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When Europeans explored Canada they found all regions occupied by native peoples they called Indians, because the first explorers thought they had reached the East Indies. The native people lived off the land, some by hunting and gathering, others by raising crops.
- First Arrivals
- The First French Explorers
- The British Were Coming
- An All-Out War
It is believed that the first Europeans arrived in North America in the 11thCentury. They were Norse Viking explorers, and had traveled from Greenland where Erik the Red had founded a settlement around 985 A.D. His son, Leif, may have traveled to Canada’s northeast coast around 1001. There is a World Heritage site called l’Anse aux Meadows on Newfo...
Thirty-seven years later, French explorer Jacques Cartier led an exploration of the Saint Lawrence River, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Stadacona (Quebec City). Cartier claimed the land for the French king, Francis I. Then in 1541, Cartier and Jean-François de La Rocque, sieur (lord) de Roberval founded the settlement of Charlesbourg-Royal, which w...
Britain was also exploring and settling North America during this time period, and had established strong colonies in Boston, Jamestown, and Plymouth. Their claims eventually extended from Massachusetts down to Georgia., and became more populous and wealthier than New France. Looking to expand, the British set their sights on the territory north of...
The French and Indian War took place from 1754 to 1763 (also called the Seven Years War, from 1756 to 1763), with the goal of complete control of North America. At first, aboriginal tribes fought with the French to carry out surprise attacks on English settlements. Soon enough, the British brought in thousands of troops to fight back. Then in 1759,...
In 1622, the first settlers left Scotland. They initially failed and permanent Nova Scotian settlements were not firmly established until 1629 during the end of the Anglo-French War. These colonies did not last long except the fisheries in Ferryland under David Kirke.
As settlers began to populate Canada, they brought their own Eurocentric views that believed that their civilization was the ultimate goal. Settlers saw Indigenous people as savage pagans that needed to be civilized, with the best means of doing so was through government mandated education.
Dec 19, 2023 · Article. Colonialism in Canada. Article by Karl S. Hele. Published Online December 19, 2023. Last Edited December 19, 2023. Colonialism is the process through which a foreign people establish control over a territory and, if applicable, its Indigenous peoples.
Sep 13, 2018 · John Guy and 39 settlers departed Bristol, arriving in Newfoundland in August. Though his settlement at Cupids Bay lasted only to 1628, its founding was a signal event in the early history of Newfoundland.
Canadians are taught to peg the symbolic start of Canada’s European settlement to 1534, when a French explorer named Jacques Cartier (1491-1557) sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe and entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
