The Canadian Confederation

Bibliography

• Gonzalez del Pino, D. The Independence of the British North American Colonies. (Resources folder, Unit V)
• Metcalfe, W. Understanding Canada. A Multidisciplinary Introduction to Canadian Studies. Chapter II.

In this lesson, we will explore the process of colonization of Canada by the two founding peoples, Lord Durham’s Report on Canada, and the causes leading to the creation of the Canadian Confederation in 1867.

The Canadian Confederation

1. Who were the first peoples to arrive in the area that today is Canada?
2. When did these peoples arrive in the region?
3. Where did they come from?
4. Who came to the area in the 11th century?
5. What area did these sailors reach?

Read chapter II of Metcalfe’s Understanding Canada. Then, analyse the maps below. Based on the information read and analysed, answer the following questions.

1. Who was the first explorer to reach the east coast of the area that today is Canada during the Age of Exploration?
2. Who had sponsored his voyages?
3. Who explored the region in the 16th century?
4. Who had sponsored his voyages?
5. Which was the first permanent French colony in North America? Who established this colony? When?

Watch the video Samuel de Champlain and the Founding of Quebec City and analyse the map below. Based on Metcalfe’s chapter and on the information given, answer these questions.

Read Gonzalez del Pino’s essay The Independence of the British North American Colonies, watch the video The French and Indian War Explained, and and analyse the maps below. Based on Metcalfe’s chapter and on the information read, watched, and analysed, answer these questions.

Quebec Act, 1774

(Lady Tweedsmuir cited in Fadda, 1991, p. 7)

After the victory of 1759, the Quebec Act of 1774 was the next event of paramount importance in the history of Canada, as it enabled the Catholic faith and the French mode of life to flourish, and the descendants of the first French settlers to keep their own customs and culture under the aegis of British rule.

Analyse the sources below. Based on Gonzalez del Pino’s essay, on Metcalfe’s chapter, and on the information analysed, answer these questions.

1. How did the American Revolutionary wars impact on the development of Canadadian History?
2. Why did the British Parliament pass the Canada Constitutional Act in 1791?
3. What did this act establish?
4. What was its significance in the development of Canadian history?

Analyse the maps below. Based on Gonzalez del Pino’s essay, on Metcalfe’s chapter, and on the information read and analysed, answer the following questions.

John George Lambton1st Earl of Durham

1. Why was Lord Durham sent to British North America in 1838?
2. On his return to England in 1839, Lord Durham submitted a Report on the Affairs of British North America. What did he propose in his report?
3. What was the significance of this report in the history of Canada and of the British Empire?
4. Did the British Government implement Durham’s recommendations? When? How?

Based on Gonzalez del Pino’s essay and on Metcalfe’s chapter, answer the following questions.

1. What was the purpose of the British North America Act of 1867?
2. Which were its main provisions?
3. What was its significance in the political history of Canada?
4. What other British colonies followed the Canadian model?

Watch the video The Words That Shaped Canada: The British North America Act, and and analyse the map below. Based on Gonzalez del Pino’s essay, Metcalfe’s chapter, and on the information watched and analysed, answer these questions.

*Tuesday, October 12: at 11:30 h*Thursday, October 14: at 17:30 h

We invite you to join the teachers in the synchronous session by Meet to check and discuss this activity on the following dates:

Finally, based on your knowledge and the information from all the sources read and examined in this virtual class, we invite you to revise the content explored in this lesson by completing a TRUE or FALSE activity.You can find and download the activity in Activities Unit 5.

Evolution of Canada's internal borders, from the formation of the dominion to the present