The Halifax explosion is a significant part of the city's history which took place in the Halifax Harbour.Arms: Azure a saltire Or and a bezant merged thereon a Kingfisher between four broad arrows points outward Azure in fess two sailing vessels tempore 1760 flags flying to the dexter OrĬrest: On a mural coronet Or issuant therefrom a sprig of mayflower of four blossoms proper It took several years to recover from the millions of dollars in damages. This tragedy shook Halifax, killing over 2,000 people. Acting as an important naval base during both World Wars, situated in a natural harbour, Halifax served as an excellent location for ally ships retrieve supplies or to anchor until they were able to safely cross the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. (Macalester College, 2014) In December 6, two ammunition ships collided in the harbour causing the largest man-made explosion at the time. In 1917, the city was booming and was the largest city in Atlantic Canada. The Canadian government officially took control over the army and naval base from the British in 1906. (Macalester College, 2014) The fishing industry was one natural resource based industry that contributed to Halifax's economy at the time. It's harbour was busy and trade between the United States and Europe was prosperous. The city had its own electric streetcar system and city hall. (Macalester College, 2014)īy the mid to late 1800s Halifax had made major developments as a city. The British were no longer threatened by the French or Mi'kmaq people, and engrained a solid presence in Halifax and its surrounding area. (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2014) Halifax was established as a city in 1842 and reached a population of over 20,000 by 1851. A combination of these factors allowed the English to have more power over the Mi'kmaq people, who soon were dispossessed of what land they had left. However, although peace had been made between the two groups, the American Revolution (1775-83) brought British loyalists to Canada and led the English to fortify its military in Halifax. Mi'kmaq chiefs signed a peace treaty with the English officials in 1761 once they were left to fight the English without the assistance of the French. By deporting the Acadians, and capturing Ile Royale and Ile Saint-Jean, the English had ended the influence of the French over the region. In 1755, the English deported descendants of the French who posed a potential threat. In 1751, they successfully raided Dartmouth, a community of Halifax. (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2014) The French at Louisbourg aided the Mi'kmaq with weapons and money, fuelling the war. Disagreements over land use and authority drove the natives to declare war on the English in 1749. The Mi'kmaq believed that the English had settled on their land without permission, therefore relations between the groups were strained. Within the year, essential buildings had been completed and to boost the population, German settlers had been recruited and given land nearby the town. (The Canadian Encyclopedia, 2014) The Town of Halifax was established on Jand was declared as the capital of Nova Scotia on July 14 of that year. Although there were struggles such as these which made establishing a colony difficult, merchants from New England came in search of a better life. Some settlers stayed aboard ship, died or left for nearby US destinations. Before winter, hardly any houses had been completed despite having plenty of free building lots. It was later renamed Halifax after the mastermind of the settlement, George Dunk, Earl of Halifax. Chebucto had been selected as the area of settlement due to its fine harbour ice-free and the second largest in the world. Within the years that followed, Colonial Edward Cornwallis led about 2,500, mostly poor settlers that had been recruited from England to Chebucto. The British government sponsored the first settlement plan to work towards a present-day Halifax, in 1746. The plan was undertaken for the main purpose of exploiting the abundance of cod in the region as well as to offset the presence of the French military in Louisbourg. Because of this they did not establish permanent settlements. The Mi'kmaq people moved inland from the coast with the winter season to hunt game when the fishing season had ended. Human settlement began in Halifax approximately 13,000 years ago, when early settlers known as the Mi'kmaq people moved into the Nova Scotia area to hunt caribou.
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