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B. Canada, 1800–1850: Conflict and Challenges · Canada, 1800–1850: Conflict and Challenges

Canada, 1800–1850: Conflict and Challenges: Unit Review

B1 B2 B3About 40 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can describe significant people, events and developments in Canada between 1800 and 1850 and explain their impact.
  • I can compare the lives and perspectives of different groups, including First Nations, Métis, Inuit and Black communities.
  • I can use the historical inquiry process and the four historical thinking concepts.

Words to know

historical perspective
How people at the time saw events, based on who they were.
treaty
A formal agreement between nations, such as between First Nations and the Crown.
Métis
A distinct Indigenous nation with its own language, culture and homeland.
Underground Railroad
A secret network that helped freedom seekers escape slavery.
responsible government
A system where the cabinet must have the support of the elected assembly.
primary source
Evidence made at the time being studied.

Let's review!

In this unit you travelled from 1800 to 1850. You studied the War of 1812 and how First Nations, Black, Canadien and settler communities experienced it; the fur trade rivalry, Seven Oaks and the Métis Nation at Red River; the Great Migration, canals and new towns; treaties between First Nations and the Crown; daily life in the colonies, including Inuit life; the end of slavery, the Underground Railroad and the Black communities built before 1850; the Rebellions of 1837–38; and the road from the Durham Report to responsible government. You also practised the historical inquiry process.

This review has a few questions from every lesson. Try each one, then press Show answer to check. If a part feels tricky, go back to that lesson.

SignificanceWhy does itmatter?Cause andconsequenceWhy did it happen?What followed?Continuityand changeWhat changed?What stayed?PerspectiveHow did differentpeople see it?
The four historical thinking concepts you used in every lesson. Try asking all four about one event from the unit.
War of 1812beginsSevenOaksRideau CanalbegunSlaveryabolishedRebellionsProvince ofCanadaResponsiblegovernmentRobinsonTreaties1800
Eight anchor events from 1800 to 1850. Can you place the other events you learned about between them?

British North America in 1800: Thinking Like a Historian

1

Name three British colonies in British North America around 1800.

2

Is an 1813 soldier's letter a primary or secondary source?

3

Which historical thinking concept asks "How did different people see this at the time?"

The War of 1812: Causes and Key Events

1

Give one American cause and one First Nations cause of the War of 1812.

2

What happened at Queenston Heights?

3

What did the Treaty of Ghent change about the border?

The War of 1812: Many Perspectives and Lasting Impact

1

What did Richard Pierpoint petition for in 1812?

2

Where did most Black Refugees of the War of 1812 settle?

3

Give one long-term consequence of the war for First Nations.

4

Why were Coloured Corps land grants unfair?

Fur Trade Rivalry, the Red River Settlement and Seven Oaks

1

What was the Pemmican Proclamation?

2

Who led the Métis at Seven Oaks in 1816?

3

Why did the HBC and NWC merge in 1821?

The Métis Nation and Life at Red River

1

What is Michif?

2

Why were river lots long and narrow?

3

What was the result of the Sayer trial in 1849?

The Great Migration: Newcomers, Canals and Settlement

1

Give one push and one pull factor of the Great Migration.

2

What was Grosse Île?

3

Why was the Rideau Canal built?

4

How did settlement affect First Nations?

Treaties and Land: First Nations and the Crown, 1800–1850

1

How did many First Nations understand early treaties differently from the Crown?

2

What happened at Mica Bay in 1849?

3

What did the 2024 Supreme Court decision say about the Robinson-Huron Treaty?

Life in the Colonies, 1800–1850

1

What was a bee?

2

Name one continuity in Lower Canada from 1713–1800 to 1800–1850.

3

How did Inuit knowledge help solve the Franklin mystery?

Slavery Ends and Freedom Seekers Arrive

1

When did the Slavery Abolition Act take effect?

2

Why was the Blackburn case of 1833 significant?

3

Why did more freedom seekers come after 1850?

4

Free but not equal: give one example.

Building Black Communities: Contributions and Obstacles

1

Name two Black settlements founded before 1850 in Upper Canada/Canada West.

2

What contribution did the Buxton Mission School make?

3

What obstacle did the Wilberforce settlers face from the Canada Company?

The Rebellions of 1837–38

1

Who were the leaders of the rebellions in Lower Canada and Upper Canada?

2

What were Russell's Ten Resolutions?

3

Give one shared cause of both rebellions.

Durham, the Act of Union and Responsible Government

1

What were Durham's two main recommendations?

2

What is responsible government?

3

Why was the Rebellion Losses Bill (1849) a test?

4

Who still could not vote after 1848?

Be a Historian: An Inquiry into Perspectives, 1800–1850

1

List the five steps of the inquiry process.

2

Make this question stronger: "Who was Laura Secord?"

3

Can a biased source be useful?

Just for fun

Why was the history teacher's lunch box so heavy?

It was full of dates.

How to use this review

  • Do the review in two or three short sittings. Each section matches one lesson.
  • Answer out loud first, then check. Explaining in your own words is the best test.
  • For each event, ask the four historian questions: Why significant? What caused it and what followed? What changed? Whose perspective?
  • Make a timeline from 1800 to 1850 with the key events and stick it on the fridge.
  • Put a star next to any question you missed, and revisit that lesson's practice.
Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which leader built a confederacy of First Nations and allied with Britain in the War of 1812?

2.

Who petitioned in 1812 to form a company of Black soldiers in Upper Canada?

3.

What happened at Seven Oaks in 1816?

4.

What did the Sayer trial (1849) mean for the Métis?

5.

Why did many Irish people come to British North America in 1847?

6.

Which treaties of 1850 included reserves, hunting and fishing rights, and annuities?

7.

What did Upper Canada decide in the Blackburn case of 1833?

8.

Which settlement was founded in 1849 by Rev. William King near Chatham?

9.

What was a main cause of the Rebellions of 1837–38?

10.

What is responsible government?

For parents and teachers

Use mistakes to choose what to revisit. Each review section matches one lesson.

  • Mixes up primary and secondary sources, or treats Canada as a country in 1800: revisit British North America in 1800: Thinking Like a Historian.
  • Can't explain why the war started, or forgets First Nations' reasons: revisit The War of 1812: Causes and Key Events.
  • Forgets Pierpoint, the Coloured Corps or the Black Refugees, or thinks the war ended the same for everyone: revisit The War of 1812: Many Perspectives and Lasting Impact.
  • Confuses the HBC and NWC, or can't explain the Pemmican Proclamation: revisit Fur Trade Rivalry, the Red River Settlement and Seven Oaks.
  • Describes the Métis as a "mix" rather than a nation, or forgets the Sayer trial: revisit The Métis Nation and Life at Red River.
  • Mixes up push and pull factors, or forgets the costs of settlement for First Nations and workers: revisit The Great Migration: Newcomers, Canals and Settlement.
  • Thinks treaties are only old history, or that the written text is the whole treaty: revisit Treaties and Land: First Nations and the Crown, 1800–1850.
  • Describes "pioneer life" as everyone's life, or can't compare time periods: revisit Life in the Colonies, 1800–1850.
  • Thinks there was never slavery in Canada, or that freedom meant equality: revisit Slavery Ends and Freedom Seekers Arrive.
  • Can name hardships of Black communities but not their achievements (or the reverse): revisit Building Black Communities: Contributions and Obstacles.
  • Mixes up Papineau and Mackenzie, or the causes in each colony: revisit The Rebellions of 1837–38.
  • Confuses responsible government with democracy for all, or the Act of Union with Confederation: revisit Durham, the Act of Union and Responsible Government.
  • Writes one-fact questions or uses only one perspective: revisit Be a Historian: An Inquiry into Perspectives, 1800–1850.

Some topics in this unit are heavy: war, slavery, disease and the loss of First Nations lands. Check in with your child about how they feel, and balance the hard history with the courage, leadership and achievements of the people involved. A few mistakes are normal; praise careful thinking and the use of evidence.