Prehistory

A Brief History of Canada 

Pre-History to 1599
Early Exploration
Introduction
In the beginning, North America and Canada did not exist… at least in the minds of Europeans. They knew of Cathay and of the rich trade possibilities there, but the ocean to the west was a barrier which seemed too vast to cross. When overland trade routes became blocked and the voyage around Africa was found to be long and dangerous, the European nations began to look westward for a shorter journey.