using a tribe to fight the king’s enemies. -
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The North West Company
(Day and month are unknown)
The North West Company was a powerful group of merchants from Montreal that became a successful fur trading business. Using Voyageurs, strong young French-Canadians that paddled the freighter canoes, the North West Company’s traders would travel from Montreal to Grand Portage to meet with their trading partners. They became the Hudson’s Bay Company’s greatest competitor, but eventually were forced to merge with the HBC. -
Alexander Mackenzie, From Canada by Land, 22 July 1793
Alexander Mackenzie was a Scottish explorer and was the first to cross North America from East to West. Although he didn’t get to see the wide open ocean because the Heiltsuk First Nations tribe forced him to turn around, he wrote this memorial by the edge of Deans Channel to signify that he made it across. -
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War of 1812
This war was fought between the US and Britain, BNA, and its First Nation allies. The war was caused from US’s War Hawks, their desire for BNA farmland, Britain taking American sailors to enlist in the British navy, and their want for national honor. The winners were the Canadians. We got our present border from the peace created afterwards, and it gave Canada its first sense of community. The losers were the First Nations since all hope of stopping the Americans from taking their land was gone.
