Saint John, New Brunswick: History
The Saint John area had been inhabited by peoples of the Wabanaki Confederacy for thousands of years. The northwestern coastal region of the Bay of Fundy was home to the Passamaquoddy Nation, while the Saint John River valley north of the bay became the domain of the Wolastoqiyik Nation. The Mi'kmaq also frequented the Saint John area due to the harbour and coast being an important hunting ground for seals. The area around the harbour, where the city is, has been traditionally called Menahkwesk by the Wolastoqiyik people, who continue to reside in and around the city. In precolonial times, the Wolastoqiyik lived in mostly self-sustaining villages living largely off bass, sturgeon, salmon, corn, wild roots and berries.
In 1604, Samuel de Champlain landed at Saint John Harbour, though he did not settle the area. Saint John played a crucial role in trade and defense for Acadia during the French colonial era, with Fort La Tour in the city's harbour becoming a pivotal battleground during the Acadian Civil War. At the end of the Seven Years' War, the British took the region from the French.
The population of Saint John grew with immigration from the former Thirteen Colonies and Europe. In particular, a large number of United Empire Loyalists began arriving in May 1783 in the aftermath of the American Revolutionary War. Within months, over 10,000 Loyalists had arrived at the harbour. Immigration led to the building of North America's first quarantine station, Partridge Island.
Saint John was officially established by royal charter on 18 May 1785, making it the first incorporated city in what is now Canada. The first Saint John Common Council meeting took place two days later. Gabriel George Ludlow was appointed as the first mayor. The city was named "Saint John" by the suggestion of Ward Chipman, who also wrote the city charter.
The city became a shipyard of global stature, producing vessels such as the 1851 ship Marco Polo, which became the fastest in the world, and witnessing the development of the automated foghorn by Robert Foulis.
As the city grew in strategic importance to English power and capital, unrest grew among many of its working class. Black Saint Johners faced restrictions on trade, fishing and voting, compelling the majority of the city's Black community to settle in Portland (the city's north end), which later became amalgamated with Saint John. In 1849, Canada's first labour union, the Laborer's Benevolent Association (now ILA local 273) was formed by longshoremen. Between 1840 and 1860, sectarian violence became rampant in Saint John as tensions escalated in response to the poor living conditions of poor Irish Catholics, resulting in some of the worst urban riots in Canadian history. Saint John experienced a cholera outbreak in 1854 that claimed over 1,500 lives, as well as the Great Fire of Saint John in 1877 that destroyed 40% of the city and left 13,000 people homeless. Although the fire caused damages exceeding $10 million (equivalent to approximately $256 million today), Saint John quickly embarked on rebuilding. Nevertheless, the aftermath prompted many residents to leave the city.