history exam short answer questions practice

• Context: Shows transportation in rural Canada during the early 1900s (farmers, horses and early cars).

• Symbolism / Importance: Symbolizes the shift from traditional rural life to mechanization and modernization — improved mobility, farming efficiency, and the start of social/economic change in Canada.

• Context: Mass-produced automobile (Model T) — popular in 1910s–1920s across Canada.

• Symbolism / Importance: Represents industrialization and affordable transport; changed where people lived and worked (urban growth, commuting) and boosted the economy.

Historical Context (who / what / when / where):

• European countries before World War I (1914)

• Shows the Alliance System:

  • Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy)

Symbolism / Importance: Shows the main cause of World War I because Canada (as part of the British Empire) was drawn into WWI by these alliances.

Image: United Nations emblem

• Context: United Nations (post-1945 international organization).

• Symbolism / Importance: Symbolizes post-WWII hope for international cooperation; Canada’s involvement (peacekeeping, diplomacy) shaped its international identity.

Historical Context:

• Canadian soldiers at Vimy Ridge, April 1917, France, during WWI.

• All four Canadian divisions fought together on the Western Front.

Symbolism & Importance to Canada:

• Symbolizes Canadian unity and military success.

• Important because it helped Canada gain international respect and strengthened national identity.

Children hiding under desks (Cold War nuclear drill)

Historical Context:

• Canadian children during the Cold War (1950s–1960s) practiced “duck and cover” drills in schools in case of a nuclear attack.

Symbolism & Importance to Canada:

• Symbolizes fear of nuclear war and Cold War tensions.

• Important because it shows how global conflict affected everyday life in Canada and how civilians were prepared for possible attacks.

Image: “We Can Do It!” / Rosie-style poster

• Context: WWII era poster representing women workers (1940s).

• Symbolism / Importance: Symbolizes women joining the workforce to support the war effort; important because it changed gender roles and accelerated social change for women in Canada.

Image: Flappers (1920s women)

• Context: Young women in 1920s fashion/roles in urban Canada.

• Symbolism / Importance: Represents social and cultural change (more independence, changing roles after WWI); due to women’s rights and modern culture.

Image: Prairie / “Build your nest Western Canada” settlement poster

• Context: Early-20th century immigration promotion for the Canadian Prairies.

• Symbolism / Importance: Shows government encouraging immigration and prairie settlement; important because it expanded agriculture, population, and economic development.

Image: “Black Tuesday” (stock market crash newspaper)

• Context: 1929 Stock Market Crash → start of the Great Depression.

• Symbolism / Importance: Symbolizes sudden economic collapse; important because it led to mass unemployment, poverty, and major changes in government policy in Canada.

Image: Famous Five / “Persons” advocates

• Context: The Famous Five (women activists) and the Persons Case (1927–1929) in Canada.

• Symbolism / Importance: Represents the legal recognition of women as “persons” (allowed to be appointed to Senate); important milestone for women’s rights and political equality.

Image: Vimy Memorial (or Vimy Ridge memorial-type image)

• Context: Commemoration of Vimy Ridge (battle 1917) and Canadian soldiers.

• Symbolism / Importance: Symbol of Canadian sacrifice and nationhood; Vimy is often used to mark Canada’s emerging national identity after WWI.

WWII car-sharing poster (propaganda)

Historical Context:

• Canadian World War II (1940s) home-front propaganda poster encouraging civilians to car-share to save fuel and resources.

Symbolism & Importance to Canada:

• Symbolizes the government used propaganda to influence civilian behaviour.

• Important because it shows how all Canadians supported the war effort, not just soldiers, through conservation and unity.

Graph labeled “1917” (epidemic/casualties spike)

• Context: Data graph showing spikes in deaths/casualties/influenza around WWI era (1917–1918).

• Symbolism / Importance: shows the human cost of war casualties important because it helps explain the social strain, public health crises, and post-war effects on Canada.

• Context: Radio broadcasting era (1920s–1940s); CBC radio later became important (CBC began radio in 1936, TV 1952).

• Symbolism / Importance: Represents mass media’s rise — shared news, culture, wartime broadcasts; important because radio unified public opinion and spread information across Canada.

Image: National War Memorial/cenotaph (Ottawa)

• Context: National monument commemorating Canadians who served and died in wars (WWI, WWII, later).

• Symbolism / Importance: Symbol of national remembrance and sacrifice; important because it reflects Canada’s military history and identity.

• body of Quebec Minister Pierre Laporte who was kidnapped by the FLQ is found choked to death

Symbolism & importance:

• Symbolizes separatism and political violence in Quebec.

• Important because FLQ actions caused fear and led to kidnappings, murder, and forced the government to take action.

• Image of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau (popular figure from late 1960s–1970s).

• He was Canada’s leader during the October Crisis (1970) and invoked the War Measures Act.

importance:

• Important because Trudeau’s decision to use emergency powers was controversial and changed how Canadians viewed government authority in a crisis.

---

Historical Context:

• Igor Gouzenko, a Soviet clerk who defected to Canada in 1945.

• He turned over secret doccuments to Canada

Symbolism & Importance to Canada:

• Symbolizes the start of the Cold War in Canada and fears of espionage.

• Important because his defection led to increased security measures and showed Canada was involved in global tensions.

Context (who / what / when / where):

• Indigenous children at a residential school in Canada (late 19th century → 20th century).

• Schools run by churches with government support to force assimilation.

Symbolism & importance:

• Symbolizes assimilation of Indigenous children .

• Important because residential schools caused lasting harm to Indigenous communities and led to truth and reconciliation, and reparations.

---