Unit 1 Test

Question 1

Confederation

Answer 1

1867 union of British North American colonies. Significance: Created Canada as a self-governing Dominion.

Question 2

Dominion

Answer 2

Semi-independent colony under British Empire. Significance: Canada controlled internal affairs, Britain foreign policy.

Question 3

Assimilation

Answer 3

Forcing one culture to adopt another. Significance: Used against Indigenous peoples through Residential Schools and laws.

Question 4

Reserve

Answer 4

Land set aside for Indigenous peoples. Significance: Restricted freedom and traditional ways of life.

Question 5

Suffrage / Women’s Rights

Answer 5

Movement for women to gain the right to vote and equality. Significance: Early step in women’s fight for rights in Canada. Women’s christian temperance union(WCTU)

Question 6

Clifford Sifton

Answer 6

Minister of Interior who promoted immigration to the West. Significance: His campaigns helped populate the Prairies.

Question 7

“Last Best West”

Answer 7

Sifton’s slogan to attract immigrants. Significance: Encouraged settlement of Prairies with promise of free land.

Question 8

Homestead

Answer 8

Land given (160 acres) to settlers willing to farm. Significance: Drew thousands of immigrants to the West.

Question 9

Charles Saunders

Answer 9

Agricultural scientist. Significance: Developed Marquis Wheat, which thrived in Prairie climate.

Question 10

Push/Pull Factors

Answer 10

Reasons people emigrate (push) or immigrate (pull). Significance: Explained mass immigration to Canada (e.g., poverty vs. land).

Question 11

Métis / Louis Riel

Answer 11

People of mixed Indigenous and European ancestry; leader Louis Riel. Significance: Fought for Métis rights; executed in 1885.

Question 12

Residential Schools

Answer 12

Government/Church-run schools for Indigenous children. Significance: Aimed at assimilation, caused trauma and cultural loss.

Question 13

Immigration

Answer 13

Movement of people to Canada, especially to the West. Significance: Changed Canada’s population, economy, and culture.

Question 14

Discrimination

Answer 14

Unfair treatment based on race, gender, etc. Significance: Faced by immigrants, Indigenous peoples, and minorities.

Question 15

Emily Stowe

Answer 15

First female doctor in Canada. Significance: Early leader in women’s rights and suffrage. Created the Women’s Temperance Union(WTCU).

Question 16

Nationalists

Answer 16

Canadians (mainly French) who wanted independence from Britain. Significance: Opposed military support for Britain.

Question 17

Imperialists

Answer 17

Canadians (mainly English) loyal to Britain and Empire. Significance: Supported wars like Boer War and ties to Britain.

Question 18

Continentalists / Manifest Destiny

Answer 18

Continentalists wanted closer ties with U.S.; Manifest Destiny was U.S. belief in expansion across continent. Significance: Raised debates about Canada’s independence and borders.

Question 19

Boer War

Answer 19

1899–1902 Britain vs. Boers in South Africa. Significance: Split Canadians (English support vs. French opposition).

Question 20

Ethnocentric

Answer 20

Belief one culture is superior. Significance: Shaped discriminatory policies toward immigrants and Indigenous peoples.

Question 21

Sweatshops

Answer 21

Small factories with poor conditions. Significance: Showed harsh reality of industrialization and immigrant labour.

Question 22

Industrialization

Answer 22

Shift to machine-based manufacturing. Significance: Transformed Canadian economy and urban life.

Question 23

Lord Alverstone

Answer 23

British judge in Alaska Boundary Dispute (1903). Significance: Ruled in favour of U.S., angering Canadians.

Question 24

National Policy

Answer 24

Tariffs, railways, settlement plan by John A. Macdonald. Significance: Boosted Canadian economy but costly.

Question 25

Reciprocity

Answer 25

Free trade between Canada and U.S. Significance: Controversial; farmers liked it, manufacturers opposed.

Question 26

Naval Service Bill

Answer 26

Laurier’s plan for a small Canadian navy. Significance: Angered both English (too weak) and French (too pro-Britain).

Question 27

Alaska Boundary Dispute

Answer 27

1903 dispute over Alaska–Canada border. Significance: Decision favoured U.S., strained trust in Britain. Fought over Lynn Canal and the Town Skagway.

Question 28

Head Tax

Answer 28

Fee charged to Chinese immigrants. Significance: Example of racial discrimination in Canadian law.

Question 29

Wilfrid Laurier

Answer 29

Prime Minister 1896–1911. Significance: Promoted immigration, balanced French-English interests, faced Imperialist vs. Nationalist tensions.

Question 30

Marquis Wheat

Answer 30

Fast-ripening wheat developed by Charles Saunders. Significance: Boosted Prairie farming economy.

Question 31

Prohibition

Answer 31

Movement to ban alcohol. Significance: Linked to social reform, women’s rights, and morality debates.

Question 32

Rita Joe’s poem “I Lost My Talk”

Answer 32

Poem about her Residential School experience. Significance: Shows how assimilation policies took away Indigenous culture, language, and identity. Highlights long-lasting harm.

Question 33

Explain the impact of the Boer War on Canadians.

Answer 33

Restate: The Boer War divided Canadians at the turn of the century. Answer: English Canadians supported Britain’s request for troops, but French Canadians opposed involvement. Details: Laurier compromised by sending volunteers; the war was Canada’s first overseas conflict. Significance: It deepened English-French tensions and showed Canada’s struggle between nationalism and imperialism..

Question 34

Naval Issue (1910)

Answer 34

Britain wanted Canadian navy support. Laurier proposed small Canadian navy (Naval Service Bill). Significance: English thought it was too little, French thought it was too pro-Britain. Damaged Laurier politically.

Question 35

Nationalists vs. Imperialists

Answer 35

Nationalists (mostly French Canadians): wanted Canada independent from Britain, opposed wars. Imperialists (mostly English Canadians): loyal to Britain, wanted to support Empire militarily. Significance: Debate shaped early 20th century Canadian politics.

Question 36

Laurier’s effectiveness as PM

Answer 36

Strengths: Promoted immigration (Prairies grew), balanced English-French for a time, built economic growth. Weaknesses: Failed to satisfy either side in Boer War & Naval Issue, lost support. Significance: Seen as both a nation-builder and a leader weakened by English-French tensions.

Question 37

Chinese immigrant in B.C(Long answer)

Answer 37

October 15, 1902 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada To my dearest Mother, Hong Kong, China Dear Mom, I’ve finally landed in Vancouver, Canada. It feels surreal, and I am excited, though anxious about whether this letter will even reach you in Hong Kong. When I first arrived, I had to go through long and humiliating health inspections, while white immigrants passed through quickly. On top of that, they made me pay a $500 Head Tax just to enter. It felt so unfair, and it left me with only $15 to start my life here. The voyage itself was miserable — steerage was dark, smelly, and unhealthy. I prayed that life in Vancouver would be better, but housing here feels much the same. I live in Chinatown, where most people are Chinese, which reminds me of home. Still, the rooms are crowded, dirty, and uncomfortable, just like the ship. I managed to find work in a fish cannery near the docks. The hours are long, my fingers go numb from the cold water, and I earn only a fraction of what white workers are paid. If anyone tries to stand up for us, they are fired. One of my colleagues even lost his arm in an accident with a boat propeller — and instead of helping him, the bosses dismissed him without pay. Outside of Chinatown, I feel hated. During elections, I am not allowed to vote. Racists vandalize our shops with slogans like “Keep Canada White,” and I have even been spat on while walking to work. These acts of hatred make me feel alienated, like I don’t belong here at all. Although all this is happening, I am still hopeful. I am working hard to save money, and I dream of bringing you here to join me. Perhaps the laws will change, and one day we will be able to live more freely. Until then, I will do my best to stay strong and build a life here. With love, Your son