In 1793, Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe bought land from the Mississaugas and founded Toronto. York was the capital of Upper Canada and became Toronto in 1834. The city was important during the War of 1812. It was damaged during the Battle of York.
By the mid-1800s, Toronto had become an industrial, cultural, and economic hub. In 1867, it became the capital of Ontario. The city’s population grew quickly because it was a popular place for immigrants. Toronto is a diverse city with over 200 ethnic groups.
The French Colony (1615-1760)
The first European to set foot on the shores of Lake Ontario in the vicinity of what is now Toronto was the French explorer Étienne Brûlé. He was a member of the expedition led by Samuel de Champlain in 1608 that resulted in the establishment of Quebec. Nevertheless, the Toronto region had been inhabited for a minimum of ten thousand years prior to the arrival of Brûlé in 1615. The indigenous inhabitants of the region were intimately familiar with Toronto, as it was situated along a network of trails and waterways that connected northern and western Canada with the Gulf of Mexico. The “Toronto Passage,” also known as the “Toronto Carrying Place,” followed the Humber River and constituted an important overland shortcut between Lake Ontario and the upper Great Lakes. The region was inhabited by the Huron and Petun tribes until approximately 1600, when they relocated to land south of Georgian Bay. The Iroquois League, who inhabited the region south of Lake Ontario, constituted their rivals. The feuding between Iroquois and Hurons continued into the 17th century, coinciding with the arrival of French fur traders in the area. By the mid-17th century, the Huron Confederacy had been significantly weakened by the introduction of foreign diseases brought by the French and conflict with the Iroquois, who subsequently occupied some of the former Huron territory on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Subsequently, in 1688, the French displaced the Iroquois, who were subsequently displaced themselves by the Mississaugas, who migrated from the Canadian Shield.
In the latter part of the seventeenth century, a village was established on the east bank of the Humber River, in the vicinity of the present-day Old Mill. The village, known as Teiaiagon, served as a trading post and a meeting place for traders from the east (French), north (Indian), and south (English). Its strategic location at the convergence of three significant trade routes and on the Toronto Passage, a shortcut to the upper Great Lakes and northwestern Canada, contributed to its prominence. The population of Teiaiagon was comprised of a diverse array of individuals, including Mississaugas, Senecas (Iroquois), French fur traders and soldiers, and missionaries, such as the Jesuits, who inhabited the area over time. Concurrently, the French were establishing themselves along the St. Lawrence River and at Teiaiagon, while the British were establishing flourishing colonial settlements along the Atlantic Coast in New England and Chesapeake Bay. The hostilities that existed between Britain and France in Europe were carried over into the colonial settlements, resulting in intense rivalries between the two countries as they vied for control of the fur trade and other resources. The French and Indian War (1754-1763) was the consequence of this rivalry, as the two countries competed for control of the North American continent with the assistance of colonial and Native allies. This conflict subsequently expanded into Europe, becoming known as the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763).
In the course of events, a number of forts and blockhouses were erected by the French and English along the shores of Lake Ontario and in other locations. In 1750, the French erected Fort Toronto on the east bank of the Humber River. However, it was soon evident that the fort was inadequate in comparison with British forts like Fort Oswego. As a result, a more substantial French fort, designated as Fort Rouille, was erected three miles east of the Humber, on the site of the present-day Canadian National Exhibition. This was the final French fort to be constructed in the Toronto area. By September 1760, the British had emerged victorious over the French, who subsequently withdrew from North America, thereby bringing an end to French rule in what would later become Canada.
For the subsequent three decades, the Toronto area was under British control, although their presence was largely inconspicuous. The fur trade was revived, with passes being issued by the British commander Lord Dorchester at Montreal for trappers to hunt in Toronto. In 1787, he negotiated the Toronto Purchase, which transferred the title to a fourteen-mile stretch of land along Lake Ontario from present-day Scarborough to Etobicoke, and nearly 30 miles inland, from the Mississauga Indians to the British. In return for the relinquishment of over 250,000 acres of land, the Mississaugas received 1700 pounds sterling and an assortment of goods. The American Revolution, which occurred between 1775 and 1783, had no discernible impact on Toronto at the time. However, the post-revolution migration of Loyalists to populate the area north of Lake Ontario from the upper St. Lawrence west to Kingston, the Bay of Quinte, and Niagara regions had a significant impact on the subsequent development of Upper Canada. Moreover, the delineation of the border along the middle of the Great Lakes, following the recognition of the United States as a non-British entity in 1783, facilitated the formation of a distinct Canadian identity and contributed to the advancement of Toronto as a logical choice for the center of British influence.
Governor Simcoe’s Village (1793-1812)
In 1791, the British government enacted a division of the colony of Quebec into the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada. The former encompassed the area now known as Ontario, which was initially populated largely by Loyalists. The latter included the present-day province of Quebec, which remained predominantly French-speaking. The impetus for the division of the colony into two separate provinces originated from the Loyalists, who objected to the imposition of French laws and culture in their new surroundings. As a result, the two provinces exhibited distinct cultural, legal, and land tenure characteristics, as well as separate elected assemblies representing their respective interests. In 1792, John Graves Simcoe, the inaugural Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, arrived at Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake). Simcoe had previously served with the British forces during the American Revolution, where he held the rank of commander of a Loyalist regiment known as the Queen’s Rangers. Although both Newark and Kingston were already established towns in Upper Canada, Simcoe postulated that Toronto was a superior site for the capital from a military and naval standpoint. On July 30, 1793, Simcoe arrived at Toronto with his wife, Elizabeth, their domestic staff, and members of the Queen’s Rangers, who would serve both as military personnel and as laborers in the establishment of the new town.
It is unfortunate that Simcoe’s superior, Lord Dorchester, did not concur with his assessment of Toronto as the optimal location for a military and naval stronghold in Upper Canada. Dorchester favored Kingston, and since he was the authority on military expenditures, Simcoe lacked the financial backing he needed to proceed with his proposed plan. Notwithstanding these challenges, Simcoe was able to oversee the construction of a log garrison, the laying out of a ten-block town site, and the establishment of 100-acre park lots north of the town, extending from Queen Street (originally called Lot Street) up to Bloor Street. Simcoe’s intention was to allocate these lots to government officials from Niagara as compensation for their relocation to an isolated outpost. Furthermore, he initiated the clearing of Yonge Street up to the Holland River, thereby opening the lands above the town to wider settlement and providing a vital link to the town’s markets. Simcoe directed the Queen’s Rangers to construct the inaugural modest public edifices in the nascent settlement, including facilities for parliamentary proceedings, judicial administration, and religious observances. Additionally, he designated a new appellation for the settlement, designating it York in honor of the British commanding general, the Duke of York. In the fall of 1796, Simcoe returned to Britain on leave and was reassigned to military duties in the West Indies. Despite the brevity of his tenure in York, he played a pivotal role in establishing the foundations for the city’s future growth and prosperity.
In the years following Simcoe’s departure, the town continued to experience a modest rate of growth. At the inaugural town meeting in July 1797, a total of 241 individuals were enumerated. The initial population of York consisted of British officials and their families, soldiers, and a small assortment of laborers, storekeepers, and craftsmen. It can be inferred from contemporary correspondence that the scarcity of labor and materials during York’s formative years not only resulted in elevated costs but also frequently necessitated delays in the construction of residences for the ruling class. This demand attracted a number of shopkeepers and skilled tradesmen to the town, which by 1812 had a population of just over 700. In the decade preceding 1812, a considerable number of new edifices were constructed, including inns and hotels, a jail, two new military blockhouses situated to the east and west of the town, and in 1807, the inaugural church, known as “the English Church” but subsequently designated St. James. The land surrounding York continued to be developed, primarily by post-Loyalist Americans who were eager to take advantage of the rich farmland situated to the east and west of Yonge Street above the town. As York expanded and transportation to and from the town improved, a new cohort of merchants began to arrive, offering a larger and more varied selection of goods. Rather than obtaining their products from Kingston or Montreal, which were both larger and more established towns, these merchants imported their products directly from Britain or New York. In terms of social structure, the population was divided into two distinct groups. The official ruling elite comprised a close-knit group of upper-class and distinctly British families who held the reins of power and were bestowed with special privileges, including the grant of large “park lots” north of the town (which were later christened “The Family Compact”). In contrast, the working-class constituted a significant proportion of the population, including merchants, laborers, and craftsmen. One noteworthy aspect of York’s social structure was its lack of a Loyalist foundation, with its inhabitants exhibiting a strong British identity. The farm settlements situated above the town were predominantly populated by individuals who had aligned themselves with the Loyalist cause, as well as those who had recently immigrated from the United States. This demographic would become significant during the conflict with the United States and the events leading up to the Rebellion of 1837. However, prior to the War of 1812, Governor Simcoe’s vision for York was gradually becoming a reality.