Canadian Citizenship Preparation Course Week 2/3
Topics ▪ Canada’s History ▪ The First Europeans ▪ The War of 1812 ▪ Confederation
▪ Canada’s History
Important Dates and Events
▪ 1497
First explorations ▪ 1497- European exploration started by John Cabot Cabot drew a map of Canada’s East Coast (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland)
▪ 1534-1542
Exploring a river, naming Canada ▪ 1534- 1542 Jacques Cartier Exploring a river, naming Canada ▪ 1534- 1542 Jacques Cartier -made three trips across the Atlantic -claimed lands for France, and -explored the Lawrence River, -set eyes on what is Quebec and Montreal cities, -heard “Kanata” (Iroquoian for village)
▪ 1604-1608
Royal New France ▪ 1604. -first European settlement by the French Royal New France ▪ 1604 -first European settlement by the French (Pierre de Monts, Samuel de Champlain) in a) St. Croix Island- Maine, b) Port-Royal in Acadia- Nova Scotia ▪ 1608 Champlain - built a fortress (what is now Quebec City) -connected with the Algonquin, Montagnais, and Huron
Royal New France. -The French and Aboriginals became partners Royal New France -The French and Aboriginals became partners in the fur-trade. -Jean Talon, Bishop Laval, and Count Frontenac were “outstanding leaders” who built a French empire in North America
▪ 1670
Struggle for a new continent ▪ 1670 Struggle for a new continent ▪ 1670 -King Charles II of England granted the Hudson’s Bay Company exclusive trading rights -For a century this company competed with Montreal- based traders -The voyageurs and courers des bois formed alliances with First Nations -English colonies became richer and more populous than New France
▪ 1700/ 1759
Struggle for a new continent ▪ 1700’s Struggle for a new continent ▪ 1700’s -France and Great Britain fought for control of North America. ▪ 1759 -The British defeated the French in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, Quebec City ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ end of France’s empire in America ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ -Brigadier James Talon and Marquis de Montcalm are important figures for both armies
The Province of Quebec -Following the war, the British renamed the colony as “Province of Quebec”.
▪ 1774
A tradition of accommodation ▪ Quebec Act of 1774 A tradition of accommodation ▪ Quebec Act of 1774 -one of the constitutional foundations of Canada -to better govern the French Roman Catholic majority -allowed religious freedom for Catholics -permitted Catholics to hold public office (not allowed in Britain) -restored French civil law while maintain British criminal law
▪ 1776
United Empire Loyalists ▪ 1776 United Empire Loyalists ▪ 1776 -13 British colonies to the south of Quebec declared independence forming the US -The Loyalists--- loyal to the Crown--- left the south to settle in Nova Scotia and Quebec -Joseph Brant led Loyalist Mohawk Indians into Canada -Black Loyalists came north too; in 1792, they moved to establish Freetown, Sierra Leone (West Africa), which was a new British colony for freed slaves
▪ 1758-1773-1785
The Beginnings of Democracy ▪ 1758 First representative assembly elected in Halifax, Nova Scotia ▪ 1773 in Prince Edward Island ▪ 1785 New Brunswick
▪ 1791 “important”
The Beginnings of Democracy (IMPORTANT) ▪ 1791 The Constitutional Act divided the Province of Quebec into: a) Upper Canada what is now Ontario; mainly Loyalist, Protestant & Anglophone b) Lower Canada what is now Quebec; heavily Catholic & Francophone ▪ The Constitutional Act granted: c) legislative assemblies elected by people d) the name Canada became official e) Atlantic colonies, Upper & Lower Canada were known as British North America
The Beginnings of Democracy (IMPORTANT) ▪ 1791 The Constitutional Act divided the Province of Quebec into: a) Upper Canada what is now Ontario; mainly Loyalist, Protestant & Anglophone b) Lower Canada what is now Quebec; heavily Catholic & Francophone ▪ The Constitutional Act granted: c) legislative assemblies elected by people d) the name Canada became official e) Atlantic colonies, Upper & Lower Canada were known as British North America
▪ 1812 – 1815
- U.S. invaded Canada - Current Canada-USA border is partly the result of the War of 1812 - The border ensures that Canada would remain independent of the USA
DETAILS 1815- ▪ The Treaty of Ghent negotiated on December 24, 1814, and ratified on February 16, 1815, finally ended the War.
▪ 1860
Why Confederation? ▪ 1860 In the 1860s the British colonies were facing many different kinds of problems:
Why Confederation? ▪ Economic problems -In order for their economies to do well, the colonies needed to -be able to sell their goods to other markets. -At this time there were very few places that they could sell to. --One solution was to bring all the colonies together. -In this way they could more easily sell their goods to each other.
Why Confederation? ▪ Political problems -The government of the Province of Canada did not run smoothly because the English-speaking and French-speaking halves had different ideas. -Leaders from both parts of the province decided that joining the other colonies might help solve their own political problems.
Why Confederation? ▪ Military problems - The relationship between the British North America and US had never been stable. -Many Americans wanted to take over all of what is now Canada. -Britain didn't want to have to pay for the cost of defending its colonies. -It encouraged the colonies to join together, because US would be less likely to attack Canada if it were a self-governing country rather than separate colonies of Britain. -The fear of the United States helped to strengthen the call for Confederation.
▪ 1867 “important”
The Beginnings of Democracy (IMPORTANT) ▪ 1867 The British Parliament passed the British North America Act Canada Changes: a) Dominion of Canada (celebrated as is until 1982) b) Sir John Alexander Macdonald (considered the Father of Confederation) until 1873 (A. Mackenzie) (see http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/node/33784)
▪ 1871
▪ 1871. British Columbia joined Canada, after Ottawa ▪ 1871 British Columbia joined Canada, after Ottawa promised to build a railway to the West Coast.
▪ 1885
▪ November 7, 1885. Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was ▪ November 7, 1885 Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was completed; founded in 1881 (right after NWT joined the Confederation (pg. 18) Visit: http://www.cpr.ca/en/about-cp/our-history
Canadian Citizenship Preparation Course Week 2/3