Introduction to Canadian History — Remembering the Past

Learn about Good Old Red and White: Canada

Introduction to Canada

In 1601, Christopher Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic, along with several ships that carried an army (about 1000 men, 300 of whom were Indians) from Spain to travel back to Spain. In the following year, all but one of the ships that left Spain was wrecked in the Caribbean; the sole survivor was given the command of one ship, the John Cabot.

The ship was commissioned by Royal Portugal as a diplomatic envoy. He was also given the task of “conquering the land of his father’s birth and finding a passage through the seas.” Within two years, he was able to sail from Portugal to North America.

The voyage took more than three years, with only short stops at Labrador and Newfoundland.

The Revolutionary Era

Once the creation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867, it was recognized that public support was essential to the continuance of the Canadian Army. It was the responsibility of the critical papers to “plant the seeds of interest and enlist the [youth] in the service of [the] country.”

Daily newspapers played a significant role in this effort. As the political powers became more…