History Flashcards

The Statute of Westminster (1931) granted Canada legislative independence from Britain. Which of the following powers did Canada NOT gain until the Constitution Act of 1982?

Answer: The right to amend its own constitution without British approval

Although the Statute of Westminster (1931) gave Canada broad legislative independence, the British Parliament retained the power to amend Canada's constitution at Canada's request. It wasn't until the Constitution Act of 1982 — the patriation of the Constitution under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau — that Canada gained full authority to amend its own constitution domestically, removing Britain from the process entirely.

The 'Famous Five' won a landmark legal victory in 1929. What specific legal question did the Persons Case resolve?

Answer: Whether women qualified as 'persons' eligible to be appointed to the Senate

The Persons Case (Edwards v. Canada) asked whether women were 'qualified persons' under the British North America Act, and thus eligible for appointment to the Senate. The Supreme Court of Canada originally ruled 'no,' but the Famous Five — Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinney, and Henrietta Muir Edwards — appealed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in Britain, which reversed the decision in October 1929.

Canada sent peacekeepers to the Suez Crisis in 1956, an initiative championed by which Canadian statesman — who later won the Nobel Peace Prize for this effort?

Answer: Lester B. Pearson

Lester B. Pearson, then Canada's Secretary of State for External Affairs, proposed the creation of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) to resolve the Suez Crisis without superpower confrontation. His diplomatic solution — deploying a neutral UN peacekeeping force — earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 and is widely regarded as the birth of modern UN peacekeeping.

Which federal legislation, passed in 1988, formally acknowledged and apologized for the wartime internment of Japanese Canadians and provided compensation to survivors?

Answer: The Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement

The Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement of 1988, announced by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, formally apologized for the forced relocation and internment of approximately 22,000 Japanese Canadians during World War II under the War Measures Act. Each surviving internee received $12,000 in compensation, and $12 million was allocated to the Japanese Canadian community for educational and social purposes.

The 1867 British North America Act created Canada as a confederation. Which province did NOT join Confederation on July 1, 1867?

Answer: Prince Edward Island

The original four provinces at Confederation on July 1, 1867 were Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Prince Edward Island initially declined to join, holding out for better terms — particularly federal assumption of the colony's railway debt. PEI did not join Confederation until 1873, six years later, making it the seventh province to enter Canada.

The Numbered Treaties (1871–1921) between the Crown and First Nations covered most of the Prairie provinces and parts of Ontario and the Northwest Territories. What was the PRIMARY purpose of these treaties from the Canadian government's perspective?

Answer: To open Indigenous lands for agricultural settlement and resource development

From the Canadian government's perspective, the Numbered Treaties were primarily instruments for extinguishing Indigenous land title and opening vast territories for agricultural settlement — especially after the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway. In exchange, First Nations received reserves, annuities, tools, and other provisions. Indigenous signatories often understood the treaties as agreements for sharing land and resources, not surrendering sovereignty, which remains a source of legal and political dispute today.