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Jan 1, 1000
Early European Exploration
Vikings from Iceland and Greenland became the first known Europeans to reach North America. The Vikings were lead by Leif Eriksson and landed on the northeast coast called Vinland. Vinland is what some people believe todays Maine and Massachusetts are, others think the Vikings settled at L'Anse aux Meadows on the northern top of Newfoundland. -
Jan 1, 1500
Development Of New France
Many French fishing crews sailed into Canada in the early 1500's, which helped develop the fishing industry on the east coast. They also played an important part in establishing the fur trade. The fur trade developed the french colonial empire in North America known as New France which lasted about 150 years. New France established the French culture and heritage in Canada. -
Early Settlements
King Henry IV organized the fur trade and to set up a colony in Canada. -
Port-Royal
French explorer Pierre du Gua ( Sieur do Monts) led a small group of settlers to the St. Croix River, which boarders inbetween New Brunswick and Maine. Later left this spot and founded Port-Royal in Nova Scotia, the french called this colony Acadia. -
A village named Quebec
French explorer Samuel de Champlain founded a settlement along the St. Lawrence River. He named this village Quebec and soon made friends with the Algonquin and Huron Indians that lived near by. Champlain began to trade furs with the Algonquin and Huron Indians in exchange for helping in war against another Indian tribe, the Iroquois Indians. -
Battle between the French and the Iroquois
Samuel de Champlain and two other french fur traders help the Algonquin and Huron Indians defeat the Iroquois Indians in battle. After this battle the French and Iroquois Indians were enemies. -
Hudson Bay
English sea captain Henry Hudson sailed into Hudson Bay searching for the passage. England later claimed Hudson Bay region on this voyage. -
Expanding Quebec
By this time 60 people lived in Quebec, although Champlain had high hopes for this to be a large settlement it was only a small trading post for many years. -
Capture of Quebec
This year, after the English had been settling along the east coast of North America for years now the English forces capture the town of Quebec. Later in 1632 the French regained the town. -
Destroying the French
The Iroquois killed most of the French missionaries which caused the Algonquin and Huron Indians to flee, leaving the French to fight the Iroquois alone. From 1640-1650 the Iroquois increased their attacks on the French, many of the settlers were killed and the French fur trade was destroyed. -
A Royal Province
King Louis XIV made New France a royal province (colony) of France. He sent troops to Canada to fight the Iroquois and administrators to govern and develop the colony. -
Seigneurial System and Growing Population of New France
King Louis XIV promoted the Seigneurial System and encouraged farming in New France. He brought farmers from France and gave land to French military officers and merchants. At this time the population of New France grew from 3,000 people in 1666 to 6,700 people in 1673. -
In Search of New Sources and A New Leader
New France expanded south and west after the loss of Huron fur trade, which forced the French to go further inland to get new sources. Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac became governor of New France and sent explorers to scout the Great Lakes and the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys. -
Forts and Fur Trading Posts along the Great Lakes
Louis Jolliet (French-Canadian fur trader) and Jacques Marquette (French missionary) sailed down the Mississippi River and built forts and fur trading posts along the Great Lakes and the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. -
From the Other End of the Mississippi
Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle reached the mouth of the Mississippi River from the other end than Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, at the Gulf of Mexico.
