Exploration, settlement and New France
Indigenous civilizations were established long before Europeans arrived. A Norse settlement existed at L’Anse aux Meadows about a thousand years ago. John Cabot mapped part of the Atlantic coast for England in 1497. Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawrence and heard the Iroquoian word kanata, meaning village, which later became the country’s name.
Samuel de Champlain established Québec in 1608. New France grew around the St. Lawrence, Catholic missions and the fur trade. Voyageurs and coureurs des bois travelled inland, and the Hudson’s Bay Company was chartered in 1670. These names, dates and relationships recur throughout the practice bank.
Conquest, accommodation and defence
Britain defeated France at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759. The Quebec Act of 1774 allowed Catholic religious practice and restored French civil law while British criminal law continued. This helped preserve a French-speaking Catholic society under British rule.
Loyalists moved north during and after the American Revolution. In the War of 1812, British forces, First Nations and Canadian volunteers resisted an American invasion. The guide connects this defence with the survival of Canada as distinct from the United States.
Responsible government and Confederation
After the rebellions of 1837–38, reformers including Robert Baldwin and Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine advanced responsible government. It means the executive must keep the confidence of the elected assembly; if it loses that confidence, it must resign or seek an election.
On July 1, 1867, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia formed the Dominion of Canada. Sir John A. Macdonald became the first Prime Minister. Other provinces joined later, and the Canadian Pacific Railway physically linked the country and helped British Columbia enter Confederation.
Westward growth, conflict and national service
The westward expansion of Canada involved the Métis, the Red River resistance, Manitoba’s creation and the North-West resistance led by Louis Riel, with Gabriel Dumont as a major Métis military leader. The railway, settlement and treaty process transformed the Prairies and caused lasting harms to Indigenous peoples.
More than 600,000 Canadians served in the First World War. The Canadian Corps’ capture of Vimy Ridge in April 1917 became a symbol of national achievement and sacrifice. In the Second World War, more than one million Canadians and Newfoundlanders served, contributing at sea, in the air and in campaigns such as D-Day.
Key facts to remember
- Norse settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows dates from about 1,000 years ago. John Cabot mapped part of the Atlantic coast in 1497.
- Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawrence and heard the Iroquoian word kanata, meaning village. Samuel de Champlain established Québec in 1608.
- Britain defeated France at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759. The Quebec Act of 1774 protected Catholic religious practice and restored French civil law while retaining British criminal law.
- Loyalists moved north during and after the American Revolution. British forces, First Nations and Canadian volunteers defended Canada during the War of 1812.
- Responsible government means ministers must retain the confidence of the elected assembly. Reformers including Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine and Robert Baldwin helped establish it.
- Confederation created the Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867, beginning with Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
- The Canadian Pacific Railway became a symbol of national unity and western expansion. Provinces and territories joined or were created over time; Nunavut was established in 1999.
- Canada’s sacrifices in the First World War—especially at Vimy Ridge—and the Second World War were important in the country’s growing national identity and independence.
Check yourself
- What does kanata mean, and who brought the name into European maps?
- Kanata means village. Jacques Cartier recorded the word during his St. Lawrence explorations.
- Why are the Quebec Act, the War of 1812 and responsible government important?
- The Quebec Act protected Catholic practice and French civil law; the War of 1812 defended Canada; responsible government made ministers accountable to the elected assembly.
- Which four provinces formed Canada in 1867?
- Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
- What did the Canadian Pacific Railway and Vimy Ridge come to symbolize?
- The CPR symbolized national unity and westward connection; Vimy Ridge symbolized Canadian achievement and sacrifice in the First World War.
Practice questions
Eight questions shaped like the official test: one right answer out of four, with the reason it is right. The timed twenty-question exams are in the app.
Which explorer mapped part of Canada’s Atlantic coast in 1497?
- Jacques Cartier
- John Cabot
- Samuel de Champlain
- Alexander Mackenzie
Answer: John Cabot. John Cabot sailed for England and mapped part of the Atlantic coast in 1497.
What does the Iroquoian word kanata mean?
- River
- Village
- Northern land
- Alliance
Answer: Village. Jacques Cartier heard kanata, meaning village; it became the name Canada.
What did Samuel de Champlain establish at Québec in 1608?
- A railway terminus
- A fortress
- The first Parliament
- A British naval base
Answer: A fortress. Champlain built a fortress at what is now Québec City in 1608.
Who fought at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759?
- Brock and Tecumseh
- Wolfe and Montcalm
- Riel and Macdonald
- Cartier and Cabot
Answer: Wolfe and Montcalm. British commander James Wolfe defeated French commander the Marquis de Montcalm; both died.
What did the Quebec Act of 1774 preserve?
- French civil law and Catholic religious practice
- Only British criminal and civil law
- An elected Senate
- Compulsory military service
Answer: French civil law and Catholic religious practice. The Act accommodated the French-speaking Catholic majority and restored French civil law while retaining British criminal law.
What was an important result of the War of 1812?
- Canada joined the United States
- Canada remained independent of the United States
- The provinces abolished Parliament
- France regained New France
Answer: Canada remained independent of the United States. British North America resisted invasion and remained separate from the United States.
Which four provinces formed the Dominion of Canada in 1867?
- Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
- Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and Quebec
- Quebec, PEI, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia
- British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba
Answer: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The original provinces were Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
What did completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway symbolize?
- The end of provincial government
- National unity from sea to sea
- The start of New France
- The abolition of the Crown
Answer: National unity from sea to sea. The railway fulfilled a national promise and became a powerful symbol of unity.