History of Fredericton facts for kids
The history of Fredericton tells the story of how this city in New Brunswick grew from ancient times to today. Long ago, the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet peoples lived here. Europeans first arrived when the French built Fort Nashwaak in 1692. Later, in 1783, people called United Empire Loyalists settled at a place called Ste. Anne's Point. The next year, they renamed it Frederick's Town. This name was later shortened to Fredericton in April 1785.
Fredericton officially became a city in 1973.
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Early Days in Fredericton
The land where Fredericton is now was first used by the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet peoples. They would come here at certain times of the year to farm. One important crop they grew was Maize (corn). In a way, Fredericton was like a main gathering place for the First Nations people in this area. Their most important village, Aucpaque, was just a few kilometers up the river from where Fredericton stands today.
The 1600s: French Beginnings
The first Europeans to arrive in this area were the French in the late 1600s. They gave the land to a man named Joseph de Villebon. In 1692, he built a fort called Fort Nashwaak. It was on the north side of the Saint John River, right where the Nashwaak River flows into it. For a while, Fort Nashwaak was the capital city of the French colony of Acadia.
Governor Villebon, who was in charge of Acadia, made Fort Nashwaak a base for attacks on English settlements in New England. After an attack from Fort Nashwaak on Pemaquid, Maine, the New Englanders decided to fight back. In 1696, a group led by Major Benjamin Church tried to destroy Fort Nashwaak. Villebon knew they were coming and got ready. On October 18, the British soldiers arrived across the river from the fort. They set up cannons and built defenses.
There was a fierce fight for two days, known as the Siege of Fort Nashwaak. The French had a better position and stronger guns. The New Englanders were defeated, losing 8 soldiers and having 17 wounded. The French lost one soldier and had two wounded. After Governor de Villebon died in 1700 and a big flood hit, the fort was left empty.
The 1700s: New Settlements
The Fredericton area was first settled permanently in 1732. It was named Pointe-Sainte-Anne (often called Ste. Anne's Point). Acadians who were escaping from Nova Scotia after the British took over that land moved here. Their town was on the south side of the river, about a mile up from where Fort Nashwaak used to be. But during the Expulsion of the Acadians, the British captured Ste. Anne's Point. They burned the settlement to the ground in what was called the St. John River Campaign.
British Settlers Arrive
In 1762, the British tried to start a new settlement, but it didn't work out. The local Acadian and Aboriginal people were not friendly to them. These settlers ended up building a community further down the river, in what is now the town of Maugerville. However, three fur traders managed to settle permanently in the area in 1768.
The real start of Fredericton as a city was in 1783. This is when the United Empire Loyalists arrived at Ste. Anne's Point. They were people who had supported the British during the American Revolution and had to leave the United States. When the Loyalists arrived, only three families lived at Ste. Anne's Point. About 2,000 Loyalists, including several army groups, settled in the area.
Their first winter was very hard with lots of snow. Many people didn't have enough blankets and died during that tough winter of 1783-1784. They were buried in what is now the Loyalist cemetery, which you can still find on the south bank of the Saint John River. By the next spring, many had died or moved to other areas. So, the number of Loyalists who truly founded the city was smaller than many people think.
A plan for the city streets was drawn up in 1784 and approved by the Nova Scotia Governor. This plan, called the "Campbell Plot," showed wide streets that crossed each other at right angles, forming city blocks. The streets weren't named until 1819. This plan is why downtown Fredericton feels so open and spacious today.
When New Brunswick became a separate colony from Nova Scotia in 1784, Ste. Anne's Point was chosen as the capital. It was picked over Parrtown (now Saint John) because its location inland made it safer from American attacks by sea.
Governor Guy Carleton officially named Fredericton the provincial capital on February 22, 1785. King's College (which is now the University of New Brunswick) was also started that same year. The area was renamed "Frederick's Town" to honor Prince Frederick Augustus, Duke of York, who was the second son of King George III of the United Kingdom. The name was shortened to Fredericton soon after, on April 25, 1785, when it became the official capital.
In less than three years, Fredericton went from being a quiet area to the capital of the new colony of New Brunswick. Even though many more people came later, the Loyalists who stayed laid the groundwork for Fredericton and its role as the capital. This foundation was then built upon by new arrivals and future generations.
The same reasons that made Fredericton a good capital city also made it a great place for a military base. Many of the original military buildings downtown are still standing today and are popular places for tourists to visit. A building for the provincial government was built in 1788, but it burned down in 1880. Two years later, the current New Brunswick Legislative Building was constructed.
The 1800s: Growth and Change
In 1829, the Old Arts Building was finished. It was built for King's College, which later became the University of New Brunswick. In 1848, Christ Church Cathedral (part of the Church of England) was built. This helped Fredericton gain its official city status.
A Maliseet settlement, now called the St. Mary's First Nation, was founded on the north side of the river in 1847. However, as the city grew and surrounded it, the size of this settlement was made smaller than it was originally.
Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, visited Fredericton in 1860. While he was there, he officially opened Wilmot Park. His brother, Prince Alfred, visited the next year while serving on HMS Euryalus.
Construction on Fredericton City Hall began on January 1, 1875, and was finished exactly one year later.
During the 1800s, Fredericton had several industries, including the lumber industry. However, over the 1900s, Fredericton's factories and industrial jobs became less important. Instead, the universities and the provincial government became the main employers.
The 1900s to Today
Until Gibson (now known as the neighborhood of Devon) joined Fredericton in 1945, the city's official boundary was only on the south side of the river. After World War II and until the late 1970s, Fredericton's population grew a lot. This was because the University of New Brunswick got bigger, and Saint Thomas University built its Fredericton campus in 1964. Also, many new jobs in the government helped Fredericton's population grow as the provincial government became larger and more centralized. During the 1960s and 1970s, the "Hill area" was mostly developed, and new communities like New Maryland appeared.
In 1973, the city officially added several nearby communities. These included Nashwaaksis, Marysville, Barker's Point, and Silverwood. Even though people still use these names, residents usually just say "north side" or "south side" to describe areas, with the Saint John River being the dividing line.
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