It was Mackenzie’s passion to reach the Pacific Ocean overland. In the summer of 1789 he set out, hoping to discover a passage westward by way of a river, described to him by the Indians, which flowed out of Great Slave Lake. After 3 weeks exploring the north shore of the lake, they found the outlet.
Why did Alexander Mackenzie travel to Canada?
Mackenzie saw an opportunity to explore and to acquire personal wealth. His story embodies the history of Canada’s fur trade, which is as much about exploration as economics. Competition for fur was intense, especially after New France was ceded to Great Britain in 1763.
What did Alexander Mackenzie explore in Canada?
Mackenzie was one of Canada’s greatest explorers. In two epic journeys for the North West Company in 1789 and 1793, he crossed the dense northern wilderness to reach the Arctic and Pacific Oceans.
When did Alexander Mackenzie arrive in Canada?
Immigrating to North America, he entered (1779) a Montreal trading firm, which amalgamated with the North West Company, a rival of the Hudson’s Bay Company. In what is now the province of Alberta, Mackenzie and a cousin set up a trading post, Fort Chipewyan, on Lake Athabasca (1788).
Who did Alexander Mackenzie travel with?
Accompanied by two native guides (one named Cancre), his cousin, Alexander MacKay, six Canadian voyageurs (Joseph Landry, Charles Ducette, François Beaulieu, Baptiste Bisson, Francois Courtois, Jacques Beauchamp), and a dog simply referred to as “our dog”, Mackenzie left Fort Chipewyan on 10 October 1792, and travelled
Who was the first to reach Canada?
In 1604, the first European settlement north of Florida was established by French explorers Pierre de Monts and Samuel de Champlain, first on St. Croix Island (in present-day Maine), then at Port-Royal, in Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia).
Who was the first person to cross America?
We know now that Columbus was among the last explorers to reach the Americas, not the first. Five hundred years before Columbus, a daring band of Vikings led by Leif Eriksson set foot in North America and established a settlement.
Which explorer helped discover Canada?
mariner Jacques Cartier
French mariner Jacques Cartier was the first European to navigate the St. Lawrence River, and his explorations of the river and the Atlantic coast of Canada, on three expeditions from 1534 to 1542, laid the basis for later French claims to North America. Cartier is also credited with naming Canada.
Who was the first European to explore Canada’s interior?
Exploration of Canada by Europeans began with the Norse in the late 10th century on the country’s East Coast. Following Jacques Cartier’s arrival in 1534, over the course of the next three centuries British and French explorers gradually moved further west.
Exploration.
| Article by | Glyndwr Williams |
|---|---|
| Updated by | Erin James-abra |
Who was the first to cross the Pacific?
Magellan
Magellan was sponsored by Spain to travel west across the Atlantic in search of the East Indies. In doing so, his expedition became the first from Europe to cross the Pacific Ocean and circumnavigate the world.
Why did Alexander Mackenzie go exploring?
It was Mackenzie’s passion to reach the Pacific Ocean overland. In the summer of 1789 he set out, hoping to discover a passage westward by way of a river, described to him by the Indians, which flowed out of Great Slave Lake. After 3 weeks exploring the north shore of the lake, they found the outlet.
What did Alexander Mackenzie do in Alberta?
Sir Alexander Mackenzie is today recognized as one of Canada’s greatest fur trade era explorers yet back in 1789 – when he led an expedition down the great northern river that was eventually to carry his name – he was a minor figure in command of the isolated northern trading post of Fort Chipewyan in what is now
When did the Mackenzie clan start?
Clan Mackenzie (Scottish Gaelic: Clann Choinnich [ˈkʰl̪ˠãũn̪ˠ ˈxɤɲɪç]) is a Scottish clan, traditionally associated with Kintail and lands in Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands. Traditional genealogies trace the ancestors of the Mackenzie chiefs to the 12th century.
Does the Mackenzie clan still exist?
In 1979, the 4th Earl of Cromartie whose mother was a distant relative of the clan, changed his name to Mackenzie and now his son John Ruaridh Grant Mackenzie is the present day clan chief.
Who is Alexander Mackenzie for kids?
Mackenzie was the first European to cross North America, where he inspired succeeding adventurers and traders, such as the famous Lewis and Clark expedition sponsored by the American military (1804–6). The Mackenzie River was named in his honor.
Who is the leader of Clan Mackenzie?
John Ruaridh Grant Mackenzie, 5th Earl
The current chief is John Ruaridh Grant Mackenzie, 5th Earl of Cromartie. His father was Ruaridh Grant Francis Blunt-Mackenzie, 4th Earl of Cromartie, who legally changed his surname to Mackenzie and was appointed chief of Clan Mackenzie by the Lord Lyon King of Arms in 1979.
Who was the first one born in Canada?
Jonathan Guy, the son of Newfoundland settler Nicholas Guy, was the first child born to English parents in Canada, and one of the first born in any part of North America within a permanent settlement.
Who first named Canada?
The name “Canada” likely comes from the Huron-Iroquois word “kanata,” meaning “village” or “settlement.” In 1535, two Aboriginal youths told French explorer Jacques Cartier about the route to kanata; they were actually referring to the village of Stadacona, the site of the present-day City of Québec.
What was Canada’s old name?
Prior to 1870, it was known as the North-Western Territory. The name has always been a description of the location of the territory.
Who gave America its name?
Waldseemüller
Waldseemüller named the new lands “America” on his 1507 map in the recognition of Vespucci’s understanding that a new continent had been uncovered following Columbus’ and subsequent voyages in the late 15th century.
Who named America and why?
While the colonies may have established it, “America” was given a name long before. America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer who set forth the then revolutionary concept that the lands that Christopher Columbus sailed to in 1492 were part of a separate continent.