Historical Influences on Modern Canada

1
Historical Influences on Modern Canada Influence
of French and English on the Languages and
Religions of Canada   1. Europeans who settled
Canada came mainly from Great Britain and
France. 2. Languages and Religions from each
country were brought with the settlers. A.
Settlers from Great Britain brought the English
language and Protestant Christianity. B.
Settlers from France brought the French language
and Roman Catholic Christianity. 3. Great
Britain gained control of Canada in 1763 by
defeating France in the French and Indian
War. A. British settlers moved across the
country from coast to coast B. Result - Today
70 of Canadians speak English as a first
language and only 20 speak French as a first
language. 4. Influence of French settlement
still EXTREMELY strong especially in
Quebec, A. 81 of people in Quebec speak French
as the first language, B. Only 8 of Quebecs
citizens speak English as a first language. 5,
Both English and French are the official
languages of government and business in
Canada. A. All government documents are written
in both French and English, B. In Quebec,
advertising may be written in both languages, but
the French must come first, and the English words
must be of smaller size. 6. Although other
religions are practiced, the main religions are
those that were brought from Great Britain and
France A. Over 50 of Canadians practice
Protestant Christianity, B. 44 of Canadians
practice Roman Catholic Christianity. C. 80 of
people in Quebec are Roman Catholic.  
2

• How Canada Became an Independent Nation
• Unlike many European colonies which gained their
  independence only through wars, Canada gained its
  independence from Great Britain through
• peaceful means.
• 2. Great Britain gained control of Canada in 1763
  by defeating France in the French and Indian War.
• A. After 100 years of expansion of settlers
  across the country, the people in Canada wanted
  to be united and protected from invasion by the
• United States wanting to gain new lands.
• B. At the request of the Canadians, in 1867, the
  British Parliament wrote a constitution which
• 1) created the Dominion of Canada, comprised of
  4 original provinces
• 2) allowed the country to have its own
  parliament and prime minister
• 3) prohibited Canada from making treaties with
  other countries

3
Quebecs Independence Movement (CRCT Test Prep
book pg. 108) 1. In a desire to preserve their
French language and culture, some people in
Quebec, called separatists want that province to
be independent of Canada A. Quebec province is
important to the rest of the country for its
computer and electronics industries B. Twice
the people have voted on the issue of
independence and both times have decided to
remain a part of Canada 2. Canadian government
has passed laws to help Quebecs citizens
preserve their French language and culture A.
Country is officially bilingual - English and
French are both used for government and
business B. Law guarantees the right to
preserve ones cultural heritage Quebec is
officially a distinct society 3. The
Independence Movement lives on despite these
governmental actions, some people in Quebec are
still seeking independence.