1778 in Canada

Years in Canada:	1775 1776 1777 1778 1779 1780 1781
Centuries:	17th century · 18th century · 19th century
Decades:	1740s 1750s 1760s 1770s 1780s 1790s 1800s
Years:	1775 1776 1777 1778 1779 1780 1781

Events from the year 1778 in Canada.

Events

• March 29-April 26 British Captain James Cook explores Alaskan coast, seeking Northwest Passage back to the Atlantic. On the last of three voyages to the west coast, he travels as far north as the Bering Strait and claims Nootka Sound, Vancouver Island for the British. While there, he trades for sea otter pelts. On the way back to England his crew almost mutinied, desperately wanting to go back to the Pacific Northwest, after stopping in China and discovering how much sea otter pelts were worth.
• The American colonies ally with France.
• The English overrun the southern states, but are weakened by a French blockade of shipping.
• After landing at Nootka Sound in August, former British naval captain John Meares arrives from Macao (sailing under the Portuguese flag) with 70 Chinese carpenters. He supervises the building of another ship and housing at Nootka Sound as the post becomes the centre of the pelt and fur trades in the Pacific Northwest.
• The primitive form of hockey is explained to pelters by the natives and soon after leads to the form of hockey seen today.
• Spinning mule invented to spin multiple strands of yarn.
• First treaty between the United States and an Indian nation is negotiated with the Delaware; they are offered the prospect of statehood
• British and Iroquois forces attack and massacre American settlers in western New York and Pennsylvania.

Births

• April 12 - John Strachan, first Anglican Bishop of Toronto, Born in Aberdeen, Scotland (d.1867)

Full date unknown

• David Willson, religious leader and mystic (d.1866)