1. Early Relations Between Mi’kmaq/French/British
First European contact may have been as early as 11th Century with Vikings
First recorded contact in 1497 with John Cabot, who took three Mi’kmaq to England; they never returned!
Cabot disappeared during the next journey…Coincidence ????

2. Mi’kmaq beaver furs helped create a fashion craze in France for beaver hats
The French felt that Cartier’s voyages of “discovery” gave them the right to claim Mi’kmaq territory even though England and Spain also claimed it
1527 Basque fishers set up a temporary whaling station
1541 Cartier attempted to set up a permanent settlement on the St. Lawrence River, but it failed because of starvation and cold

3. By 1578 more than 400 European fishing boats were working every summer around Mi’kmaq territory
By 1581 the organized fur trade had started
Despite the lack of permanent European settlements, outbreaks of European diseases struck between and in 1586
1588 the destruction of the Spanish Armada (fleet) ended Spain’s ability to control trade in the “New World”
Fur Trade was now overwhelming Mi’kmaq supply
They began to trade with First Nations in the interior to get furs to trade with the French

4. The fierce Mi’kmaq warriors protected this trade with the help of metal weapons acquired through trade with Europeans
1604 Samuel Champlain and Pierre DeMonts set up a settlement between Maine and New Brunswick - Most of the settlers died
Port Royal was established in 1605
By 1607 fur trade rivalries caused an 8 year war to break out between the Mi’kmaq and the Penobscot of Maine
By 1610 Jesuit missionaries began converting Mi’kmaq
In 1611 Chief Membertou (the first to convert) died from a European disease
By 1615 Mi’kmaq warriors had defeated their Penobscot enemies and accidentally began to bring European diseases back to their territory

5. These diseases devastated the Mi’kmaq and by 1620 only 4000 Mi’kmaq were still living (out of 20000)
By 1613 the Mi’kmaq were getting caught up in the wars between France and England to control North America, Mi’kmaq captured in English raids against French settlements were sold as slaves
In 1627 the French government founded the Company of New France (100 Associates) to settle New France
In 1632 the French claim to the Maritimes and Quebec was confirmed by the Treaty of St. Germain-en-Laye
After this more and more French settlers came to Acadia (Nova Scotia) where they lived side by side with the Mi’kmaq

6. The French and English were also competing for control of NFLD
The French came into conflict with the Beothuk and began to encourage Mi’kmaq to settle in NFLD, they then came into conflict with the Beothuk who retreated to the interior of NFLD
In 1654 a British fleet from Boston captured Port Royal leaving Acadia under British control until 1667
The French supported the Wabanaki confederacy, which was formed to fight against the British
When war started again in 1688 Mi’kmaq warriors (along with Wabanaki allies) forced the British to abandon most of their frontier settlements
War continued off and on until 1713 when the Treaty of Utrecht gave control of NS and NFLD to the British although Cape Breton remained in French hands
Abenaki Confederation tribes:
Amaseconti, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Maliseet, Ouarastegouiak, Passamaquoddy, Patsuiket, Penobscot, Pigwacket, Rocameca, Sokoni, and Wewenoc. Although they were also members of the confederation, the Micmac and Pennacook have been listed listed as separate tribes.

7. By 1720 the French were hard at work building the Fortress of Louisbourg and despite a treaty signed between the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, Abenaki, and the British war continued
At the same time New England settlers began to move into Abenaki lands in modern Maine
The French supported and encouraged their allies to resist these new settlements
More or less open warfare continued until the Treaty of was signed.
Despite this treaty the British rarely ventured into Mi’kmaq controlled territory as it could be hazardous to their health