Canada's earliest history — Indigenous peoples before European contact, early European explorers and the beginnings of French and British settlement.
**The first peoples**
Aboriginal peoples lived in Canada for thousands of years before European contact. They developed diverse cultures, languages, trading networks and governance systems. Some were nomadic hunters; others were farmers who built permanent villages.
About 1,000 years ago, Vikings from Iceland landed at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland — the first Europeans known to have reached North America.
**John Cabot and the English**
In 1497, John Cabot (an Italian sailing for England) became the first European to map Canada's Atlantic shore, landing in Newfoundland or Cape Breton Island. He claimed the "New Founde Land" for England.
**Jacques Cartier and the French**
Jacques Cartier made three voyages to Canada between 1534 and 1542. He was the first to use the name "Canada," derived from the Iroquoian word "kanata" meaning "village." He planted a cross at Gaspé and claimed the land for France.
**The fur trade**
The demand for beaver pelts in Europe drove the early economy of New France. French and Aboriginal traders formed alliances that shaped Canada's development. The voyageurs — French-Canadian canoe men — paddled thousands of kilometres carrying furs and trade goods.
**Samuel de Champlain**
Champlain, known as the "Father of New France," founded Quebec City in 1608 and explored much of northeastern North America. He formed crucial alliances with the Huron-Wendat and Algonquin peoples.
**The Hudson's Bay Company**
In 1670, King Charles II of England granted the Hudson's Bay Company exclusive trading rights over the vast Hudson Bay watershed. The Company played a central role in the exploration and development of western and northern Canada.
Key facts for the citizenship test
01 — Aboriginal Peoples Before Europeans
02 — The Vikings
L'Anse aux Meadows is the only confirmed pre-Columbian European settlement in North America, proving that Europeans arrived in the Americas 500 years before Columbus reached the Caribbean.
03 — John Cabot and the English Claim
04 — Jacques Cartier and the Name "Canada"
"Canada" comes from the Iroquoian word kanata, meaning "village." This Aboriginal word became the name of one of the world's greatest countries.
05 — Royal New France
06 — The Fur Trade and the Hudson's Bay Company
Frequently asked questions — The First Peoples and Early Explorers
Test yourself on The First Peoples and Early Explorers
Practice questions for the Canadian citizenship test — free, no card needed.