CHC 2D Comprehensive Exam Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Canadian history from Unit 1: Historical Thinking Skills through the Modern Era as outlined in the CHC 2D review sheet.

Primary Sources

Original, first-hand evidence created at the time of an event, such as letters, diaries, and contemporary newspapers.

Secondary Sources

Interpretations or analyses written after the fact by people who did not witness the event, such as history textbooks and modern documentaries.

The Triple Alliance

A military alliance established before 1914 consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy.

The Triple Entente

A military alliance established before 1914 consisting of Britain, France, and Russia.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand

The Archduke of Austria-Hungary whose assassination by a Serbian nationalist in June 1914 was the direct cause of World War I.

Second Battle of Ypres (1915)

A WWI battle notable for the first large-scale deployment of mustard/chlorine gas on the Western Front against Canadian troops.

Battle of Vimy Ridge (1917)

A battle where all four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together for the first time; it is considered a foundational moment for Canada as a distinct nation.

Halifax Explosion (1917)

A catastrophic collision between two wartime ships in Halifax harbor that brought the destruction of war directly to Canadian soil.

Bluebirds

Canadian women who served overseas in the army medical corps as nurses during World War I.

The Conscription Crisis (1917)

A national conflict caused by Prime Minister Robert Borden's introduction of mandatory military service, which divided French and English Canadians.

The Treaty of Versailles

The peace treaty that ended WWI and harshly punished Germany through the War Guilt Clause and territory surrenders.

Shell Shock

A term used for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder experienced by veterans returning from World War I.

Women’s Christian Temperance Union

A group that fought for the prohibition of alcohol, arguing it caused poverty and domestic violence.

The Persons Case (1929)

A legal battle led by the Famous Five that declared women were legally "persons" and eligible to sit in the Canadian Senate.

Agnes MacPhail

The first female Member of Parliament elected to the Canadian House of Commons.

Statute of Westminster (1931)

The law that marked Canada's official legal independence from Britain.

The Dust Bowl

A severe, multi-year ecological drought that devastated the Canadian Prairies during the 1930s.

The Ottawa Trek

A protest in which unemployed men boarded trains to confront the Prime Minister regarding relief camp conditions, ending in the Regina Riot of 1935.

Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF)

A political movement focused on social assistance and worker rights that eventually evolved into the New Democratic Party (NDP).

Appeasement

The policy, notably used by Neville Chamberlain, of giving in to Adolf Hitler's territorial demands to avoid another world war.

Blitzkrieg

A fast-moving military strategy ("lightning war") combining synchronized air attacks and rapid tank movements.

MS St. Louis

A ship carrying Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany in 1939 that was refused entry by the Canadian government.

The Dieppe Raid (1942)

An unsuccessful rehearsal for D-Day that resulted in heavy Canadian casualties but provided critical lessons for future amphibious landings.

NORAD

The North American Aerospace Defense Command, a military partnership between Canada and the U.S. to defend against Soviet threats.

The Avro Arrow

A state-of-the-art Canadian supersonic interceptor jet whose cancellation triggered a "brain drain" of engineers to NASA.

Tommy Douglas

The Premier who pioneered universal healthcare in Canada to ensure medical care was accessible and non-profit.

The October Crisis (1970)

A period of unrest following kidnappings by the FLQ, leading Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to invoke the War Measures Act.

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982)

A part of the Constitution that protects language rights, gender equality, and safeguards citizens against discrimination.

The Montreal Massacre (1989)

An anti-feminist mass shooting at École Polytechnique that sparked awareness of violence against women and strict gun control advocacy.

NAFTA

The North American Free Trade Agreement, which established an open trade zone between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.