History of Canada in 10 Minutes or Less

Alice Plachá

The very first inhabitants of Canada and North America were originally from Siberia

and came to the land across the Bering land bridge thanks to the fall of sea level

during Wisconsin glaciation. Later the sea level rose again, preventing anyone else

from getting there.

We are now fasting forward to the year of 1497 when the first European

landed in Canada, Italian John Cabot who was commissioned by Henry VII of

England. The explorations of the so-called New World went on after that, a note-

worthy explorers are Cabot and his son, Sebastion Cabot.

However, Great Britain wasn't the only state who saw North America as a

pon´tentional colony. Jacques Cartier, a French explorer, claimed Gaspé Peninsula

in the name of Francis I. In 1535 the name was settled to be Canada. The French

area started to widen, but it wasn't for long.

Britain took over Quebec after the losts on the French side during the French

and Indian War in 1755, slowly taking over the area, piece by piece. There were

several attempts in the form of revolutions to get the indepence of Canada, but as

we all know from nowadays, they weren't really effective.

In the first world war Canada helped out Great Britain materially and

strengthened the british-Canadian nationhood.

Being right next to the USA, the Great Depression hit hard at the very end of

20'/beginning of 30'. The unemployment increased, GNP dropped by almost 50%

and corporate profits dropped by ⅕. The government believed that the Great

depression was only temporary and won't need any actions regarding it. The full

recovery did not occur until 1939 because the Second World War happened.

Canada helped again materially, fighting alongside the allies, especially

supplying food, munitions, raw materials, etc... Many Canadians served in the armed

forces during that time. Canada had around 45 000 victims of WW2.