The Harbours of St. John's with many fishing vessels, as well as explorers
The First Man
The rich history of the city, St. John's began in the year 1497, when John Cabot, an Italian Explorer sailed into the harbours of an unknown land (Heritage, 2015). Thus, John Cabot became the first man to ever set foot on Newfoundland. However, it was later officially claimed by England during the 1500s (Heritage, 2015). |
John Cabot
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Many fishing ships were seen travelling through the St, John's harbour.
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So... Why was it established?
Despite the earlier discovery, it wasn't until 1583 when Sir Humphrey Gilbert officially claimed the land as England's first overseas colony under the Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth (Heritage, 2015) . England saw this as their golden opportunity to not only mark Newfoundland as a milestone for their very first foreign colony, but as an avantage to own a land with such industrial potential as well as popularity amongst re-supplying sea vessels (Heritage, 2015). Through England's establishment on St. John's, England had gained immense power and industrial break-throughs by establishing the land with many fishing industries as their main focus (Heritage, 2015). |
How has St, John's changed over time?
St. John's has evolved magnificently throughout the years with not only its economic base, but its population as well. From a small colony of mere hundreds by the 1500s, St. John's has matured to become a large city with its many multicultural citizens. After the collapse of the fishing industries in the 1990s due to the overfishing of cods, several petroleum, and oil industries as well as several mineral mines have been established to maintain its economic base (Wiki, 2015). Currently, with a provincial GDP of almost $36,000 Million, St. John's has proven to become a large industrial powerhouse (Wiki, 2015). Also, with its various man-made historical buildings such as the Basilica Cathedral, and its generous services, St. John's has become a favoured destination for tourists and adventurers alike. Not only does tourism add diversity into St. John's, but it also contributes greatly in their financial profits. St. John's has become a marvellous city full of life, and backed up by its solid economic base. With the direction it is headed now, we stand no doubt towards the further change of St. John's for the good. |
The Current St. John's
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The Vertical Timeline of St. John's
15th Century
1497 June 4th- The very first man to sail into the harbour was a European Baptist who have named the land St. John’s after the feast day of St. John the Baptist upon the night of his arrival.
16th Century
1527- John Rut, an English mariner found ships from Norman, Breton and Portugal in the harbour.
1583 August 5th- Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed the area as England's first overseas colony under Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth the First.
17th Century
1675 – Officially the largest settlement in Newfoundland when the English naval officers took a nation-wide census.
1680 – Fishing ships (mostly from South Devon) with hundreds of Irish men on-board, began to set up fishing posts,to start and maintain the early fishing industries.
18th Century
1705- During the War of the Spanish Succession, the town of St. John’s was besieged by the French army and burnt down. However, in the 1709, the British had reoccupied the town.
1781- The Government House was completed.
19th century
1819, 1846, 1892- The three Great fires of St. John’s that has caused thousands of casualties.
1850- Colonial Building (The home of the Newfoundland government) had been built.
20th Century
1924, 1st July- National War Memorial (for the Newfoundland) had been unveiled
1946, May 12th- Newfoundland Herald had been founded.
1992- Collapse of the Fishing Industries
21st Century
2005 – The Rooms (a cultural facility) established
2010 - The TV show, Republic of Doyle was first produced in St. John's.
~The Present~