Chapter 3: The British in North America

At the same time as the French, Britain wanted to expand it’s empire through colonies too

Like the French, many first colonies failed because they couldn’t live in the New World

Walter Raleigh tried twice to do this in 1585 and 1587

Why did Britain need the colonies?1. Economy: other countries were becoming

rich through mercantilism – selling the resources taken from colonies

2. Competition: other countries were expanding their empires and becoming bigger than Britain

3. Quality of Life: Britain was overcrowded, and had little farmland

4. Religious Freedom: many small religions within Christianity were treated badly in Britain. They were free in the New World

New England“New England” was 13 colonies in what is

now the United StatesEach colony had it’s own government,

religious groups, and economy – the way it made money

Ex: Virginia was good for growing tobacco. It was owned by a religious group called the “Pilgrims”

New England vs. New FranceNew England was much more successful

than New France for a number of reasons (p. 57):goals, climate, employment, religion,

trade

John Cabot and the “New Found Land”Cabot landed here in 1497The thing that impressed him most was the

amount of fishHe claimed the land for Britain, but Britain

did not want to stay because the climate was too harsh, and the soil wasn’t good for farming

The fisherman only came during the warm months of the year – until competition began, and some people attempted to stay in Newfoundland year long.

Over time, more people also stayed, and the King of Britain decided to create a colony out of it

The BeothukFirst Nation group who lived on

NewfoundlandWent extinct“Shanawdithit” was the last remaining

Beothuk. Since her people died off, Europeans didn’t know anything about them. She told them all they could

Britain vs. FranceBritain and France were constantly fighting

in EuropeIn 1713, they signed the “Treaty of Utrect”

for peaceIn this agreement, they two sides allowed

each other to keep land in the New WorldFrance got Louisbourg (in Cape Breton)Britain got the French colony of Acadia

Halifax!

The Citadel

The Creation of HalifaxBritain began to be worried about the

amount of French in Nova Scotia (which they owned now)

1749: Britain wanted to show that they had sovereignty – to tighten its control over the colony

They wanted to build a military base where the Mi’kmaq called “Chebucto” meaning “the biggest harbour”

It is one of the biggest, and deepest, harbours in the world!

The British called the place “Halifax,” named after the military officer who led to its creation

They sent 16 ships, and 2600 soldiers to create the colony

At the top of a huge hill in Halifax, they built a citadel – a military fort, shaped like a 6 pointed star

For a long time, it was ruled by a Governor and assistants

In 1758, for the first time in North America, citizens were given the chance to choose their own leader

The Mi’kmaq perspectiveThe Mi’kmaq had traditionally camped in

the area near Halifax – they didn’t like what the British were doing

The French, mad at the British, encouraged the Mi’kmaq to “make life difficult for the British”

The British began to fight back, which got worse and worse

Tension between the British, the French, and the Mi’kmaq got worse and worse

Turn to page 63, and read the “Voices” section

Assignment: complete questions 1-3 at the bottom of page 63

Hudson’s BayRadisson and Groseilliers heard about a

giant “sea” to the north of them. They tried to convince the governor of New France to find it, but he didn’t want to

They took their plan to the British, who agreed to pay

They found the “sea,” which was really the Hudson Bay. It allowed easy access to the centre of Canada, and was full of furs

The English began spreading throughout Canada, and called the land “Rupert’s Land” after Prince Rupert

French fur traders became jealous. In 1686, Pierre Troyes led an attack on British forts along the bay

They took control of many British fur trading posts

When the Treaty of Utrecht was signed, all of the land was given back to the British

British Exploration1. A man named Henry Kelsey travelled West to

meet with First Nation groups to create a fur trade with them

He travelled as far west as Saskatchewan2. Anthony Henday also travelled West, reaching

Alberta He tried to set up a trade system with the

Siksika3. Samuel Hearne, led by a Dene First Nation

man named Matonabbee, travelled North. He was the first European to travel to the

Arctic Ocean

The Northwest PassageEven though the New World was being

settled, European countries still wanted to find a short route to Asia

Various explorers died trying to make their way through the Arctic Ocean when the ice thawed

The Pacific CoastExplorers such as James Cook and George

Vancouver tried to find an entrance to the Northwest Passage

They took sea otter furs to China, which were worth a lot of money there.

They made the first maps of the West Coast, showing that no passage existed so far south