History Flashcards

After the Statute of Westminster (1931) granted Canada broad legislative independence, which significant constitutional limitation persisted until the Constitution Act of 1982?

Answer: The British Parliament retained the authority to amend Canada's Constitution at Canada's request, because the provinces could not agree on a domestic amending formula

Even after the Statute of Westminster, the British North America Act (Canada's Constitution) could only be formally amended by the Westminster Parliament. This anomaly persisted because Canadian provinces could not agree on a domestic amending formula. Pierre Trudeau's patriation of the Constitution in 1982 finally closed this gap with the Constitution Act, 1982.

The Persons Case (1929) is celebrated as a landmark in Canadian women's rights. What makes the Supreme Court of Canada's role in this case historically significant?

Answer: The Supreme Court of Canada unanimously ruled that women were NOT 'persons' under the BNA Act — the Famous Five then appealed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London, which overturned that ruling

Canada's own Supreme Court ruled against the Famous Five, finding that women were not 'persons' eligible for Senate appointment under the BNA Act. The Famous Five — led by Emily Murphy — appealed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London (then Canada's highest court of appeal), which reversed the ruling in October 1929, declaring the exclusion of women 'a relic of days more barbarous than ours.'

Shawnee leader Tecumseh was a pivotal British ally during the War of 1812. At which battle did he die, effectively ending coordinated Indigenous resistance in the Great Lakes region?

Answer: The Battle of the Thames / Battle of Moraviantown (October 1813)

Tecumseh was killed on October 5, 1813, at the Battle of the Thames (also known as the Battle of Moraviantown) near present-day Chatham, Ontario, fighting against American forces under General William Henry Harrison. His death dealt a severe blow to the British–Indigenous alliance and to the prospect of an independent Indigenous confederacy in the Great Lakes region.

During the 1917 federal election — one of Canada's most divisive — Prime Minister Robert Borden formed the 'Union Government' to push through conscription. What was the composition of this wartime coalition?

Answer: Borden's Conservatives united with pro-conscription English-Canadian Liberals, while most Quebec Liberals under Wilfrid Laurier opposed conscription and remained in opposition

The 1917 Union Government brought together Borden's Conservatives and pro-conscription English-Canadian Liberals, fragmenting the Liberal Party along linguistic lines. Wilfrid Laurier led the opposition Liberals — predominantly from Quebec — who rejected conscription. The election was bitterly fought and deepened English–French divisions that lingered for decades.

The Manitoba Act (1870), which brought Manitoba into Confederation, granted specific protections to the Métis and French-speaking settlers. Which of the following rights were explicitly protected — and subsequently violated within two decades?

Answer: French language rights in the legislature and courts, publicly funded Catholic schools, and Métis land grants (the scrip system)

The Manitoba Act protected French as an official language in the legislature and courts, guaranteed publicly funded Catholic schools, and provided land grants to Métis families. By the 1890s, the provincial government had effectively dismantled these protections — eliminating publicly funded Catholic schools (triggering the Manitoba Schools Question) and marginalizing French. This betrayal was a central grievance of the Métis and French-Canadian community.

The Charlottetown Accord (1992) was a comprehensive constitutional package addressing Quebec's status, Indigenous self-government, and Senate reform. What was the outcome of the October 26, 1992 national referendum?

Answer: It was rejected by a majority of Canadians (approximately 54% voted No), with No winning in six provinces including Quebec and British Columbia

The Charlottetown Accord was defeated in the referendum held October 26, 1992, with approximately 54.3% of Canadians voting No. Six provinces voted against it — including Quebec (56.7% No), British Columbia, and Alberta — as well as both territories at the time. The accord was rejected by an unlikely coalition of those who felt it went too far and those who felt it did not go far enough, particularly on Quebec's distinct society status.