First Contact and Early European Exploration in Alberta (1750–1800)
In the latter half of the 18th century, a new chapter began to unfold in the vast and rugged landscapes of what is now Alberta. This period, spanning from 1750 to 1800, marked the first sustained encounters between Indigenous nations and European traders and explorers. Driven by economic ambition, the fur trade, and the lure of uncharted territories, European interests extended westward, reaching the plains, parklands, and northern rivers of Alberta. These initial contacts were not singular, decisive moments but a series of interactions that slowly and irrevocably began to alter the cultural, political, and economic dynamics of the region. Figures like Anthony Henday, Peter Pond, Alexander Mackenzie, and the early fur traders of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) and North West Company (NWC) opened pathways for commerce and exploration while navigating complex relationships with Indigenous nations, particularly the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Cree, and the Dene.
Anthony Henday and the First European Contact (1754)
In 1754, Anthony Henday, a trader employed by the Hudson’s Bay Company, embarked on a journey into the western plains, becoming one of the first Europeans recorded to have explored Alberta’s interior. Henday’s mission was clear: to establish trading relationships with the Indigenous peoples of the plains, particularly the Blackfoot Confederacy, and encourage them to bring their furs to the Hudson’s Bay posts on the shores of Hudson Bay.
Henday’s journey took him deep into the heart of the territory, across the North Saskatchewan River, and onto the sweeping plains that stretched endlessly toward the horizon. His observations, recorded in terse journal entries, reveal both his fascination with and misunderstanding of the world he was encountering. In the words of historian W. L. Morton, “Henday was a man caught between two worlds — a trader seeking profit and an observer struggling to comprehend a society so different from his own.”
Henday’s most significant encounter occurred with the Blackfoot Confederacy. The Blackfoot were skilled hunters and dominant players in the southern plains, their lives intimately tied to the bison that roamed the grasslands. Henday offered trade goods, including muskets, metal tools, and blankets, as incentives for the Blackfoot to transport furs to HBC posts. However, the Blackfoot, wary of the long and dangerous journey eastward, expressed little interest in abandoning their existing trade relationships with other Indigenous nations and European traders further west. This encounter underscored a key reality of the time: Indigenous peoples were not passive participants in European ventures but active agents who controlled trade networks and access to resources.
While Henday’s mission may not have resulted in immediate success for the Hudson’s Bay Company, it marked the beginning of a gradual process of contact, trade, and negotiation that would reshape the plains. His journey opened a door that would soon be pushed wider by fur traders and explorers in search of wealth and discovery.
Peter Pond and the Athabasca Trade (1778)
By the late 1770s, the fur trade was expanding westward at an accelerated pace, driven by increasing demand for beaver pelts in European markets. In 1778, Peter Pond, a fur trader affiliated with the North West Company, established a trading post near Lake Athabasca on the Athabasca River. This marked the first significant foray by Europeans into Alberta’s northern regions, a landscape defined by sprawling boreal forests, icy rivers, and networks of lakes that stretched into the subarctic.
Pond’s decision to establish a post in this remote region was strategic. The Athabasca River system connected Alberta to the rich fur resources of the north and the Indigenous nations who harvested them, including the Dene and northern Cree. By positioning himself at Lake Athabasca, Pond bypassed Hudson’s Bay Company control and gained direct access to the lucrative fur supply. Historian Arthur J. Ray, in “Indians in the Fur Trade”, notes, “Pond’s establishment of a post in the Athabasca marked a turning point in the fur trade. It represented not just competition but the opening of new economic frontiers in regions previously untouched by European influence.”
Pond’s presence in the Athabasca also highlighted the critical role of Indigenous peoples in the fur trade. The Dene and northern Cree served as trappers, guides, and intermediaries, ensuring a steady supply of furs while maintaining control over their territories. For these nations, the fur trade became both an economic opportunity and a source of disruption, as it introduced new technologies, goods, and, eventually, competition for resources.
Alexander Mackenzie and the Mapping of Northern Rivers (1792–1793)
The 1790s brought one of the most remarkable achievements of European exploration in Canada: the westward expedition of Alexander Mackenzie. A Scottish-born explorer employed by the North West Company, Mackenzie sought a navigable route to the Pacific Ocean, driven by the allure of connecting the fur trade to broader global markets.
In 1792–1793, Mackenzie embarked on his historic journey, travelling along the Peace River system through northern Alberta. His expedition was arduous, marked by treacherous river passages, the dense boreal wilderness, and the challenges of navigating unmapped territories. Yet his success was profound. Mackenzie became the first European to cross the North American continent north of Mexico, reaching the Pacific Ocean in July 1793.
Mackenzie’s journey was not merely a geographic achievement; it was a transformative moment in European understanding of western Canada. The rivers of northern Alberta—particularly the Peace River—were revealed as critical arteries of trade and exploration. Mackenzie’s expedition confirmed the vast potential of the western interior and laid the groundwork for further incursions into the region. Historian Derek Hayes describes Mackenzie’s accomplishment as “a testament to perseverance and vision — a journey that forever changed the map of Canada and opened new possibilities for the fur trade.”
For the Indigenous nations Mackenzie encountered, his journey represented both opportunity and uncertainty. The rivers and trade routes they had long controlled were now becoming part of a larger European economic and political framework, one that would soon exert increasing pressure on their lands and ways of life.
Fort Edmonton and the Fur Trade Hub (1799)
By the end of the 18th century, the fur trade had firmly taken root in Alberta, with European traders and companies competing for control over the region’s resources. In 1799, the North West Company established Fort Augustus along the North Saskatchewan River, near present-day Edmonton. Shortly after, the Hudson’s Bay Company established Fort Edmonton in the same area, cementing the location as a key hub for trade and administration in Alberta’s central plains and parklands.
Fort Edmonton’s strategic position on the North Saskatchewan River made it an ideal location for accessing the rich fur supplies of the surrounding region. The fort became a meeting place for Indigenous trappers, Métis traders, and European fur companies, facilitating exchanges that brought goods, knowledge, and cultural interactions. It also served as a vital supply point for expeditions travelling westward or northward, linking Alberta to broader trade networks that extended across the continent.
The establishment of Fort Edmonton reflected the increasing permanence of European economic interests in Alberta. As historian Gerhard Ens writes in “The Fur Trade and the Foundations of Settlement”, “Fort Edmonton was not just a trading post; it was a symbol of the growing European presence in the west — a foothold that would evolve into a centre of commerce, governance, and settlement.”
The period from 1750 to 1800 was one of profound change in Alberta. Figures like Anthony Henday, Peter Pond, and Alexander Mackenzie ushered in the first sustained contact between Europeans and the Indigenous nations who had stewarded the land for millennia. These encounters, driven by the fur trade and the lure of exploration, opened Alberta to European commerce and laid the groundwork for future settlement and political transformation.
Yet this era also marked the beginning of significant challenges for Indigenous nations. While the fur trade brought new opportunities and technologies, it also introduced economic pressures, competition, and the seeds of cultural disruption. The establishment of posts like Fort Edmonton symbolized a permanent shift, one that would shape the course of Alberta’s history in the centuries to come.
As historian Hugh A. Dempsey aptly reflects, “The explorers and traders who ventured into Alberta in the 18th century were not simply discovering new lands; they were stepping into a world that had long existed, rich with traditions, networks, and histories of its own.”
References
- Dempsey, Hugh A. Indian Tribes of Alberta. Glenbow Museum, 1998.
- Ray, Arthur J. Indians in the Fur Trade. University of Toronto Press, 1998.
- Hayes, Derek. Historical Atlas of Canada: Canada’s History Illustrated. Douglas & McIntyre, 2002.
- Ens, Gerhard. The Fur Trade and the Foundations of Settlement. University of Calgary Press, 2009.
- Morton, W. L. The Fur Trade in Canada. University of Toronto Press, 1974.