1. Canada
is a country in North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the
east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the
world's second largest country by total area
2.
Etymology
*The name
Canada
comes from a
St.
Lawrence Iroquoian
word,
kanata
, meaning
"village" or "settlement"
*ERAS
The history of Canada is defined by many different eras or phases of time that
represent a defined stage of the development of the country. Each of these eras was a
step towards where we are today. We debate, discuss, disagree, and sometimes
violently confront one another over the meaning, issues and results of these eras. We
rewrite, redefine, rediscover and some times come to accept the portrait created by
historians of these eras and through that process gain a greater understanding of how
Canada came to the point in history where we now stand at which helps Canadians
use this knowledge in making decisions about where they will go next.
PreHistory
The prehistory period of Canada refers to pre-1492 AD. This is a arbitrary date which
reflects the impact of European influence, technology, culture, and settlement on the
Americas. This period starts with the arrival of people in the America's and their
expansion and development throughout almost every area of Canada. The various
different cultures which form the mosaic of cultural development among these
different people is represented by the native bands, nations or groups as defined by
the navigation bar above.
2 Worlds
The first European explorers encountered established settlements everywhere along
the coast of America. This 1st contact between European civilization and native
cultures took very different forms in various meetings, but all were previews of a
larger and more explosive trend that was to drive the natives back from the shores.
The European explorers became settlers, soldiers, farmers, governors, and eventually
bureaucrats who placed the natives on reservations and developed an entirely new
civilization in the Americas.
England Arrives
England was one of the first European states to support attempts to shed light on the
seas to the west. The belief was that a direct route to China might be discovered and
the long land sea route through Muslim and other foreign lands could be eliminated.
Henry the VII the backed the Italian explorer John Cabot in 1497. Various attempts
were made at settlement and exploration for the next 150 years but English colonies
were only really established in the 13th colonies. Fishing stations were used in
Newfoundland but the French came and settled in Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland,
New Brunswick and Quebec. As tensions mounted between France and England in
Europe, competition heated up in the Americas. The English opened up fur trading
operations in the 1670's when the Hudson Bay Company was chartered and slowly
began to move North into Nova Scotia. Inevitably the friction increased as contact
become more and more frequent and the resultant clashes would continue on and off
until 1759 resolved the game with an English victory on the plains of Abraham.
Revolution
With the elimination of France's colonies and hence the danger from French
aggression, the English colonies felt a new freedom from dependence on their mother
country. The English Parliament was faced with how to evolve it's relationship with
the colonies in the areas of representation, taxation, trade, military support and many
other issues.
The taxation issue became a bone of contention between |England and many of the
colonists with a resultant rift developing between them. As the situation reached a
critical point of confrontation, violence broke out and the continental congress
representing the 13 colonies decided to invite and invade the former French colonies
who had not responded to their entreaties to join them in opposition to England. This
invasion and the retrenchment of British troops and naval force to Halifax, drew the
line in the sand and the American revolution ground on to a conclusion which saw the
informal setting of the future US/Canadian boarders and territories.
Evolution
The evolution of the Canada's (upper and lower) political system took on many of the
aspects of the British Parliamentary structure with responsible government as an
accepted component. The union of these two colonies was the first concrete step
towards a larger British North American Union and was also viewed as a potential
solution to the French population issue in Lower Canada.
This was also a period of rapid growth on the west coast of North America of the
colony of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. Gold had been discovered at
Barkerville and the prospector poured in, especially the Americans who had
exhausted the California gold fields. The containment of American ambitions and
consolidation of British authority remained a focal point of colonial policy and
challenges. In many ways this was a period or real preparation for nationhood and
served as a breeding ground for a profession, experienced class of politician ready to
not only administer but to govern and lead
Laurier
The "Sunny way" was the phrase which marked the Laurier years. This period was
initiate on July 11, 1896 when the Conservatives were thrown from office by the
electorate and replaced by the Liberals. The new government continued to open up
the west, began to build up the military including a new Canadian navy, pushed new
railways across the country and presided over the greatest gold rush the world has
ever witnessed. These were times of growth, optimism, new frontiers, unlimited
horizons and a hardening of the Canadian identity.
The Great War
One of the most traumatic events for Canada and the world was the First World War.
The golden era before the war was a time of scientific discovery, social reform,
artistic innovation, a time of belief in the progress of mankind. This illusion was
