World
Assignment #9
Toronto is the
capital of Ontario in Canada. There is an interesting history of
change and growth from its early occupation over 1,000 years ago to
the current time of today. This city is home to a large immigrant
population and is a national and international hub for finance and
cultural life.
Approximately
12,500 years ago the Laurentide Ice Sheet which is a continental
glacier that covered northeastern North America, revealed the present
day Toronto. Soon afterwards small groups of Aboriginal people moved
in to hunt animals such as caribou. Around 5,000 years ago
settlements in hunting territories began to form and people
congregated together in large spring or summer gatherings at the
mouths of rivers to fish, trade, and bury their dead. The
introduction of corn or maize, 1,400 years ago led to the adaption of
farming and permanent settlement. Sometime between 7,000 and 2,000
years ago, Aboriginal peoples discovered an overland short cut
between Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. This was known as 'Toronto
Passage' which was an important north-south route for both
Aboriginal peoples and Europeans.
For the European
settlement, they were aware of the Toronto Passage since the early
1600`s and in 1720 they built a small store on the Humber River.
This post failed and was abandoned in 1730. During the war of 1812
York (which was the name of the area before the name Toronto was
used) was raided and pillaged by the US. After the war, by pursuing
trade with expanding farming frontiers, York became the provinces
banking center. In the 1840`s Toronto increased its commercial lead.
Gas lighting and sewers on main streets and steamboat port activity
marked its urban rise. In the 1850`s the railway was built to
connect Toronto to New York to Montreal, the upper lakes at Georgian
Bay, and across western Upper Canada to Detroit and Chicago. Toronto
was made the capital of Ontario at Confederation in 1867 and by the
1870's it was becoming industrialized. The settlement of the
Canadian West and the tapping into Northern Ontario's forests and
mines started in the 1890's and 1900's opened further markets and
resources to Toronto.
As
I have outlined here there are many reason why people settled in
Toronto which have been beneficial to many people. Everything seemed
to grow from the first settlement to huge success and opportunity.
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