Canada 6.2 History and Culture Bell-Ringer: What is an important item in Canada?

First Civilizations The First Nations: –The Cree hunted bison on the Interior plains. –The Inuit hunted seals, whales, and walruses in the far north. Today, Canada has about 400,000 Indians and Inuit. Vikings settled on Newfoundland in AD 1000, but abandoned settlements. 1400s: Other European settlers arrived. Europeans traded metal goods like axes and guns for furs that Native Canadians supplied.

New France 1608: The French established Quebec City. At its height, New France included much of eastern Canada and central United States. New France was part of the French Empire. To defend New France against the British, the French established good trade and diplomatic relations with Native Canadians. French missionaries also converted people to Christianity. After 150 years, the British defeated the French, but the cultural legacy remained.

British Conquest Mid-1700s: The British took control of New France after winning the French and Indian War. Most French stayed. The British divided Quebec into two colonies and established part of the border between today’s provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Provinces are administrative divisions of a country. Few English-speaking settlers came to Quebec. Nova Scotia was divided. The new British colony of New Brunswick was created.

Establishment of Canada Each colony developed separately at first. 1867: Parliament created the Dominion of Canada. 1885: The transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway was built to connect British Columbia, on the Pacific Coast, with provinces in the east. Canada acquired new lands in the north, mainly by buying them from the Hudson’s Bay Company, a fur- trading business. Canada also signed treaties with Native Canadians.

Immigration Late 1800s/early 1900s: Immigrants arrived from Europe and the U.S. to farm and work in mines, factories, and forests. 1897: Discovery of gold in the Yukon Territory lured more immigrants. Chinese immigrants came to work on the railroad. Early 1900s: Economic boom –Quebec, New Brunswick, and Ontario produced wheat, pulp, and paper. –British Columbia and Ontario supplied minerals and hydroelectricity. 1940s: Canada enjoyed one of the highest standards of living in the world.

Migration After WWII: New immigration from Europe Many settled in cities. Toronto became one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world with people from Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin American, and Asia. Recently, Canadians have moved –To cities in Ontario to find jobs –To Vancouver, British Columbia for jobs and climate Political and economic centers are Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal.