Alberta History
The history of Alberta is believed to have started with the arrival of the First Nations in its plains about 8000 years ago. These people consisted of the Blood, Blackfoot, and Peigan, all of whom hunted buffalo for their food and tamed horses. Aside from these people, other groups of First Nations consisting of the Woodland Cree and Chipewyan tribes established themselves in the woodlands of the central part of Alberta. The said groups hunted moose and caribou, and they fished in nearby rivers and lakes.
In the 19th century, European traders of fur arrived in Alberta, greatly changing the lifestyle of the natives. Instead of focusing on their main activities of hunting and taming animals, they started to gather, transport, and trade furs with explorers from Europe. The natives in return were given blankets, guns, and goods made of metal. As the fur industry expanded throughout Alberta, its influence became greatly felt. Large fur companies prevented other groups from settling in Alberta.
However, these companies allowed the arrival of missionaries. The first of whom was a Methodist named Robert Rundle, who arrived in 1840. Another missionary who came to Alberta in 1842 was a Roman Catholic named Jean Thibault. A number of the present towns in Alberta were established in mission sites.
Thirty years later, the region of Alberta was opened for settlement. In 1873, the government formed the North-West Mounted Police to maintain order in Alberta. Moving on, a significant milestone in Alberta history occurred in 1883 when the railway system was introduced to the people. This dramatically increased the settlement of non-natives in Alberta.
In 1905, Alberta became a province and Edmonton was chosen to be its capital city. A key event in the history of this province took place in 1947 when a huge oil source was discovered at Leduc, which was near Edmonton. More oil discoveries followed thereafter. Today the economy of the province relies mainly on its gas and oil industries, providing majority of the work opportunities in Alberta.
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