Montreal American Settlement

Several explorers influenced the beginning of Montreal. Jacques Cartier sailed from France looking for a route to Asia in 1535. While exploring the Saint Lawrence River, he discovered a mountain in the middle of an island. He climbed the mountain and could see land for miles around. Thinking he had found the route to Asia, he named the mountain “Mont-Royal”. He kept exploring, and it would not be until the next century that the value of his discovery would be noticed. In 1609, Samuel de Champlain established the first trading post in Montreal and missionaries came hoping to convert native Indians to the Lord. It was in 1642 that the first real colony began under the control of Frenchman Paul de Chomedey. Among the settlers he brought with him was Jeanne Mance, who would start the first hospital in Montreal. The Catholic settlement was placed under the protection of Mary and named “ Ville-Marie de Montreal”. Many struggles affected the growth of Montreal. In its first winter, a severe flood nearly wiped out the settlement. Grateful for their survival, the settlers placed a wooden cross on the top of Mont-Royal. …show more content…
The reestablishment of the fur trade helped Montreal become the top commercial metropolis in Canada. Montreal was the port that connected the rest of Canada to the Old World and was the lifeline of the nation. In 1841 Montreal became the capital of Canada, which it remained until 1849. Unfortunately, this growth was halted by the arrival of the Great World. Although the fighting was not taking place on Canadian soil, conscription laws required them to come to the aid of England. Between the wars, Montreal experienced another financial boost when they defeated the Prohibition, but the influx of tourists that this brought ended with the Great Depression. Shortly after this was the beginning of World War II, and more conscription laws led to riots and