Canada's History flashcards

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Which peoples were the first to inhabit the land now known as Canada, arriving thousands of years before European contact?

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Aboriginal peoples — Aboriginal peoples — First Nations, Métis, and Inuit — were the original inhabitants of Canada, living on the land for thousands of years before Europeans arrived.

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The three main groups of Aboriginal peoples in Canada are First Nations, Métis, and:

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Inuit — Canada recognizes three distinct Aboriginal peoples: First Nations (the most numerous), Métis (of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry), and Inuit (living primarily in Arctic regions).

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John Cabot's historic voyage to North America, which gave England its claim to the continent, took place in:

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1497 — John Cabot sailed from Bristol, England in 1497 and landed on the Atlantic coast of North America, establishing the basis for England's future claim to Canadian territory.

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Which European explorer sailed the St. Lawrence River between 1534 and 1542 and gave Canada its name?

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Jacques Cartier — Jacques Cartier made three voyages between 1534 and 1542, exploring the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the river inland. He adopted the Iroquoian word 'kanata' (meaning village) which evolved into 'Canada.'

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The word 'Canada' is believed to come from the Iroquoian word 'kanata,' which means:

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Village or settlement — Jacques Cartier heard Aboriginal guides use the Iroquoian word 'kanata,' meaning village or settlement, to refer to the area near present-day Quebec City, and he applied it to the broader territory.

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Samuel de Champlain founded the city of Quebec in:

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1608 — Samuel de Champlain established a permanent French settlement at Quebec City in 1608, making it one of the oldest cities in North America and the foundation of New France.

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Samuel de Champlain is often called the 'Father of New France' because of his role in:

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Founding Quebec City and establishing French settlements — Champlain's founding of Quebec City in 1608 and his tireless efforts to establish alliances with Aboriginal peoples and build lasting French colonies earned him the title 'Father of New France.'

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The fur trade was central to early Canadian history. Which animal's pelt was most prized by European traders and drove much of the early economy?

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Beaver — Beaver pelts were extraordinarily valuable in Europe for making fashionable felt hats. The beaver trade drove exploration deep into the interior of North America and shaped early alliances with Aboriginal peoples.

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The Hudson's Bay Company was founded in 1670 to conduct the fur trade. Its trading posts were located around which body of water?

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Hudson Bay — The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) was chartered by King Charles II in 1670 and established trading posts around Hudson Bay, from which it traded furs across the vast Rupert's Land territory.

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The Hudson's Bay Company was founded before Samuel de Champlain established Quebec City.

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False — Quebec City was founded by Champlain in 1608, while the Hudson's Bay Company was chartered in 1670 — over sixty years later.

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The Seven Years' War was a global conflict between Britain and France. In North America, it is sometimes called:

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The French and Indian War — In North America, the Seven Years' War (1756–1763) is often called the French and Indian War. It ended French colonial power in North America and transferred New France to British control.

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The decisive battle that ended French rule in North America was fought in 1759 on:

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The Plains of Abraham — The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, fought just outside Quebec City on September 13, 1759, resulted in a British victory. Both commanders — Wolfe (British) and Montcalm (French) — died in the battle.

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Both commanding generals were fatally wounded at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759. Who were they?

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Wolfe and Montcalm — British General James Wolfe and French General the Marquis de Montcalm both died during or shortly after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham on September 13, 1759.

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The Quebec Act of 1774 was significant because it:

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Allowed French Canadians to keep their language, religion, and civil law — The Quebec Act of 1774 guaranteed French Canadians the right to practice Roman Catholicism, use French civil law, and maintain their language and customs, helping to preserve French Canadian culture under British rule.

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The Quebec Act of 1774 was passed by the British Parliament partly in response to concerns about loyalty during the American Revolution.

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True — With the American Revolution brewing, Britain passed the Quebec Act to win the loyalty of French Canadians by protecting their language, religion, and laws, making it less likely they would join the American cause.

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United Empire Loyalists were people who:

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Remained loyal to the British Crown and fled to Canada after the American Revolution — United Empire Loyalists were colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution (1775–1783). After the war, tens of thousands fled to what is now Canada, especially Ontario and the Maritimes.

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The arrival of the United Empire Loyalists greatly increased the English-speaking population in Canada. In which current province did many of them settle, helping to create a new English-speaking colony?

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Ontario (Upper Canada) — The influx of Loyalists into what is now Ontario led to the creation of Upper Canada in 1791, a separate English-speaking colony distinct from the French-speaking Lower Canada.

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The War of 1812 was fought between Canada (with Britain) and which other country?

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The United States — The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and Britain (including British North America). American forces attempted to invade and annex Canada, but were repelled. The war reinforced a distinct Canadian identity.

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Laura Secord became a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812 by:

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Walking nearly 30 kilometres to warn British forces of an American attack — In 1813, Laura Secord overheard American officers planning a surprise attack. She walked approximately 30 kilometres through difficult terrain to warn British commander James FitzGibbon, helping lead to the American defeat at the Battle of Beaver Dams.

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During the War of 1812, British and Canadian forces retaliated against the United States by burning which prominent building in Washington, D.C.?

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The White House — In August 1814, British forces (with Canadian support) marched on Washington and burned the White House and other government buildings, partly in retaliation for the American burning of York (Toronto) in 1813.

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Canada successfully defended itself against an American invasion during the War of 1812.

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True — American forces attempted to invade and annex British North America during the War of 1812, but Canadian militia, British regulars, and Aboriginal allies successfully repelled the invasions. The war reinforced a distinct Canadian identity.

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The Rebellions of 1837–38 in Upper and Lower Canada were primarily protests against:

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Unresponsive, unelected colonial governments that ignored elected assemblies — The 1837–38 rebellions in both Upper Canada (led by William Lyon Mackenzie) and Lower Canada (led by Louis-Joseph Papineau) were driven by frustration that unelected governors and their councils ignored the elected assemblies, denying colonists meaningful self-government.

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Responsible government means that the executive branch of government must:

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Maintain the confidence and support of the elected legislature — Responsible government means that the Cabinet (executive) must have the confidence of the elected legislature to govern. If the legislature votes no-confidence, the government must resign. This principle was won by British North American colonies in the 1840s.

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Confederation — the creation of the Dominion of Canada — took place on:

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July 1, 1867 — Canada became a self-governing Dominion on July 1, 1867, through the British North America Act. July 1 is now celebrated annually as Canada Day.

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The British North America Act of 1867 united which original provinces into the Dominion of Canada?

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Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick — The British North America Act united the Province of Canada (split into Ontario and Quebec), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick on July 1, 1867. Other provinces joined later.

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Who became Canada's first Prime Minister at Confederation in 1867?

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Sir John A. Macdonald — Sir John A. Macdonald was the chief architect of Confederation and became Canada's first Prime Minister on July 1, 1867. He served as PM for most of the period until his death in 1891.

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The Fathers of Confederation were the politicians who worked to create the Dominion of Canada in 1867.

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True — The Fathers of Confederation were the delegates from the British North American colonies who attended the Charlottetown, Quebec, and London conferences and worked to draft the British North America Act, creating Canada in 1867.

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The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was crucial to Confederation because it fulfilled a promise to bring which province into Canada?

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British Columbia — British Columbia agreed to join Confederation in 1871 on the condition that a transcontinental railway be built within ten years. The CPR fulfilled this promise when it was completed in 1885.

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The Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in:

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1885 — The last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven at Craigellachie, British Columbia, on November 7, 1885, completing the transcontinental rail link from sea to sea.

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Thousands of Chinese workers helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway. After the railway was completed, the Canadian government imposed a discriminatory fee on Chinese immigrants. This was called the:

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Head tax — After Chinese workers helped complete the CPR in 1885, Canada imposed a 'head tax' — a fee charged specifically to Chinese immigrants — starting at $50 and rising to $500. The Canadian government later formally apologized for this discriminatory policy.

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The Canadian government has apologized for the Chinese head tax imposed after the completion of the CPR.

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True — In 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper formally apologized in Parliament for the Chinese head tax, acknowledging it as a discriminatory and unjust policy.

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Louis Riel was a Métis leader who led two resistance movements in western Canada. He was ultimately executed in 1885 for:

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Treason following the North-West Resistance — Louis Riel led the Red River Resistance (1869–70) and the North-West Resistance (1885) to defend Métis land and rights. After the 1885 uprising failed, he was tried for treason and hanged on November 16, 1885.