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Canada’s History
A short summary of what to know, then 28 free practice questions with answers.
What to know
The Vikings reached Newfoundland about 1,000 years ago. John Cabot mapped Canada’s Atlantic coast for England in 1497, and Jacques Cartier made three voyages for France between 1534 and 1542. The French founded settlements in Acadia in 1604 and at Quebec City in 1608. The fur trade, built on beaver pelts, shaped the early economy, and in 1670 the Hudson’s Bay Company was given trading rights over the lands draining into Hudson Bay.
Britain and France fought for North America. In 1759 the British defeated the French at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham at Quebec City; both commanders, General James Wolfe and the Marquis de Montcalm, were killed. The Quebec Act of 1774 allowed religious freedom for Catholics and let them hold public office. In 1791 the colony was divided into Upper Canada (later Ontario) and mainly French-speaking, Catholic Lower Canada (later Quebec). Upper Canada was the first colony in the British Empire to move toward abolishing slavery, in 1793, and the Underground Railroad later helped enslaved people escape from the United States.
In the War of 1812, the United States invaded Canada and was pushed back, with help from allies such as the Shawnee chief Tecumseh; Laura Secord walked a long way to warn British forces of an attack. Nova Scotia became the first colony in British North America to win responsible government, in 1847–48, ending rule by small elites such as Upper Canada’s Family Compact.
After conferences in Charlottetown and Quebec City in 1864, the Dominion of Canada was created on July 1, 1867, with Sir John A. Macdonald as the first Prime Minister. Manitoba joined in 1870 after the Red River Rebellion led by Louis Riel, followed by British Columbia (1871), Prince Edward Island (1873), Alberta and Saskatchewan (1905) and Newfoundland (1949). The Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in 1885, when Donald Smith (Lord Strathcona) drove the last spike. The same year, Riel was executed for high treason after the North-West Rebellion. The Klondike Gold Rush led to the Yukon Territory in 1898.
Key facts to remember
- 1759: Battle of the Plains of Abraham.
- 1774: Quebec Act.
- 1867: Confederation; Sir John A. Macdonald became the first Prime Minister.
- 1885: Canadian Pacific Railway completed.
- Provinces joined in this order after 1867: Manitoba, British Columbia, PEI, Alberta and Saskatchewan, Newfoundland.
Read the official chapter
This summary is our own and doesn’t replace the official guide. Read “Canada's History” in Discover Canada on canada.ca, then test yourself below. Next topic: Modern Canada.
Written by ChowChow Labs from Discover Canada. Last reviewed . Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Question 1 · Canada's History
Which Shawnee chief was an important ally of the British in the War of 1812?
- A. Tecumseh
- B. Joseph Brant
- C. Poundmaker
- D. Crowfoot
Show answer
Answer: A. Tecumseh
Tecumseh led First Nations warriors who fought alongside the British, including at the capture of Detroit.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 2 · Canada's History
What was the Underground Railroad?
- A. A network that helped enslaved people escape from the United States to Canada
- B. Canada's first passenger rail line
- C. A supply route used in the War of 1812
- D. A tunnel built under the Detroit River
Show answer
Answer: A. A network that helped enslaved people escape from the United States to Canada
Thousands of enslaved people fled to freedom in Canada with help from this secret network of routes and safe houses.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 3 · Canada's History
Which explorer mapped Canada's Atlantic coast in 1497 for England?
- A. Jacques Cartier
- B. Henry Hudson
- C. Samuel de Champlain
- D. John Cabot
Show answer
Answer: D. John Cabot
John Cabot reached Newfoundland in 1497 and claimed the land for England, making the first maps of the Atlantic shore.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 4 · Canada's History
In what year was the Canadian Pacific Railway completed?
- A. 1867
- B. 1871
- C. 1905
- D. 1885
Show answer
Answer: D. 1885
The last spike was driven at Craigellachie, British Columbia, in November 1885.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 5 · Canada's History
Lower Canada was mainly English-speaking and Protestant.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: B. False
Lower Canada was mainly French-speaking and Catholic; Upper Canada was mostly English-speaking and Protestant.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 6 · Canada's History
Why is Laura Secord remembered?
- A. She was the first woman elected to Parliament
- B. She made a long journey on foot to warn British forces of an American attack
- C. She led Métis fighters in 1885
- D. She founded the Underground Railroad
Show answer
Answer: B. She made a long journey on foot to warn British forces of an American attack
In 1813 Laura Secord walked a long way to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon, helping win the Battle of Beaver Dams.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 7 · Canada's History
Both the British and French commanders were killed in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: A. True
Both Wolfe and Montcalm died of wounds suffered in the battle.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 8 · Canada's History
Upper Canada later became which province?
- A. Quebec
- B. Ontario
- C. Manitoba
- D. New Brunswick
Show answer
Answer: B. Ontario
Upper Canada, settled largely by Loyalists, is today's Ontario.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 9 · Canada's History
Who drove the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway?
- A. Sir John A. Macdonald
- B. Sir Wilfrid Laurier
- C. George Brown
- D. Donald Smith (Lord Strathcona)
Show answer
Answer: D. Donald Smith (Lord Strathcona)
Donald Smith, a key financier of the railway, drove the last spike at Craigellachie in 1885.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 10 · Canada's History
In what year was the Quebec Act passed?
- A. 1840
- B. 1763
- C. 1791
- D. 1774
Show answer
Answer: D. 1774
The British Parliament passed the Quebec Act in 1774 to better govern the French-speaking Catholic majority.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 11 · Canada's History
Before responsible government, which name was given to the small group of wealthy officials and merchants who dominated Upper Canada's government?
- A. The Orange Order
- B. The Loyalist League
- C. The Family Compact
- D. The Clear Grits
Show answer
Answer: C. The Family Compact
Reformers attacked the Family Compact for holding power without answering to voters, which fed the push for responsible government.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 12 · Canada's History
The War of 1812 ended with the United States conquering Upper Canada.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: B. False
The American invasions failed, and the war helped preserve Canada's independence from the United States.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 13 · Canada's History
Who was Canada's first Prime Minister?
- A. Sir George-Étienne Cartier
- B. Sir John A. Macdonald
- C. Sir Wilfrid Laurier
- D. George Brown
Show answer
Answer: B. Sir John A. Macdonald
Sir John A. Macdonald, a Father of Confederation, became the first Prime Minister in 1867.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 14 · Canada's History
Louis Riel led the Métis in which uprising in 1869?
- A. The South African War
- B. The Rebellion of 1837
- C. The War of 1812
- D. The Red River Rebellion
Show answer
Answer: D. The Red River Rebellion
Riel led the Métis at Red River to protect their rights as Canada took over the territory; this led to the creation of Manitoba.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 15 · Canada's History
The Hudson's Bay Company received exclusive trading rights over which area?
- A. The St. Lawrence River valley
- B. The lands whose rivers drain into Hudson Bay
- C. The Pacific coast
- D. The Great Lakes shoreline
Show answer
Answer: B. The lands whose rivers drain into Hudson Bay
Its charter covered the vast Hudson Bay watershed, known as Rupert's Land.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 16 · Canada's History
Alberta and Saskatchewan joined Confederation at the same time as Manitoba, in 1870.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: B. False
Alberta and Saskatchewan became provinces in 1905, not 1870.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 17 · Canada's History
Where was the first conference on Confederation held in 1864?
- A. Charlottetown
- B. Quebec City
- C. London
- D. Ottawa
Show answer
Answer: A. Charlottetown
Delegates met in Charlottetown in September 1864, followed by the Quebec Conference and later the London Conference.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 18 · Canada's History
Who were the first Europeans known to reach the shores of present-day Canada, about 1,000 years ago?
- A. The Vikings
- B. The Spanish
- C. The French
- D. The Portuguese
Show answer
Answer: A. The Vikings
Norse explorers from Iceland, who had settled Greenland, reached Labrador and Newfoundland roughly a thousand years ago.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 19 · Canada's History
Which province joined Confederation in 1873?
- A. British Columbia
- B. Newfoundland
- C. Manitoba
- D. Prince Edward Island
Show answer
Answer: D. Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island joined in 1873; Manitoba joined in 1870 and British Columbia in 1871.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 20 · Canada's History
What happened to Louis Riel after the North-West Rebellion of 1885?
- A. He became Prime Minister
- B. He was exiled to France
- C. He was tried and executed for high treason
- D. He was elected Premier of Manitoba
Show answer
Answer: C. He was tried and executed for high treason
Riel was hanged for high treason in 1885, a decision strongly opposed in Quebec. Today many see him as a defender of Métis rights.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 21 · Canada's History
Which colony was the first in British North America to achieve responsible government, in 1847-48?
- A. Upper Canada
- B. New Brunswick
- C. Nova Scotia
- D. Prince Edward Island
Show answer
Answer: C. Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia achieved responsible government in 1847-48, with Joseph Howe a leading voice for reform.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 22 · Canada's History
What did the Quebec Act allow?
- A. The division of Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada
- B. Religious freedom for Catholics and the right to hold public office
- C. Responsible government
- D. The end of slavery in the colony
Show answer
Answer: B. Religious freedom for Catholics and the right to hold public office
The Quebec Act accommodated the French Canadian majority, letting Catholics practise their faith and hold public office.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 23 · Canada's History
Which event led to the creation of the Yukon Territory in 1898?
- A. The Klondike Gold Rush
- B. The Red River Rebellion
- C. The completion of the CPR
- D. The South African War
Show answer
Answer: A. The Klondike Gold Rush
Thousands rushed north for Klondike gold, and Yukon became a separate territory in 1898.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 24 · Canada's History
Who commanded the French army at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham?
- A. Count Frontenac
- B. Samuel de Champlain
- C. The Marquis de Montcalm
- D. Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville
Show answer
Answer: C. The Marquis de Montcalm
The Marquis de Montcalm led the French defenders of Quebec City.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 25 · Canada's History
Which colony was the first in the British Empire to move toward abolishing slavery, in 1793?
- A. Upper Canada
- B. Lower Canada
- C. Nova Scotia
- D. Prince Edward Island
Show answer
Answer: A. Upper Canada
In 1793 Upper Canada passed a law limiting slavery, the first such step in the Empire.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 26 · Canada's History
Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1873.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: B. False
Newfoundland joined much later, in 1949. Prince Edward Island was the province that joined in 1873.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 27 · Canada's History
Which item was the main product of the early fur trade in Canada?
- A. Bison hides
- B. Beaver pelts
- C. Seal skins
- D. Bear fur
Show answer
Answer: B. Beaver pelts
Beaver pelts were in great demand in Europe, and the beaver became a lasting symbol of Canada.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
Question 28 · Canada's History
In what year was the Battle of the Plains of Abraham fought?
- A. 1759
- B. 1774
- C. 1812
- D. 1763
Show answer
Answer: A. 1759
The British defeated the French at Quebec City in 1759, during the Seven Years' War.Source: Discover Canada, “Canada's History”
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