Alberta History

About half of Alberta’s population is of British origin. Other nationalities include Czech, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Scandinavian, Ukrainian, and Indian (18,000 American Indians reside on 90 reservations). Most migrations were from eastern Canada, Europe, and the United States in the early 1900s.

You will need some understanding of the historical events that affected your family and the records about them. Learning about wars, governments, laws, migrations, and religious trends may help you understand political boundaries, family movements, and settlement patterns. Records of these events, such as land and military documents, may mention your family.

This information can help you determine significant cultural, ecclesiastical, and political events in the history of Alberta. Changes in geographical boundaries and ownership of land are especially important in determining where to search for the records of your ancestors.

The following important events affected political boundaries, record keeping, and family movements:


 * 1670 Today’s Alberta was a part of the territory given to the Hudson’s Bay Company.
 * 1777–1778 First trading post on Lake Athabasca was established.
 * 1778 Fort Chipewyan was founded.
 * 1794 Fort Augustus was founded near the present site of Edmonton.
 * 1869 Rupert’s Land bought from the Hudson’s Bay Company and organized into the Northwest Territories.
 * 1874–1875 North West Mounted Police established Fort Macleod and Fort Calgary.
 * 1876–1877 Territorial rights acquired from the Indians by treaty.
 * 1882 The southern region of the Northwest Territories was divided into four districts; one was named Alberta.
 * 1883 Canadian Pacific Railway’s main line was completed across Alberta.
 * 1885 Northwest Rebellion outbreak.
 * 1905 The Province of Alberta was formed.
 * 1908 The University of Alberta was founded.

About half of Alberta’s population is of British origin. Other nationalities include Czech, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Scandinavian, Ukrainian, and Indian (18,000 American Indians reside on 90 reservations). Most migrations were from eastern Canada, Europe, and the United States in the early 1900s.