On October 2nd, in the year 1535 is the first time the French set foot on this territory. Jacques Cartier was the first one to visit the villages of Hochelaga and Stadacona.
About 70 years later after the first expedition, the french explorer Samuel de Champlain decided to go the Hochelaga, but the village didn't exist anymore. Some theories are that the people had suffered from a deadly disease, or had migrated towards the Great Lakes. Later on, Champlain took the decision to establish a fur trading post where Place Royal is today. It wasn't until 1639 that they were permanently settled on the Island of Montreal. Under the commandment of the Roman Catholic Societe Notre-Dame de Montreal, Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, Jeanne Mance and a few other French colonists set up a mission on May 17, 1642 to create a colony which would be dedicated to the Virgin Mary. 2 years later, Jeanne Mance founded the first hospital in North America, Hotel-Dieu. By the year 1651, Ville-Marie's (Montreal) population had been reduced to about 50 people because of multiple attacks by the Mohawks. Maisonneuve then returned to France to recruit about 100 men to bring back to the failing colony. He had already taken the decision that if it didn't get better, they would move to Quebec City. These men finally arrived on November 16th 1653 and had successfully brought Ville-Marie back. That same year, Marguerite Bourgeoys arrived to serve as a teacher, and founded Montreal's first school. Ville-Marie became the centre for the fur trade. The town was later on fortified in 1725. The French and the Iroquois had signed a peace treaty, the Great Peace of Montreal, in 1701. Montreal and the surrounding areas such as Terrebonne, Lachine and Longueuil could finally develop without fearing the Iroquois attacks. Ville-Marie remained a French colony until 1760, when they surrendered to the British army. After the Seven Years War, Great Britain had won and the Treaty of Paris marked its end in 1763. Montreal was named a city in 1832. At the time, with was the capital of the United Province of Canada from 1844 to 1849. Later on, they took the decision to move the capital to Toronto. |
Short Video about the Great Peace of Montreal in 1701
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