Canada's History: practice questions

The 10 questions

Choose your answer, then open “Show answer” to check it and read why.

1. Question 1 of 10

   Which four provinces formed Confederation in 1867?

   1. Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, British Columbia
   2. Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
   3. Quebec, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland
   4. Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: B. Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia

   The four original provinces were Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

2. Question 2 of 10

   Who composed "In Flanders Fields"?

   1. Sir Arthur Currie
   2. John McCrae
   3. Sir Isaac Brock
   4. Wilfrid Laurier
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: B. John McCrae

   John McCrae, a Canadian medical officer, wrote "In Flanders Fields" in 1915.

3. Question 3 of 10

   Approximately how many Canadians served in the First World War?

   1. About 60,000
   2. About 250,000
   3. Over 600,000
   4. Over 1 million
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: C. Over 600,000

   Over 600,000 Canadians served in WWI out of a population of 8 million. 60,000 were killed; 170,000 were wounded.

4. Question 4 of 10

   Who became the first French-Canadian Prime Minister since Confederation?

   1. Sir George-Étienne Cartier
   2. Sir Wilfrid Laurier
   3. Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine
   4. Sir Leonard Tilley
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: B. Sir Wilfrid Laurier

   Sir Wilfrid Laurier became the first French-Canadian Prime Minister since Confederation in 1896. His portrait appears on the $5 bill.

5. Question 5 of 10

   Who led the Métis during the Red River uprising of 1869–70?

   1. Gabriel Dumont
   2. Louis Riel
   3. Joseph Brant
   4. Charles de Salaberry
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: B. Louis Riel

   Louis Riel led the Métis of the Red River. Manitoba was established as a province in 1870 following the uprising.

6. Question 6 of 10

   Jacques Cartier made three voyages across the Atlantic between which years?

   1. 1497–1510
   2. 1534–1542
   3. 1604–1620
   4. 1670–1690
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: B. 1534–1542

   Jacques Cartier made three voyages between 1534 and 1542, claiming the land for King Francis I of France.

7. Question 7 of 10

   At the Battle of Châteauguay in 1813, how many soldiers under de Salaberry defeated 4,000 Americans?

   1. About 100
   2. About 460
   3. About 2,000
   4. About 5,000
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: B. About 460

   Lieutenant-Colonel Charles de Salaberry and about 460 soldiers, mostly French Canadiens, defeated 4,000 Americans at the Battle of Châteauguay in 1813.

8. Question 8 of 10

   Which event happened first: Confederation or the Battle of the Plains of Abraham?

   1. Confederation (1867)
   2. The Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1759)
   3. They happened in the same year
   4. Neither event actually occurred
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: B. The Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1759)

   The Battle of the Plains of Abraham was in 1759, more than a century before Confederation in 1867.

9. Question 9 of 10

   When did Manitoba and the Northwest Territories join Canada?

   1. 1867
   2. 1870
   3. 1885
   4. 1905
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: B. 1870

   Manitoba and the Northwest Territories joined Canada in 1870, three years after Confederation.

10. Question 10 of 10

    Which event came first: most Canadian women gaining the federal vote or D-Day?

    1. D-Day (1944)
    2. Most Canadian women gaining the federal vote (1918)
    3. They happened in the same year
    4. Neither event occurred before 1950
    Show answerHide answer

    Answer: B. Most Canadian women gaining the federal vote (1918)

    Most Canadian women aged 21 and over gained the federal vote in 1918. D-Day took place on June 6, 1944.