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History of Montreal Timeline
(c. 1000 BCE - Present)Montreal, located on an island in the St. Lawrence River, has a history spanning thousands of years. Originally inhabited by Indigenous peoples, it was founded as Ville-Marie by French colonists in 1642 and became a major center of the fur trade. After passing to British control in 1760, Montreal grew into a leading industrial, financial, and cultural hub of Canada, shaped by waves of immigration and the dynamic relationship between French- and English-speaking communities. More Less
Founding and New France
Jacques Cartier visits Hochelaga
Oct 2, 1535
French explorer Jacques Cartier became the first European to visit the Iroquoian village of Hochelaga on Mount Royal's slopes, describing a fortified town surrounded by cornfields and naming the mountain 'Mont Royal'.
Image source: Hochelaga (village)
Samuel de Champlain establishes fur trading post at Place Royale
1611
Samuel de Champlain built a temporary trading post on the island in 1611, establishing an early French presence that would serve as a base for the growing fur trade with Indigenous nations.
Image source: History of Montreal
Founding of Ville-Marie by Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve
May 17, 1642
Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, Jeanne Mance, and a group of French settlers founded Ville-Marie as a missionary colony dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The settlement would grow into the city of Montreal.
Image source: Ville-Marie, Quebec
Jeanne Mance founds Hôtel-Dieu Hospital
1645
Nurse Jeanne Mance established North America's first hospital in Ville-Marie, providing critical care to settlers and Indigenous people alike and cementing healthcare as central to the young colony.
Image source: Jeanne Mance
Marguerite Bourgeoys opens first school in Montreal
1658
Marguerite Bourgeoys founded the Congrégation de Notre-Dame and opened Montreal's first school, pioneering education for girls and children of settlers and Indigenous communities.
Image source: Marguerite Bourgeoys
Montreal becomes major center of the fur trade
1700
By the early 18th century, Montreal had become the hub of the French fur trade, with coureurs des bois and merchants like the La Vérendrye family expanding trade networks deep into the continental interior.
Image source: North American fur trade
Great Peace of Montreal signed with Indigenous nations
Aug 4, 1701
New France's governor Louis-Hector de Callière negotiated a landmark peace treaty with representatives of 39 Indigenous nations, ending decades of warfare between the Iroquois Confederacy and the French and their allies.
Image source: Great Peace of Montreal
British Rule
British forces capture Montreal
Sep 8, 1760
After General Jeffery Amherst's three-pronged advance down the St. Lawrence, French governor Vaudreuil surrendered Montreal to British forces, effectively ending New France's rule in North America.
Image source: Articles of Capitulation of Montreal
Treaty of Paris cedes New France to Britain
Feb 10, 1763
The Treaty of Paris formally transferred Canada, including Montreal, from France to Great Britain, beginning a new era under British rule while guaranteeing certain religious rights to French Catholics.
Image source: Treaty of Paris (1763)
American revolutionary forces occupy Montreal
Nov 13, 1775 - Jun 1776
During the American invasion of Quebec, Continental Army troops led by Richard Montgomery captured Montreal without resistance. The occupation lasted until British reinforcements forced the Americans to retreat in mid-1776.
Image source: Invasion of Quebec (1775)
Key Facts
- Montreal was founded on May 17, 1642, by Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve and Jeanne Mance as the missionary settlement of Ville-Marie.
- Before European colonization, the area was home to Indigenous peoples, including the St. Lawrence Iroquoians, whose village of Hochelaga was visited by Jacques Cartier in 1535.
- The city was a central hub of the North American fur trade during the French colonial era, largely controlled by wealthy merchants known as the 'fur barons.'
- Montreal came under British rule in 1760 following the Seven Years' War, and was officially ceded to Britain by the Treaty of Paris in 1763.
- By the late 19th century, Montreal had become Canada's largest city and economic capital, fueled by industrialization, railways like the Canadian Pacific Railway, and large-scale immigration.
Source
This History of Montreal timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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