Chapter 3
THE BRITISH IN NORTH
AMERICA
“What kind of society did the British colonists
create in North America?”
The British Continue to Explore
Definitions
 Matonabee – A young boy raised at a fur trading
post, he knew both the European and Dene ways of
life.
 The Northwest Passage – a sea route through the
Arctic Ocean which was sought by explorers for
centuries as a possible trade route.
Think back...
 How did the fur traders at the HBC forts get their
furs?
Think back...
 How did the fur traders at the HBC forts get their
furs?

The first nations brought them to the forts.
Think back...
 How did the fur traders at the HBC forts get their
furs?

The first nations brought them to the forts.
 The French and British were in competition for furs
and the fur trading land.
 The French started interfering with the British fur
trade.
Think back...
What do you think the French did to interfere
with the British fur trade?
Think back...
What do you think the French did to interfere
with the British fur trade?
 The French began buying the furs off the First
Nations trappers before they reached the HBC forts.
 Because of this, the British would now have to leave
the forts to compete with the French and get their
own furs.
Key Players in British Exploration
As we discuss the key players involved in
British Exploration, write down important
pieces of information about each person in
the chart on page 6 in your booklet.
Into the Interior: Henry Kelsey
 Henry Kelsey worked for the
HBC.
 In 1690, he left his trading post
and set off on a journey
with a group of Cree.
 His goal was to meet
Aboriginal people and
convince them to become
trading partners with the
British.
Into the Interior: Henry Kelsey
 He travelled on foot and by canoe south
and west away for Hudson Bay.
 He was led into the prairies and was the
first European to see wild buffalo.
How do you think the First Nations
reacted to him along his travels?
Into the Interior: Henry Kelsey
 He travelled on foot and by canoe south
and west away for Hudson Bay.
 He was led into the prairies and was the
first European to see wild buffalo.
How do you think the First Nations
reacted to him along his travels?
 They welcomed him into their territories.
Into the Interior: Henry Kelsey
 Kelsey remained on the prairies for two
years, travelling as far west as today’s
Saskatchewan.
 Through his contact with First Nations, he
increased the flow of furs from the
interior to Hudson Bay posts.
West into Alberta: Anthony Henday
 Anthony Henday travelled
even farther west, he also
worked for the HBC.
 In 1745 he set out on foot and
travelled as far as today’s Red
Deer, AB.
 He wanted to make contact
with the Siksika people who
lived there, hoping they
would become fur trading
allies.
West into Alberta: Anthony Henday
 He was led by a group of Cree guides
and arrived at a Siksika village.
 The chief offered to share a pipe of
tobacco with Henday and they feasted
on pieces of buffalo meat.
 The Siksika did not agree to trade
with the British because they were not
used to an economy based on profit.
To the Northern lands: Samuel Hearne
 The Dene people living in the Far
North told the British stories
about gold and copper along
the shores of a distant
northern river.
 In 1770, a sailor named Samuel
Hearne set out from Hudson
Bay to find this river.
 He joined a party of Dene
and their leader Matonabee.
To the Northern lands: Samuel Hearne
 They set out on snowshoe hauling supplies
on toboggans.
 In the spring when the snow melted, they
made bark canoes to carry them across
rivers and lakes.
 Hearne did not find gold or copper but he
did reach the shores of the Arctic
Ocean.
 He also learned how to travel and live
off the land.
Matonabee
 As a young boy, Matonabee was raised at a fur
trading post, so he knew both the European
and Dene ways of life.
 He was a skilled diplomat who spoke three
languages.
 His leadership made Samuel Hearne’s
expedition successful.
 He knew the route to the Arctic Ocean and showed
Hearne how to travel light and live off the land.
Matonabee
 He was a successful fur trader. He and his people
collected furs from groups as far north as the
Mackenzie River and brought them to HBC trading
posts.
 He was a close ally of the British at the HBC
trading posts.
 In 1782, the French attacked Fort Prince of Wales
(his home fort) and a smallpox outbreak killed most
of his people.
 In despair he killed himself.
Exploring the Pacific: James Cook
 Most efforts to find the
Northwest Passage began at
the Atlantic coast. However, the
British looked from the Pacific
coast, too.
 In 1778, James Cook sailed
into a harbour on Vancouver
Island.
 He was welcomed by the Nuuchah-nulth.
Exploring the Pacific: James Cook
Do you think he was successful in
finding this route?
Exploring the Pacific: James Cook
Do you think he was successful in
finding this route?
 Cook failed to find the route he was
looking for.
 He set sail across the Pacific Ocean for
Asia with a ship full of animal skins.
What kind of skins did he have with him?
Exploring the Pacific: James Cook
 Sea otter skins!
 These pelts ended up being very valuable
in Asia. When word spread, fur traders
rushed to the Pacific Coast.
British Foundations of Canada
 The British played a key role in the exploration and
colonization of North America.
 They build colonies and benefited from the natural
resources here.
 They travelled through the interior and along the
coasts of North America. As they travelled, they
made contact with many First Nations.
 On the Atlantic coast, the British built the first
English-speaking communities in what would
become Canada.
Questions
A) The British Continue to Explore (pg 67-92)
7. How did the French interfere with the British fur
trade? (1 pt)