Summary: Early Settlement Of Newfoundland

This historical study will define the impact of the fishing industry and ethnic diversity of immigrant populations in the early settlement of Newfoundland from 1500-1800. The settlement of Newfoundland was primarily based on the fishing industry due to a lack of other resources on the island. The settlements of early Newfoundland were primarily formed through the diverse array of ethnic cultures, such as the Portuguese, English, French, and Irish that eventually came to develop settlements in the 17th century. In migratory fishing patterns, permanent settlements were very difficult to establish due to harsh weather and a lack of resources. In this manner, the French tended to dominate the northern and southern parts of the island, and the British …show more content…
During this time, many French and English fishermen were fishing the coast of the island, which defines the limitations of settlement opportunities due to a lack of resources in the mainland. More so, Gilbert’s colonial ambitions came to an end when he could not turn a profit for the British Crown: “Sir Humphrey Gilbert formally claimed possession of the island, but his colonization schemes in Newfoundland came to nothing, Sir Gilbert drowning on his return trip to England.” However, it was John Guy’s settlement of Newfoundland that defines the first major permanent settlement. In 1610, Guy had transported a large group of fisherman from the West Country to settle Cuper’s Cove on the Avalon Peninsula, near the future capital of Newfoundland, St. John’s. This settlement failed because of a lack of financial profits, but a small group of fisherman and their families stayed behind to form the first permanent European colony in Newfoundland. However, the complexity of European settlements also confirms the vast array of French fishing villages that were also found on the northern and southern coasts of the island, which countered the dominance of British fishing settlements on the eastern …show more content…
These findings only reinforce the premise that ethnic diversity was a tolerated part of fishing culture, yet the tension between the British and the French would ultimately result in military conflicts to gain control over the island throughout the late 17th and 18th centuries. In this manner, the colonial ambitions of increasingly powerful nation states, such as England and France, would devolve cooperative fishing agreements, which would result in war and conflict over the fishing industry in