Canada - History & Culture

Canada - History & Culture

As the ice sheets of the ice ages melted, people moved into all areas of what is now Canada. As they did elsewhere in the Americas, these ancient settlers adapted to the physical environment.

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Native Canadians​

​Native peoples such as the Inuit peoples and others were the first Canadians. Over the years, some of these native peoples divided into groups that became known as the First Nations. One group living on Canada’s vast interior plains, the Cree, were skilled bison hunters. In the far north, the Inuits adapted to the region’s extreme cold, where farming was impossible. By hunting seals, whales, walruses, and other animals, the Inuits could feed, clothe, and house themselves. Today more than 1 million Aboriginals and Inuit live in Canada.

Multiple Choice

Group of people coming from Asia across a land bridge in 10,000 BC

• Inuits

• French

• English

• Americans

​New France

​France was the first European country to successfully settle parts of what would become Canada. The French established Quebec City in 1608. They called their new territories New France. At its height, New France included much of eastern Canada and the central United States.

Multiple Choice

The first country to establish a long term settlement are the

• English

• Scandinavians

• Americans

• French

​British Conquest

​In the mid-1700s the rivalry between France and England turned to war. The conflict was called the French and Indian War. This was the war that resulted in the British taking control of New France away from the French.

​A small number of French went back to France. However, the great majority stayed. For most of them, few changes occurred in their daily activities. They farmed the same land, prayed in the same churches, and continued to speak French. England’s passage of the Quebec Act in 1774 supported the French-speaking colonists by making it legal for Roman Catholics in Quebec to hold public office. Most of the French in Quebec were Roman Catholic, while English-speaking Canadian settlers tended to be Protestant. Few English-speaking settlers came to what is now called Quebec.

Multiple Choice

This English document gives the French living in Canada the right to continue to live a French culture (language, religion, foods, holiday)

• British North American Act

• Treaty of Paris

• Treat of France

• Quebec Act

Multiple Choice

What province in Canada speaks primarily French and is mostly Roman Catholic?

• Alberta

• British Columbia

• Quebec

• Ontario

Multiple Choice

Which two countries battles for Canadian territory?

• Germany and the USA

• Mexico and the USA

• Great Britain and France

• France and China

​Creation of Canada

​For several decades, these new colonies developed separately from each other. The colonists viewed themselves as different from other parts of the British Empire. Therefore, the British Parliament created the Dominion of Canada in 1867. A dominion is a territory or area of influence.

Multiple Choice

In 1867 several colonies in Canada joined together to form:

• O Canada
• Dominion of Canada
• North America United
• British Canada

​How would Canadians create a nation from sea to sea? With railroads. When the Dominion was established, Ontario and Quebec were already well served by railroads. British Columbia, on the Pacific coast, was not. To connect British Columbia with the provinces in the east, the Canadians built a transcontinental railroad. Completed in 1885, the Canadian Pacific Railway was Canada’s first transcontinental railroad.

Multiple Choice

True or false? The Great Canadian Railroad was built by Canadians and by immigrants.

• True

• False

​Immigration

​During the late 1800s and early 1900s, many immigrants came to Canada from Europe. Most were from Britain, Russia, and Germany. Some people also came from the United States. While most of these immigrants farmed, others worked in mines, forests, and factories. Other immigrants were lured to Canada in 1897 by the discovery of gold in the Yukon Territory. Many people from the United States migrated north in search of Canada’s gold.

Multiple Choice

1. In the early 1800’s new immigration in Canada were mainly people from:

• Algeria, Haiti, Brazil

• China, Japan, Viet Nam

• Germany, Russia, Britain

• Russia, South Africa, Australia

​Movement to Cities

​After World War II, another wave of immigrants from Europe arrived in Canada. Many settled in Canada’s large cities. For example, Toronto has become one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. Toronto is in the province of Ontario.

The Europeans were joined by other people from Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and particularly Asia. Asian businesspeople have brought a great deal of wealth to Canada’s economy.

Multiple Choice

Toronto is the capital of what province?

• Manitoba

• Ontario

• British Columbia

• Canada