The History of NL from 9000 AD – Present www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/aboutthisplace/history

Early Aboriginal Cultures Culture can be traced back 9000 years ago when marine oriented group moved into southeastern Labrador By around 8,000 years ago the culture of those first groups had developed into what is now called the Maritime Archaic Indians Around 7,500 years ago they buried a child in what is the oldest known funeral mound in North America. In the 1960s a Maritime Archaic cemetery was discovered in Port au Choix during excavations for a cinema

Early Aboriginal Cultures About 4,000 years ago, a separate and distinct culture arrived in northern Labrador. These arctic-adapted people we now call Paleoeskimos spread to the Island of Newfoundland where they lived until around 1,000 years ago. Some 3,600 years ago a new culture shows up in the Labrador archaeological record. They are known as the Intermediate Indians. Then, about 2,000 years ago, the ancestors of the Innu and the Beothuk are recognized in the archaeological record of Labrador and the island. These Recent Indians were more land-adapted than some of the earlier groups

Early Aboriginal Cultures The most recent aboriginal group to arrive was the Thule people who migrated across the northern part of the continent from the Bering Strait to Labrador about 1,000 years ago. The descendants of the Thule are today’s Inuit.

South Eastern Labrador

The First European Visitors to North America The oldest known European contact was made here a few thousand years later when Leif Eriksson and his crew of Vikings landed on the Northern Peninsula in 1000 AD They didn’t settle here permanently, but left their mark on what we now know as Lanse Aux Meadows. Fast forward hundreds of years to 1497, when Italian-born Giovanni Caboto – more commonly known as John Cabot – dropped anchor in Bonavista and "discovered" the New World.

Arrival of Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English Migratory Fishermen In 1610, over a hundred years later, a man by the name of John Guy founded Cupids - the first English colony in Canada

Arrival of Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English Migratory Fishermen During the 16th and 17th centuries, fishermen from France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and eventually England arrived to feed on the fish of Newfoundland and Labrador. Most of the early permanent settlers came from southwest England and southeast Ireland. Although Newfoundland was England's oldest overseas colony, France played an important part in helping shape our history. French explorer, Jacques Cartier, arrived in 1534 and eventually the French established a colony in Placentia in 1662..

Arrival of Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English Migratory Fishermen Tiny settlements popped up around Placentia Bay, the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon – still a colony of France today – and beyond the Burin Peninsula into Fortune and Hermitage Bays. During the 17th century, Newfoundland was more French than it was English

Canada’s Youngest Province Before 1949, Newfoundland had a history as a British colony, Britain’s “Grand Cod Fishery of the Universe”, eventually becoming equal to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand as a full Dominion of the British Empire. Newfoundland and Labrador joined Canada on 31 March 1949 and the next day, the leader of the Confederation campaigns, Joseph R. Smallwood, became the new province’s first Premier.

Part of a Global Economy NL fish formed part of a tirangle of trade involving England, Southern Europe and the Americans. England traded food and clothing with Spain in exchange for salt which was shipped to NL for the fish. Most Cod produced by the English was shipped directly to Markets in mainland Europe. From the mainland Europe they returned to England with Mediterranean goods such as fruits, wine and olive oil.

Part of a Global Economy New England Colonies (In USA) played a very important role in the NL fishery and trade because they brought food, livestock and lumber and took the poorer quality salt fish which became the West Indian Cure. A fishing voyage to NL could prove to be very profitable. In 1622 Sir Richard Whitbourne estimated that a ship of 100 tons of fish with 40 crew members using eight small boars would make enough to pay for the vessel, wages of their fisherman and leave the owner with a very large profit.

Part of a Global Economy Merchants owned the ships and some of them owned 20 ships and large properties. Bankruptcies were often common because Merchants had to spend a lot of money in the beginning and wouldn’t get any money back until the fish was sold. Merchants lived from season to season in a state of panic…..a lot like our current fishery.

Possible Reasons for Bankruptcies Ships may end up wrecked or seized by Pirates or enemies Markets could be closed because of War or outbreaks of disease. Fish might be scarce in summer or there might be poor weather when curing Exchange rates could change

Steps to Reduce the Risk Exercise strict supervision- fishing masters had the reputation for being hard drivers. Employ relatives in senior positions to look after merchants interests. Outfitting the small resident population with supplies on credit and accepted their fish as payment after the season had ended. The advantage to the merchant was that he could acquire a supply of fish without the expense of outfitting his own crews.

Byeboat-Keepers An independent group of fisherman between those who belonged to the fishing ships and inhabitants of planters. Came as passengers on cargo sack ships as fished on their own account. They left their boats ‘bye’ in the winter when they went home. They were middle class adventurers and were sometimes called Yeomen of fishery. Sold fish to sockships that carried fish from the shore fishery back to Europe.

Byeboat-Keepers Avoided the cost od buying a ships, found it easier to get the small crews required and could produce fish more cheaply.

Governing the Fishery and Colony 1600-1815 In 1600s the migratory fishery was governed by the fishermen themselves John Guy settled in Cupids in 1610 and he was ordered by King James I not to interfere with the migratory fishermen but was given authority to rule NL under English Law. Lord Baltimore and Sir David Kirke were also commanded to respect the traditional rights of the fishermen who came every summer but had the right to punish anyone who broke laws. Migratory fishers objected to any rules what were put in place.