Canadian Political History Lecture Flashcards

Flashcards covering key terms, historical events, and political policies from the Canadian Political History lecture notes.

Federation

A system of government in which constitutional authority is divided between a national government and a number of regional governments.

Long Century

A term referring to the 19th century, which began with the Industrial Revolution and ended with the First World War.

Liberalism

A philosophy emerging in the 19th century based on the concept that people have inherent rights and that society is constantly progressing.

The Fenians

Irish nationalists who came to the United States and sought to hold Canada for ransom to pressure Britain to leave Ireland alone.

Charlottetown Conference

An 1864 meeting originally scheduled to discuss a maritime union that became the birthplace of Confederation when Canadians proposed uniting all colonies.

Dominion of Canada

The name of the political entity formed in 1867 when British North American countries came together.

Patronage

A political feature involving payoffs for support, used by John A. Macdonald as part of a national global plan.

Pacific Scandal

An 1872 scandal where John A. Macdonald's government accepted campaign funds from businessmen, including Sir Hugh Allan, in exchange for the CPR contract.

JCPC

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in England, which served as the highest court of appeal for Canada before the Supreme Court's role was finalized.

RNWMP

The Royal North West Mountain Police (now the RCMP), created in 1874 to maintain law and order on the prairies using officers from the elite of Canadian society.

Dominion Elections Act

An 1874 act that established the secret ballot, required all elections to take place on the same day, and provided for judicial recounts.

Scott Act

Also known as the Canada Temperance Act, it regulated alcohol by allowing municipalities to exercise a local option to become 'dry.'

National Policy

A political strategy based on implementing tariffs to protect Canadian industry, raising government revenue, and settling the West as an agricultural breadbasket.

Branch Plant

A factory established in Canada by an American company, such as Quaker Oats, to avoid paying Canadian tariffs.

CPR Agreement Terms

The Canadian government paid $25\,million$, granted $25\,million$ acres of land, offered tax exemptions, and gave a 10-year monopoly to finish the railway.

Manitoba Schools Question

A conflict in the 1890s where the Manitoba government removed Catholic school boards in favor of state schools, causing a national political divide.

Clifford Sifton

The Minister of Interior in 1891 who offered 160 acres of free land to Nordic and European immigrants willing to farm the prairies.

Social Gospel

A movement among Christian denominations for social reform based on religious principles, which appealed largely to evangelical groups.

Craft Unions

A type of labor union identified by a specific trade, such as the plumbers' union or electricians' union.

War Measures Act

Legislation giving the federal government control over all elements of the economy and the ability to arrest people without reason during war, insurrection, or apprehended insurrection.

UFO

The United Farmers of Ontario, a farmer-led party that formed the government in Ontario from 1919-1923.

Winnipeg General Strike

A 1919 labor action that the federal government feared was an attempt to overthrow the country, resulting in the arrest of leaders like J.S. Woodsworth.

King-Byng Affair

A 1925-1926 constitutional crisis where Governor General Lord Byng refused Prime Minister W.L.M. King's request to dissolve parliament and hold an election.

C.D. Howe

A leading figure in WWII who exerted total control over the Canadian economy through systematic planning and 28 crown corporations.

Avro Arrow

A supersonic fighter jet prototype developed by A.V. ROE corporation that was cancelled by the Diefenbaker government in 1959 due to high costs.

Bomarc Missiles

Anti-aircraft missiles from the United States that Canada announced it would accept and house in North Bay starting in 1960.

FLQ

A terrorist group in Quebec that kidnapped James Cross and Pierre Laporte in 1970 to promote their manifesto for independence.

October Crisis

The 1970 events following the kidnapping of government officials by the FLQ, leading Pierre Trudeau to enact the War Measures Act.