Canada History

The history of Canada is presumed to be very old. The first trait of humans was found around 26,500 years ago in northern Yukon and around 9,500 years in southern Ontario.

The history of Canada holds that French were the first to colonize Canada . In 1603 Samuel de Champlain a French explorer came to Canada and in 1605 and 1608 established the first French colonies at Port Royal and Quebec City , respectively. The French colonists of New France colonized the St. Lawrence River valley, Great Lakes, Hudson Bay and the Mississippi watershed to Louisiana . The Arcadians colonized the present day Maritimes. The Britishers colonized Newfoundland and slowly captured the south of Nova Scotia and the areas around the Hudson Bay.

The French enjoyed a trading relationship with the Algonquin nations and nations of the Wabanaki Confederacy. Iroquois opposed the French and were in continuous war with them.

The occupation of the people in New France during this period was cod fishery,farming and trading of guns, gunpowder, cloth, knives, and kettles.

In the 17 th and the 18 th centuries the French were in constant war with the Britishers for the expansion of their colonial territories. The famous wars and events of this colonial era in the Canadian history are:

• Queen Anne's War at Nova Scotia
• Great Upheaval of 1755
• King George's War
• Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle1748
• Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759
• Battle of Montreal in 1760
• Treaty of Paris 1763

Many rebellions against the British colonial government took place in 1837 in both the Upper and Lower regions of Canada . With the result, under the Act of Union 1840 both he regions were later merged under the United Province of Canada. At the 1864, Quebec Conference a set of proposals was drafted which laid the structure for Independent Canada that became the basis for the London Conference of 1866.

On July 1, 1867, the Province of Canada , New Brunswick , and Nova Scotia became a federation under a single government.

In the First World War, Canada was not only successful in promoting nationhood and boosting confidence amongst its masses but was also successful in achieving a new identity. During the interwar Great Depression Canadian economy was badly knocked down. This led to the formation of new political parties and protests. By the end of the Second World War Canada emerged as a large military power.

Between 1945-1960 Canada chose to remain free from the fetters of the colonial rule. A Quiet Revolution broke out in Quebec in 1960's, which increased tension between Quebecois nationalists and English Canada and continued till the October Crisis of 1970. In the year 1982 Canada got independence from the British rule and the Canadian constitution including the Charter of Rights was formed.