Chapter 1 IntroductionHochelaga 1500-1642Ville-Marie 1642-1665French Empire 1699-1763Small French Town 1665-1760Conquered City 1760-1800British Commercial Takeover 1800-1850Industrial City 1850-1896Canada's Metropolis 1896-1914North-American City 1914-1929Depression and War 1930-1945Modern City 1945-1960Québec's Metropolis 1960-1992ConclusionQuizEducational Resources

An outstanding
location

The Iroquoians

The French
visitors

   
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HOCHELAGA  

Although Montréal was founded in 1642, the history of the surrounding site dates back much further, and our knowledge of this distant past remains partial, at best.

An outstanding location
Whether temporarily or on a permanent basis, human populations have long chosen to settle on the Island of Montréal for reasons largely determined by the characteristics of its location. These include Mount Royal and its surrounding forests, the St. Lawrence River and the Lachine Rapids, which formed a natural obstacle requiring navigators to stop and unload their boats.

When exactly the Amerindians arrived on the island remains unknown, but we do know that, in 1535, French explorer Jacques Cartier discovered a sedentary population living in a large village called Hochelaga.

Map of New France
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