Canada

History

Canada’s history spans thousands of years – from the Paleo-Indians to the present day. Aboriginal people inhabited Canada for millennia, evolving trade networks, distinct spiritual beliefs, and social hierarchies. Long since faded before the arrival of the first Europeans, some of these civilizations were discovered through archaeological investigations. Through the years, various treaties and laws have been enacted between European settlers and the Aboriginal populations.

In the late fifteenth century, French and British explorers settled along Canada’s Atlantic coast. After the Seven Years’ War, in 1763, France ceded to Britain nearly all of its North American colonies. Shortly thereafter, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This marks the beginning of a rapid accumulation of provinces and territories and of increasing autonomy from the British Empire. Complete autonomy came with the Statute of Westminster of 1931 and was finalized in the Canada Act of...