The making and potential breaking of Canada: A study of French-Canadian integration and Quebec separatism
1. To what extent did the power struggle over
Canada in the years 1750-1867 lead to the
integration of its French-speaking
population, and how has Quebec separatism
affected Canadian government and society
in the last fifty years?
A study of French-Canadians in the
making and possible breaking of
Canada
2. The making of Canada
• European powers colonised the New World.
• Britain and New France were constantly in
conflict with each other.
• Acadian Expulsion from 1755.
• The Seven Years’ War and the all-important
Battle of the Plains of Abraham put Canada
into British hands.
3.
4. Conciliation and Division
• Quebec Act, 1774.
• Catholics were allowed to enter government.
• Catholic legal and religious rights protected.
• The American Revolution dramatically
changed the nature of the population.
• Constitutional Act, 1791, divided Canada
mainly on Francophone/Anglophone lines.
5.
6. Towards a country
• The War of 1812 was a massively important event
in Canadian history – with crucial Francophone
participation.
• Rebellions of 1837 and 1838 – a mainly
Francophone-led effort against British rule.
• The Union Act of 1840 merged the two colonies
but failed to assimilate the Francophones.
• Confederation in 1867 created Canada: 3 colonies
became 4 provinces of the “Dominion of Canada”.
7.
8. The rise of Quebec separatism
• The “Quiet Revolution” of the 1960s added to
more nationalistic sentiment in Quebec.
• The FLQ terrorist group and October Crisis was
an extreme manifestation of separatism.
• The rise of the Parti Québécois in 1976 brought
resounding changes and a referendum.
• The 1980 Referendum – Quebec stays in
Canada with “non” winning 59.56% of the vote.
9. Quebec vs. Canada?
• Quebec refused to sign the Constitution in 1982.
• The Meech Lake (1987) and Charlottetown (1992)
Accords both failed to rectify this.
• The 1995 Referendum – the apogee of Quebec
separatism.
• “NON” (50.58%) marginally beat “OUI” (49.42%).
VS
10. Questionnaire
• 57 respondents answered questions on:
– Residence
– Languages spoken
– Quebec as a “distinct society”
– Canada as a united country
– The most important event in Canadian history
• 76% say Quebec is a distinct society.
• 60% think Canada is a united country.
• The Battle of the Plains of Abraham the most common
response for question five.
11. Quebec’s Distinctiveness
• 76% agreed.
• Non-Quebecers divided and sceptical: 55%
disagree.
• Quebecers themselves are assured: 84% agreed.
12. Some responses
• “Without any doubt, Quebec is a distinct society from the rest of
Canada. One day, Quebec will be independent. It is only a matter
of time”. (Montreal, Quebec, F.)
• “Although they think they are distinct (the Francophones), they are
just as North American as the rest of North Americans... Yes they
speak French, but in terms of lifestyle and culture, they're just like
the rest of Canada, except they can't see that themselves. What
makes them distinct, in my view, is their paranoia about how the
rest of the country treats them and the loss of their language”.
(Halifax, Nova Scotia)
• “There are many different cultures throughout Canada; the
Quebecois culture is one of these... The Quebecois culture is a bit
different; but, it is an integral part of the overall Canadian
identity”. (Red Deer, Alberta)
13. Canadian unity
• A slightly unconvincing 60% agreed. 24% disagreed
outright; 16% were unsure.
• Non-Quebecers almost unanimously agreed with
82%, but Quebec only had 54%.
• Of the last two options, 35% mentioned Quebec as
a principal cause of this disunity.
14. Some responses
• “No, simply due to the fact that Quebec is a distinct
society. But despite everything, I do not think that it
would be a good idea to separate from the rest of
Canada”. (Montreal, Quebec, F.)
• “Canada is a united country but there will always be a
battle between two different perceptions. The
Québécois are attached to Canada as the two referenda
showed but less attached to the British Crown than the
rest of Canada”. (Saguenay, Quebec, F.)
• “Canada is a united country. It is her diversity that is the
strength of Canada”. (Quebec, Quebec, F.)
16. Researching
• Research was carried out as thoroughly as
possible with a wide range of sources:
– Books
– Websites
– Online journals
– Online newspaper articles
– Online videos and radio
– People
17. Strengths and Successes
• There was plenty of material available for my
topic, so evidence-gathering was not an issue.
• The use of many and a wide range of sources.
• Some books were very detailed on key events
and were thus invaluable.
• The more recent events allowed me to use
both primary and secondary sources.
• My report was therefore suitably supported
and referenced.
18. Weaknesses and Failures
• Adhering to the word limit failed completely.
• Refining and selecting evidence.
• Possibly the number of questionnaire
responses.
• The Quebec-centred
nature of the
respondents.
Quebec
British Columbia
Ontario
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Prince Edward Island
19. Skills used and developed
• Researching skills – only noting down relevant
details from text.
• Analysis and evaluation both required.
• Synthesising events and culminating in a
personal argument and conclusion.
• Handling qualitative data via the
questionnaire.
• Linguistic skills, as I had to translate many
questionnaire responses.
20. Changes and Advice
• I should have noted down relevant material from
my online sources immediately.
• I could have saved some more time and
consequently achieved greater efficiency.
• Possibly a shorter question.
• Less stress.
• I would recommend doing an EPQ for the skills
and the experience.
• The EPQ was really helpful regarding my A-level
subjects, especially History and French.
