A brief history of Newfoundland, Part I

So, technically, I won't be "finding" Newfoundland. That honor belongs to a long lineage of hardy souls, not least of which are the native tribes, which have Mi'kmaq, Innu, and Abenaki ancestry. Some tribe existed called the Beothucks, but they were perhaps all killed. The modern First Nation name is Miawpukek. I hope to learn more, but at this point, all I can say is that they exist.

As for the whites, Norsemen (Vikings) from Greenland, led by Leif Ericson, chanced upon Newfoundland around 1001 AD. I guess Newfoundland was forgotten for a while, because it was rediscovered by English explorers in 1497, beginning a long line of English fisheries on the island. These were followed by other western European fishermen: Portuguese, French, and Basque; the English formally claimed Newfoundland as a colony in 1583 under Elizabeth I. An English colony was established in the early 17th century, though settlement was largely discouraged because of costs to the English government. Under the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), the French recognized British dominion over Newfoundland, but conflicts persisted between the French and British over the abundant cod fisheries. All this information was gleaned from a website that cites a government report from 1950 as its source, so I guess it could be considered dated.

In 1775, the British explorer James Cook completed a map of Newfoundland. It is a beautiful map (see insert), and the result of years of exploration of the Newfoundland coastline.

As for more modern history, I need to learn more about Canadian history before I can even venture a guess at Newfoundland history. For example, I don't understand the modern relationship between Canada and England. Newfoundland became a province in 1949. Prior to that, it was a "Dominion." Whatever that means. I think that its modern history is much more wrapped up with the Brits than other parts of Canada.

I look forward to learning more about Newfoundland, and Canada in general. Despite my professed prejudice against Canadians, I am actually working on tolerance and respect for all people, regardless of maple leaf-aphilia. So Happy Canada Day!