Formation of the Canadian Federal System and Modern Quebec

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering Canadian and Quebec history from 1840 to the modern era, focusing on political systems, industrialization, and socio-cultural shifts.

Act of Union (1840)

A legislative act that aimed to assimilate French-Canadians by creating the Province of Canada (United Canada) with 42 deputies for both Upper and Lower Canada.

Responsible Government (1848)

A system where the Governor and Councils are held accountable by the Legislative Assembly, giving the colony ministerial responsibility and more autonomy.

Great Famine (Irish Potato Famine)

A period of starvation in Ireland that caused mass migration to Montreal and Lower Canada between 1830 and 1847.

Reciprocity Treaty (1854-1866)

A free trade agreement between Canada and the United States that ended because it was not renewed due to the American Civil War.

Ministerial instability (1854-1864)

A period in the Province of Canada where 10 governments were formed in 10 years because political parties could not maintain a majority in both regions.

The Great Coalition (1864)

A political union between George Brown, George-Étienne Cartier, and John A. Macdonald that proposed the union of British North American colonies.

British North America Act (1867)

The act that formed the Dominion of Canada on July 1st, 1867, consisting of Québec, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

Indian Act (1876)

Legislation that treated Native Americans as wards of the State and minors, aiming for their assimilation and enfranchisement.

National Policy (1879)

An economic program by John A. Macdonald involving increased customs duties, immigration to Western Canada, and the expansion of the rail network.

Ultramontanism

A religious political doctrine in the late 1800s in which the Catholic Church's power was considered superior to that of the State.

Boer War (1899-1902)

An imperialist war in South Africa that divided Canadians: English Canadians supported sending troops, while French Canadians were against it.

Clerico-Nationalism

A type of nationalism led by the Catholic Church (advocated by Lionel Groulx) that promoted French culture and a traditional rural lifestyle.

Second Phase of Industrialization (1896-1929)

An industrial period centered on hydroelectricity, US capital, and the development of remote regions like Mauricie.

Conscription Crisis (1917)

A conflict during the First World War arising from Robert Borden's adoption of obligatory military enlistment for all men aged 20 to 45.

Statute of Westminster (1931)

A law that granted Canada full autonomy over its external affairs, allowing it to decide on matters such as going to war.

Keynesianism

An ideology developed in response to the Great Depression suggesting that the State should intervene in the economy to prevent recessions.

Cold War (1945-1991)

An ideological war between the United States (Capitalism) and the USSR (Communism) characterized by the accumulation of nuclear weapons.

Maurice Duplessis

The Premier of Quebec (1936-1939 and 1944-1959) whose policies featured social conservatism, economic liberalism, and anti-unionism.

Padlock Law (1937)

A law enacted by Duplessis to close buildings used for communist propaganda, though it was often used to arrest union members.

The Quiet Revolution (1960-1970)

A period of rapid modernization and secularization in Quebec under Jean Lesage, marked by the creation of the welfare state and nationalization of electricity.

October Crisis (1970)

A crisis triggered by the FLQ kidnapping two politicians, leading to Pierre Elliott Trudeau's implementation of the War Measures Act.

Bill 101 (1977)

The Charter of the French Language, which made French the official language of Quebec and regulated the language of education and signage.

Sovereignty-association

A proposal by René Lévesque where Quebec would become politically separated from Canada but remain economically tied to it.

Referendum Clarity Act (2000)

A federal law stating that if a majority of Quebec clearly votes to separate, the federal government is obliged to open negotiations.

Devitalization

The process by which a community, often a single-industry town, experiences a declining and aging population and loss of services.

Oka Crisis (1990)

A land dispute between the Mohawks of Kanesatake and the village of Oka over the expansion of a golf course onto an ancestral cemetery.

The Peace of the Braves (2002)

An agreement between the Quebec government and the Cree providing financial compensation and economic benefits in exchange for hydroelectric development.