who founded a fishing expedition in newfoundland after claiming the area
History of Newfoundland and Labrador In the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), France acknowledged British ownership of the island. However, in the Seven Years' War (1756â€“63), control of Newfoundland became a major source of conflict between Britain, France and Spain who all pressed for a share in the valuable fishery there. Britain's victories around the globe led William Pitt to insist that nobody other than Britain should have access to Newfoundland. The Battle of Signal Hill was fought in Newfoundland in 1762, when a French force landed and tried to occupy the island, only to be repulsed by the British. In 1796 a Franco-Spanish expedition succeeded in raiding the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador.