It's generally accepted that, for the first time since the Vikings temporarily settled Newfoundland almost five centuries previous, Newfoundland was re-discovered by Europeans when Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) set foot on the Rock on the Feast of St. John the Baptist in 1497.
Is it true? Who knows. There's a reason we're nicknamed the City of Legends. The Portuguese have long claimed that their sailors were visiting Newfoundland as early as the 1470s. The English city of Bristol, too, claims its men were fishing on the Grand Banks long before the 1490s.
The earliest fact we know with absolute certainty about St. John's is that it was the Basque, and not Giovanni Caboto, who gave the city its name. The earliest maps that identify St. John's using that name (São João) are all Basque or Portuguese. It was named after a city of the same name in the Basque country that has an identically-shaped harbour.
St. John's Harbour quickly became a busy seasonal fishing station. Basque, Breton, Norman, Portuguese, French, and other fishermen/whalers used the fantastically-sheltered harbour, the closest fine harbour to Europe, to process their catch. Occasionally, they over-wintered there - by accident.
On August 3, 1527, the first letter from North America to Europe was sent from St. John's to King Henry, detailing the number and national origin of the ships in the harbour. By 1546, Water Street - the oldest street in North America - had been developed and appeared on maps.
However, St. John's was still a seasonal settlement - and its seasonal residents were almost entirely continental Europeans. That all changed on August 5, 1583. Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed St. John's and the surrounding area for Queen Elizabeth, making this Britain's first colony and the beginning of the British Empire. He famously said, "I set my heart on this country so grand."
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By the early 1600s, Newfoundland had several thriving, year-round settlements. Bristol's Hope (Harbour Grace), Avalon (Ferryland), and St. John's were the main ones. The population was small and almost entirely English Anglican. However, it was for a while one of the largest and most important settlements in the Americas. For example, the Mayflower stopped by (to the settlement of Renews) on its way to begin the settlement of America for supplies.
By 1627, St. John's was described by the British as "the principal prime and chief lot in the whole country". When the first census was taken in 1675, it was the largest community - though Harbour Grace was close behind (and was favoured to be the capital for generations).
Beginning in 1680, the Irish began to visit St. John's. The English didn't like it much - the Penal Laws prohibiting Roman Catholic worship were stricter in Newfoundland than anywhere else. In fact, when they were repealed in the 1820s, Newfoundland - in one of its first acts of independence - refused to implement the changes. Roman Catholics on the island were second-class citizens (forbidden to own property, or even receive gifts from Anglicans) until well into the 1830s.
The Irish settlement of Newfoundland remains one of the most unique population movements in world history. Few if any examples of a people moving from so specific a location (the city of Waterford and its surrounding countryside) to so specific a location (St. John's and the Irish Shore of the Avalon Peninsula) over such a long period of time (well into the 1800s) exist.
St. John's really began to grow into something we'd recognize today as a city in the late 1600s.
The Dutch conquered St. John's in 1665 and were quickly driven off. Immediately, calls for better defenses of the city were sent to London. The Dutch tried again in 1673, but this time were successfully defeated without taking the city. What would later become Fort William (near where the Hotel Newfoundland was built) was started at that time.
In 1696, however, it failed. The French captured and destroyed St. John's. When reinforcements from Britain arrived a year later, they found nothing but rubble. Every trace of the city of its people was gone.
The city was quickly rebuilt, but the French attacked the city again in 1705 - destroying it - and fully occupied it in 1708. Again, they quickly abandoned the ruins and established new settlements in the surrounding area. The British returned, and in 1713 the French were forced to cede most of their settlements surrounding St. John's, the inhabitants forcibly deported to what is now Cape Breton Island.
From 1713 until the 1760s, the city boomed and became increasingly important as a commercial, trade, and settlement centre. That, of course, caught the French attention again and for the final time they conquered the city in 1762. This time, they were so enamoured with its beauty that they refused an order to put it to the torch. It was a fatal mistake, as the final battle of the Seven Year's War in North America (the Battle of Signal Hill) saw the French surrender St. John's to the British for good.
Memorial Archives
Memorial Archives
The massive Fort Townshend was built to complement Fort William and fortify the city. St. John's grew slowly and steadily, remaining one of the 10 largest communities in what is now Canada until the 1900s.
Memorial Archives
Memorial Archives
It became a de-facto capital with Newfoundland's partial independence from Britain in 1832. With full independence on May 22, 1855 (our equivalent of July 1, 1867), it became a proper national capital. In 1907, Newfoundland was granted the title of Dominion (the same title used by Canada, New Zealand, etc.) and its leader, officially termed a Premier or Governor up until that point (but commonly referred to as Prime Minister), adopted the official title of Prime Minister.
Interestingly, St. John's was traditionally governed as a part of Newfoundland as a whole. There was absolutely no level of government between an individual and the national Parliament in Newfoundland. No municipalities, no counties, no provinces/states. (Labrador was officially termed a
dependency of Newfoundland, but it did not have any separate form of government).
The city wasn't incorporated as a municipality until 1888 and, even then, it was heavily controlled by Parliament. The municipal council was comprised of equals with a Chairman appointed by the Prime Minister.
It wasn't until 1921 that St. John's achieved the type of municipal government we'd recognize today, with powers/responsibilities and the position of mayor.
Memorial Archives
The greatest disaster in the city's history was the Great Fire of 1892.
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"When morning broke the thick clouds of smoke still ascended from the burning ruins, and it was hours before it had cleared sufficiently to admit a view of the track of the desolating scourge. A walk through the deserted streets demonstrated that the ruin was even more complete than seemed possible at first. Of the whole easterly section, scarcely a building remained. Of the costly and imposing structures and public buildings which were the pride and glory of the people, scarcely a vestige remained; and St. John's lay in the morning as a city despoiled of her beauty, her choicest ornaments, presenting a picture of utter desolation and woe."
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Memorial Archives
Often surprising for Canadians: Newfoundland was one of the only places in North America directly bombed by the Germans during WWII. They fired torpedos at St. John's and Bell Island, killing more than 60. And German agents set several fires in St. John's, including the deadly Knights of Columbus Fire - which killed almost 100 American men and their Newfoundland girls at a dance that was broadcast live over the radio. And German U-boats sunk numerous ships around Newfoundland, including passenger ferries, to heavy loss of life.
In the 1930s, riots ravaged Newfoundland - the worst that had been experienced since the 1860s. Parliament was sacked and the Prime Minister was literally chased through the streets until he sought refuge inside a private residence.
Independence was temporarily abolished and Commission of Government was re-instated. It was comprised of three Newfoundlanders, three Britons, and led by a Governor appointed by the British government. Following WWII, Britain and Canada agreed to trade Newfoundland in return for Canada forgiving much of Britain's war debt.
But there existed a more fitting option: Union with the United States. The American military had a base in every other town in Newfoundland. It was AT&T that built the province's communications system. Even those who passionately supported Confederation with Canada still say, "
Canada was an unknown, foreign country to us up until then. We just wanted a way to make it. We'd been trying so long and nothing worked. But if America had been on the ballot, that would have been our first choice."
St. John's, especially, boomed under American influence. But even as far away as the west coast of the island, it was U.S.A and Newfoundland. For example, I have an Aunt who married an American serviceman and moved to New Mexico. There are many families on the island with these circumstances.
Canadian records from the time show they wanted the country for its hydroelectric potential, for control of its Atlantic coastline, and to prevent the Americans from taking it as had happened in Alaska.
In the late 1940s, a referendum was held. Newfoundlanders voted to regain their independence from the three options presented. A second referendum was held, marred by accusations of fraud, and Newfoundlanders voted 52% in favour of Confederation with Canada. The votes were counted by the British and quickly destroyed. The Terms of Union were drawn up by Ottawa and London with minimal influence from St. John's.
Many Canadian and British officials joined those in Newfoundland condemning the referendum as illegal as it was organized by Britain and not Newfoundland. They insisted Newfoundland should be given back its independence first, then decide what to do.
St. John's and the entire Avalon Peninsula (accounting for a majority of Newfoundland's population) voted overwhelmingly against Confederation. Black tarps were draped over Water Street's buildings, flags flown at half mast.
Meanwhile, in rural Newfoundland, the mood was ecstatic. Canada promised social services and support that St. John's couldn't be arsed to give to its outports. Baby bonuses, electricity, running water, schools, hospitals, and more went up as fast as they could be built outside the city. For the first years, Canada treaded lightly near St. John's.
The first CBC station in Newfoundland, for example, was set up 800+km away on the west coast of the island, in Corner Brook.
Confederation brought some changes to St. John's. Development - which had, until that point, been almost entirely limited to dense, urban rowhouse districts, took on a more suburban, North American feel. Cottage country in what is now the City of Mount Pearl became home to permanent residences. Suburban sprawl took off, and is still growing - accounting for almost 50% of the city's population.
Since then, things have mellowed. Passionate and sometimes violent Anglican-Catholic tensions remained a fixture of St. John's until the 1970s, but those too have faded from memory and daily experience.
Now we're a normal city with a long history, a strong identity, and a great sense of self. We're contented enough, and our economy and growth are now booming.
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