Confederation to Modern Canada
Lesson 3 of 14 in Canadian Citizenship Test Preparation · 25 minutes
Learn how Canada grew from early New France and British North America into a country through Confederation in 1867, the growth of provinces and territories, key historical events including both World Wars, and the development of Canada's multicultural identity.
What you'll learn
- Know the key events before Confederation (New France, the Conquest of 1759, the Loyalists, the War of 1812, responsible government)
- Understand how Canada became a country (Confederation in 1867)
- Know the provinces and territories and when they joined
- Learn about key events in Canadian history
- Understand Canada's role in world events, including Vimy Ridge and multiculturalism
From the lesson
Before Confederation
Long before Europeans arrived, Aboriginal peoples lived across the land. The name Canada probably comes from the Iroquoian word kanata, which means village. In 1534, the French explorer Jacques Cartier claimed land for France; he heard the word kanata from two guides. In 1604, Samuel de Champlain started the first European settlement north of Florida at Port-Royal, and in 1608 he built a fortress at Quebec City. This was the start of New France, the French empire in North America.
In 1670, King Charles II gave the Hudson's Bay Company the right to trade in the lands that drain into Hudson Bay. The fur trade brought First Nations and Europeans together.
In 1759, the British…