1497

John Cabot (Giovanni Cabuto), exploring for England, lands on the east coast of Newfoundland

1524

Giovanni da Verrazzano explores the Atlantic seaboard from Florida to Newfoundland

1534-35

Jacques Cartier explores the St. Lawrence River and meets the Iroquois. Two of Chief Donnacona's sons accompany Cartier back to France.

1535-36

Cartier returns to Stadacona (Quebec) and sails to Hochelaga (Montreal). Donnacona's sons are with him, but when Cartier returns to France he insists they accompany him and kidnaps both them and their father. All 3 die in France.

1541

Jean-Francois de La Rocque de Roberval and Cartier winter at Stadacona. They establish the first French settlement in the Americas at Charlesbourg Royal.

1543

French fisherman and merchants extend their reach into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and west to the Saguenay River.

1576-78

Sir Martin Frobisher explores the Arctic and meets the Inuit. He takes an Inuk hunter back with him to England as "a token of possession" but the man dies.

1583

August 5: St. John’s Harbor - Sir Humphrey Gilbert claims Newfoundland for Queen Elizabeth I

1584

March 26: Walter Raleigh granted a patent to exploit Virginia

1598

Mesgouez de La Roche is given a commercial monopoly for trade in North America and tries to create a colony on Sable Island off Nova Scotia which fails

1600

Tadoussac founded, but does not become a permanent colony.

Inuit explore Labrador coast

1603

Aymar de Chaste and Champlain follow Cartier's route to Montreal and note that the Iroquois have left the area and the Montagnais and Algonquins have moved in. They help the Montagnais celebrate a victory over the Iroquois and seal a pact of friendship.

1604

Pierre Du Gua de Monts, Pont-Gravé and Champlain search for a place to site a new colony. They establish Port-Royale in Acadia

1607

Mi'kmaq victory over the Abenaki at Chouacoet (Saco River)

1608

July 3: Champlain lands at Quebec with 30 artisans and builds a permanent fur-trading post at Place-Royale. Of the 28 men with him only 8 survive dysentery and scurvy that winter.

1609

Ochasteguin of the Arendarhonon (Huron) joins with Iroquet of the Algonquin to establish trade with the French at Quebec. THey invite Champlain to visit Huronia.

Dutch settle along the Hudson River

1610-1614

John Guy tries to establish relations with the Beothuk.

French re-establish Prt Royal (Annapolis Royal) and meet with Mi'kmaq Chief Membertou.

1611

Henry Hudson explores in the region of James Bay and makes contact with natives there.

1613

Champlain, Etienne Brulé and Jean Nicolet explore the interior

1615

Discovery of Lake Huron. Récollets begin mission work among the Huron.

Champlain explores Huronia and joins the Hurons in a raid against the Iroquois. They fail and the French make enemies of the Six Nations. The bond of friendship established between the Huron and French leads to on average, 60 canoes and 200 traders moving back and forth between Huronia and Quebec annually for the next 30 years.

1623

Dutch buy Manhatten Island for 60 guilders. Establish Fort Orange (Albany).

1624

Champlain re-builds Quebec in stone, using a U-shape, separated from the river by a palisade. There are less than 100 colonists in New France. Twenty live in Acadia and the rest are in Quebec and Tadoussac. Mutual protection treaties have been signed with the Montagnais, Algonquins and Hurons against the Iroquois.

The Iroquois make peace with the Huron and their allies in an effort to gain access to trade with the French. They begin trading with the Dutch.

1626

The first Jesuits arrive in Huronia

1627

Richelieu forms the Company of New France (100 Associés) to receive a fief running from the North Pole to Florida. They have a 15 year charter and a formidable budget.

There are about 100 habitants in Quebec.

1628

An English fleet enters the St. Lawrence capturing French supply ships and raiding.

1629

The Abenaki send an envoy to Quebec to seek an alliance with the French against the Iroquois

1629-32

The English Kirke brothers seize Quebec with the help of Montagnais allies currently involved in a dispute with the French.

1630

1632

French regain Quebec by Treaty but the English burn the town before they leave.

1633

Champlain is sent out as Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec. Over the next 18 years, the French rebuild the town with a bakery, brasserie, and forge. The Jesuits return to Huronia. The population in Acadia grows steadily

Etienne Brulé is killed by his Huron hosts. Many reasons are given including immoral conduct and accusations of his dealing with their enemies the Seneca.

1635

Trois Rivieres founded

Dec 25: Death of Champlain. His personal rapport with natives means that for awhile the relations between French and Abenaki are restrained.

1636

M. Charles Huault de Montmagny, the first governor of Quebec orders the building of the 1st two streets, la rue des Roches and rue Notre-Dame.

1637

Lots are provided for various concessions in Quebec, including one for the Jesuit fathers.

1638

1639

1640

Iroquois attacks along the Ottawa River end Algonquin control of the region and impede trade between Quebec and Huronia.

1641

Place-Royale has 241 inhabitants.

1642

Montreal settled at Ville Marie by the Société Notre-Dame-de-Montreal devoted to trade and converting pagans to Catholicism. Tadoussac becomes less important as a trade center and the Montagnais also lose influence.

1643

Louis XIV crowned King of France.

1644

1645

The 100 Associé's monopoly is transferred to the Compagnie des Habitants. Only permanent colonists may profit from the fur trade, and only as long as they sell their furs through the storehouse in Quebec.

1646

War between the Five Nations and the French and Huron

1647

A new form of government is set up in Quebec with a Council under the Governor General. Commoners are not allowed to sit in Council. The Governor was also the only judge

1648

1649

Destruction of Ste. Marie among the Hurons

1650

Destruction of Huronia

There are about 350 English families living on the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, many at St. John's which acts as a trading centre for fishermen and merchants from all over Europe.

1651

Iroquois attacks and famine lead to the desertion of Ste. Marie II
Quebec City has a dozen buildings: 2 residences, a forge, a brasserie, a bakery, the Jesuit store and 100 Habitants store. A new system of justice is established.

1652

In Quebec The Compagnie des Habitants leases fur trade rights to merchants for cash.

1655

1660

The French set up a colony at Placentia about 100 km from English St.John's and in direct competition. The English respond by stepping up colonization.

1663

The Compagnie des Habitants falters, the Compagnie des Cents Associés gives up its seigneury and Louis XIV, on the advice of Jan-Baptiste Colbert brings in sweeping reforms. Over the next 30 years they will step up colonization.

North America has around 90,000 Europeans of whom 3000 are French. 42% of the French were Canadian born and only 1 in 6 of the French was a woman.

1664

1670

Creation of the Hudson's Bay Company to control the fur trade from the north and direct it to Britain.

1670s

A French officer marries Pidianske, the daughter of Penobscot sagamore. This will lead to a truce between the Abenaki and Mi'kmaq by making both allies of the French

1671

Mi'kmaq raid on a fishing vessel kills 16.

1675-76

King Philip's War in New England. Many Abenaki flee to Canada.

1676

There are 300 beggars in Quebec.

1682

LaSalle reaches the mouth of the Mississippi river

1687

An intercolonial treaty of neutrality is signed between France and England

1689

War in Europe. English King William III makes it clear that he intends to re-establish English supremacy in Newfoundland and control of the Grand Banks.

1690

Henry Kelsey visits the plains.

45 English privateers under Herman Williamson attack Placentia by land. They pillage and destroy, kill 2 soldiers, imprison the settlers in the church for 6 weeks and carry off all the provisions.

1691

Aug. 24-25: English attack Placentia a second time but are beaten back.

1692

Bishop de Saint-Vallier founds the Quebec General Hospital where the disabled and elderly receive care.

Autumn: English attack Placentia a third time led by Commodore Francis Williams with 700 men. The French force of 50 men and a handful of Basque fishermen fend them off.

1693

Fourth English attack on Placentia fails.

1694

A hospital is set up in Montreal for crippled and elderly men and orphaned boys.

1696

Sept 12: Arrival of Pierre Lemoyne d'Iberville in Placentia to defend it against the English. He is ordered to take the offensive and attack English settlements. Sieur de Brouillan, Placentia's governor commands the sea forces while Lemoyne attacks by land. A total of 224 soldiers including Canadiens and Indians proceed to lay waste to settlements and capture shipping. On Nov. 30 the English at Fort WIlliam surrender. They burn St. John's.

1697

Lemoyne continues to raid and destroy English settlements in Newfoundland. But in May is ordered to head for Hudson's Bay and raid English posts there. Meanwhile the English send Admiral Norris and Col. Gibson to Newfoundland's defense. They find everything laid waste and deserted and begin to rebuild.

Treaty of Ryswick halts the war in Newfoundland.

1698

1699