History of CanadaStandards:

SS6H4 The student will describe the impact of European contact on Canada.

a. Describe the influence of the French and the English on the language and religion of Canada.

b. Explain how Canada became an independent nation.

SS6H5 The student will analyze important contemporary issues in Canada.

a. Describe Quebec’s independence movement.

EUROPEAN COLONIZATION

The French and British Arrive

• Native Americans have lived in Canada for thousands of years.

• The first Europeans to explore the region were Vikings from Scandinavia who arrived around 1000AD.

• These first Europeans did not establish permanent settlements.

• Other Europeans explored Canada during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

French Exploration

• In 1603, a French explorer named Samuel de Champlain arrived and established a colony called Port Royal.• In 1608, he founded the colony of Quebec

along the shore of the St. Lawrence River.• The French colonies in Canada soon grew

and profited from an abundant fur trade with Native Americans.

British Exploration

• In 1610, an Englishman named John Guy recognized the wealth Canada’s resources could produce and established several British colonies in the territory.• As France and Great Britain continued to

expand their territories in North America, tensions between the rivals grew.

Canada and The French and Indian War

• In 1754, France and Great Britain went to war. They fought to see who would control North America.

• Great Britain eventually won and gained control of Canada in 1763.

• Although Great Britain governed Canada, many Canadians still saw themselves as French.

• They did not like being rules by the British.

Canada’s Independence Movement

• During the War of 1812, English- and French- speaking Canadians united to fight against U.S. forces.

• Following the was, immigration issues further united Canadians.

• Citizens did not like the fact that large waves of immigrants were arriving from Great Britain and Ireland.

• The unity produced by the war and opposition to immigration led Canadian cries for independence.

Canada’s Independence

Movement

• After two failed rebellions, Canada finally won recognition as a British dominion in 1867.

• A dominion was a territory within the British Empire that was allowed to have its own constitution and practice a certain amount of self-rule.

• In 1931, Great Britain recognized Canada’s right to self-rule.• Canada finally severed all legislative dependence on Great

Britain when the British Parliament passed the Canada Act of 1982.

• Although now an independent country, modern Canada still enjoys a close relationship with the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

Quebec’s Modern Independence Movement

• Quebec is a Canadian province.• Many cultural differences exists between Quebec and the

rest of Canada.• People in Quebec predominantly speak French as their

first language.• In other parts of Canada, people speak English.• Cultural differences have led to the rise of Quebec’s

independence movement.• Many people in Quebec want the province to be

recognized as its own country.

Quebec’s Modern Independence Movement

• In 2006, the Canadian House of Commons (part of Canada’s parliament) passes a resolution recognizing that the French-speaking citizens of Quebec form a distinct nation within Canada.• Among the people who live in Quebec,

roughly half support official independence.

POP QUIZ

Question 1

•What nation established the first colony in Canada?

A.France

B.Great Britain

C.Spain

D.The United States

Question 2

•Who ruled Canada after the French and Indian War?

A.France

B.Great Britain

C.Native Americans

D.The United States

Question 3

• What did Samuel de Champlain and John Guy have in common?

A. They both established colonies in Canada.

B. They both helped liberate South America.

C. They both supported the Cuban Revolution.

D. They both supported Quebec’s independence movement.

Question 4

• Who of the following would most likely support Quebec’s independence movement?

A. Canadian nationalist outside Quebec

B. French-speaking Canadians

C. English-speaking Canadians

D. Zapatistas