http://travel-t-o-canada.blogspot.com/2011/10/short-history-of-canada-and-culture.html
Short History Of Canada and Culture
Travel tips for your trip to Canada Hotel Maps Famous Places in Canada helps you to make your trip to Canada in the holiday a Splendid One
The first Europeans to reach Canada were descendants of Norse seafarers who had settled in Iceland and in Greenland during the 9th and 10th centuries; the second wave of European arrivals, led by the Italian navigator Giovanni Caboto (better known as John Cabot), were seeking a passage to Asia, in 1497.
Over the next 100 years, attracted by rich fishing grounds, English and French commercial interests flocked to Newfoundland.
During the 17th century, the French accelerated trading with the New France Company. The creation of England's Hudson's Bay Company initiated a long period of rivalry, culminating in the Anglo-French war of the early 1760s; this ended with the surrender of the French Canadian capital, Québec, to the English forces.
The Treaty of Paris, in 1763, gave all French territories in north-east America to the British. Within two decades, however, the English had been ousted from their American colonies following defeat in the American War of Independence.
Eastern Canada was then settled by loyalists from the USA holding allegiance to the defeated British Crown.
In 1791, Canada was divided between regions occupied by the English-speaking and the longer-established French-speaking community, but the arrangement did not work and was replaced by a unified system.
In the mid-19th century, Canada was granted the status of a Dominion of the British Empire, with an autonomous government but with the British monarch as Head of State.
From 1968 to 1984, politics were dominated by the charismatic figure of Pierre Trudeau. Brian Mulroney was elected in 1984, and the Québec issue came to the fore once more.
A 1995 referendum in Québec resulted in an extremely narrow vote in favour of remaining inside Canada.
Liberal Party leader Jean Chrétien - Prime Minister from 1993-2003 - was succeeded by Paul Martin.
Stephen Harper was elected as Prime Minister in 2006.
