Canadian History Quiz 1

When and by whom was Quebec established?

On July 3, 1608, by Samuel de Champlain as a permanent trade settlement and capital of New France.

What challenges did the early Quebec settlers face?

Survival was gritty and precarious; of 27 men in the first winter, only 7 survived due to malnutrition and scurvy.

Which Indigenous nations did Champlain ally with?

The Wendat (Huron) and Innu nations.

What happened in 1609 involving Champlain and his allies?

He helped the Wendat defeat the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) using an arquebus, securing a French fur trade monopoly.

What was the seigneurial system?

A liberal land system where commoners farmed for lords but did not have to surrender all their produce.

Who were the Filles du Roi?

About 800 women sent by King Louis XIV (1663–1673) to marry settlers and grow the population; two-thirds of French Canadians descend from them.

What is mercantilism?

An economic system (15th–18th century) where national power depended on increasing exports and trade.

What was the “thick fleecy gold”?

Beaver pelts, highly valued in European fashion and central to the North American economy.

Why was the Hudson’s Bay Company created?

Traders Radisson and des Groseilliers, fined by New France, sought British support.

What was Rupert’s Land?

A vast territory granted in 1670 by King Charles II to the Hudson’s Bay Company, creating rivalry with France.

What caused the Seven Years’ War?

Rivalries over trade, military power, and control of waterways like the St. Lawrence and Mississippi Rivers.

What happened at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1759)?

British General James Wolfe led a surprise attack on Quebec.

What tactic helped the British win the battle?

Disciplined volley fire (two musket balls per shot).

What happened to the commanders in the battle?

Both Wolfe and French commander Montcalm were mortally wounded.

What were the terms of the Treaty of Paris (1763)?

France ceded North America to Britain but kept small islands; French Canadians retained language, Catholic religion, and civil law.

What caused Pontiac’s Rebellion?

Policies by General Jeffrey Amherst: ending gift-giving, restricting ammunition trade, and allowing settler expansion.

Who was Pontiac?

An Odawa leader who united Indigenous nations in resistance against the British.

What happened in May 1763?

Coordinated Indigenous attacks captured 8 of 12 British frontier forts.

What was the Siege of Detroit?

A 175-day siege led by Pontiac, including victory at the Battle of Bloody Run.

What role did biological warfare play?

The British gave smallpox-infected blankets to the Delaware Nation.

What happened to Pontiac?

He was assassinated in 1769 by a Peorian individual.

What was the Royal Proclamation of 1763?

A British law recognizing Indigenous sovereignty and restricting settlement west of the Appalachians.

How did the proclamation contribute to revolution?

It angered colonists wanting westward expansion, helping lead to the American Revolution.

What was the impact of colonization on Indigenous populations?

Massive decline due to war and disease (especially smallpox), with losses estimated at 90–99%.