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Canadian Citizenship Test questions and answers

Every question in the bank, with the answer and an explanation. Written from Discover Canada. Browsing is free and needs no account. But you will learn far more by taking a timed test than by reading answers.

1. 1.Who was the first to map Canada’s Atlantic shore?

   • AJacques Cartier
   • BSamuel de Champlain
   • CMartin Frobisher
   • DJohn Cabot

   European exploration began in earnest in 1497 with the expedition of John Cabot. (The first Europeans)

2. 2.In which year did John Cabot reach Canada’s east coast?

   • A1497
   • B1610
   • C1604
   • D1534

   European exploration began in earnest in 1497 with the expedition of John Cabot. (The first Europeans)

3. 3.Which explorer claimed land for King Francis I of France?

   • AJohn Cabot
   • BCount Frontenac
   • CPierre de Monts
   • DJacques Cartier

   Between 1534 and 1542 Jacques Cartier made three voyages across the Atlantic, claiming the land for King Francis I of France. (The first Europeans)

4. 4.What does the Iroquoian word kanata mean?

   • AThe people
   • BOur land
   • CVillage
   • DGreat river

   Cartier heard two captured guides speak the Iroquoian word kanata, meaning village. (The first Europeans)

5. 5.By when had the name Canada begun appearing on maps?

   • ABy the 1660s
   • BBy the 1750s
   • CBy the 1490s
   • DBy the 1550s

   By the 1550s the name of Canada began appearing on maps. (The first Europeans)

6. 6.Which Viking site in Canada is a World Heritage site?

   • AL’Anse aux Meadows
   • BFort Garry
   • CSt. Croix Island
   • DPort-Royal

   The remains of the Viking settlement at l'Anse aux Meadows are a World Heritage site. (The first Europeans)

7. 7.Who was the first European to explore the St. Lawrence River?

   • AJacques Cartier
   • BSamuel de Champlain
   • CLouis Riel
   • DJohn Cabot

   Between 1534 and 1542 Jacques Cartier made three voyages across the Atlantic, claiming the land for King Francis I of France. (The first Europeans)

8. 8.When did English settlement in Canada begin?

   • AIn 1867
   • BIn 1534
   • CIn 1610
   • DIn 1497

   European exploration began in earnest in 1497 with the expedition of John Cabot. (The first Europeans)

9. 9.Who founded the first European settlement north of Florida?

   • ACount Frontenac and Bishop Laval
   • BPierre de Monts and Samuel de Champlain
   • CJean Talon and Sir Guy Carleton
   • DJohn Cabot and Jacques Cartier

   In 1604 the first European settlement north of Florida was established by French explorers Pierre de Monts and Samuel de Champlain. (Royal New France)

10. 10.In which year was the first European settlement north of Florida established?

    • A1701
    • B1604
    • C1497
    • D1608

    In 1604 the first European settlement north of Florida was established by French explorers Pierre de Monts and Samuel de Champlain. (Royal New France)

11. 11.Where did Champlain build a fortress in 1608?

    • AAt Port-Royal in Acadia
    • BAt Fort Garry
    • CAt St. Croix Island
    • DAt what is now Québec City

    In 1608 Champlain built a fortress at what is now Québec City. (Royal New France)

12. 12.What drove the fur-trade economy?

    • ADemand for beaver pelts in Europe
    • BDemand for timber in Britain
    • CThe search for a northwest passage
    • DDemand for cod in Europe

    The fur-trade economy was driven by the demand for beaver pelts in Europe. (Royal New France)

13. 13.Which peoples did Champlain ally the colony with?

    • AThe Algonquin, Montagnais and Huron
    • BThe Inuit and the Métis
    • CThe Cree and the Dene
    • DThe Iroquois and the Sioux

    Champlain allied the colony with the Algonquin, Montagnais and Huron. (Royal New France)

14. 14.In which year did the French and the Iroquois make peace?

    • A1608
    • B1701
    • C1604
    • D1763

    The French and the Iroquois made peace in 1701. (Royal New France)

15. 15.How far did the French Empire in North America reach?

    • AFrom Newfoundland to the Great Lakes
    • BFrom Quebec to the Pacific Ocean
    • CFrom Acadia to the Prairies
    • DFrom Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico

    Jean Talon, Bishop Laval and Count Frontenac built a French Empire in North America that reached from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. (Royal New France)

16. 16.Which company was granted exclusive trading rights in 1670?

    • AThe North West Company
    • BThe Canadian Pacific Railway
    • CThe Hudson’s Bay Company
    • DThe East India Company

    In 1670 King Charles II of England granted the Hudson's Bay Company exclusive trading rights over the watershed draining into Hudson Bay. (The struggle for a continent)

17. 17.Which king granted the Hudson’s Bay Company its charter?

    • AKing George V
    • BKing George III
    • CKing Francis I
    • DKing Charles II

    In 1670 King Charles II of England granted the Hudson's Bay Company exclusive trading rights over the watershed draining into Hudson Bay. (The struggle for a continent)

18. 18.What were the canoemen of the fur trade called?

    • AMétis and Michif
    • BLoyalists and Patriotes
    • CHabitants and Canadiens
    • DVoyageurs and coureurs des bois

    The men of the fur trade who travelled by canoe were called voyageurs and coureurs des bois. (The struggle for a continent)

19. 19.Which 1759 battle marked the end of France’s empire in America?

    • AThe Battle of Châteauguay
    • BThe Battle of Queenston Heights
    • CThe Battle of Vimy Ridge
    • DThe Battle of the Plains of Abraham

    In 1759 the British defeated the French in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham at Québec City. (The struggle for a continent)

20. 20.What happened to the commanders of both armies at the Plains of Abraham?

    • AWolfe was captured and Montcalm escaped
    • BBoth were recalled to Europe
    • CBoth survived and signed a treaty
    • DBoth were killed leading their troops

    The commanders of both armies at the Plains of Abraham, Brigadier James Wolfe and the Marquis de Montcalm, were killed leading their troops. (The struggle for a continent)

21. 21.What were the French-speaking Catholic people of Quebec known as?

    • AAcadians or Métis
    • BHabitants or Canadiens
    • CVoyageurs or coureurs des bois
    • DLoyalists or Tories

    The French-speaking Catholic people of Quebec were known as habitants or Canadiens. (The struggle for a continent)

22. 22.What did Britain rename the colony after the war?

    • AUpper Canada
    • BBritish North America
    • CThe Province of Quebec
    • DThe Dominion of Canada

    After the war Great Britain renamed the colony the Province of Quebec. (The struggle for a continent)

23. 23.Which 1774 Act was passed to govern the French Roman Catholic majority?

    • AThe Royal Proclamation
    • BThe Constitutional Act
    • CThe Quebec Act
    • DThe British North America Act

    The British Parliament passed the Quebec Act of 1774 to better govern the French Roman Catholic majority. (The Quebec Act and the Loyalists)

24. 24.What did the Quebec Act allow Roman Catholics to do?

    • ATrade freely with France after the conquest
    • BEnjoy religious freedom and hold public office
    • CElect an assembly of their own in Quebec
    • DKeep their own criminal law alongside civil law

    The Quebec Act allowed religious freedom for Catholics and permitted them to hold public office, a practice not then allowed in Britain. (The Quebec Act and the Loyalists)

25. 25.Which legal systems did the Quebec Act combine?

    • AAmerican common law with British criminal law
    • BAboriginal customary law with French civil law
    • CFrench civil law with British criminal law
    • DBritish civil law with French criminal law

    The Quebec Act restored French civil law while maintaining British criminal law. (The Quebec Act and the Loyalists)

26. 26.Who were the Loyalists?

    • APeople loyal to the Crown who fled the American Revolution
    • BFrench settlers who remained after 1759
    • CEmployees of the Hudson’s Bay Company
    • DSupporters of the rebellions of 1837-38

    More than 40,000 Loyalists fled the American Revolution to settle in Nova Scotia and Quebec. (The Quebec Act and the Loyalists)

27. 27.About how many Loyalists settled in Nova Scotia and Quebec?

    • AAbout 8,500
    • BAbout 4,000
    • CMore than 40,000
    • DAbout 400,000

    More than 40,000 Loyalists fled the American Revolution to settle in Nova Scotia and Quebec. (The Quebec Act and the Loyalists)

28. 28.Who led thousands of Loyalist Mohawk into Canada?

    • ALouis Riel
    • BJoseph Brant
    • CChief Tecumseh
    • DSir Isaac Brock

    Joseph Brant led thousands of Loyalist Mohawk Indians into Canada. (The Quebec Act and the Loyalists)

29. 29.Which colony for freed slaves did some black Nova Scotians help found in 1792?

    • AHalifax, Nova Scotia
    • BPort-Royal, Acadia
    • CLiberia
    • DFreetown, Sierra Leone

    In 1792 some black Nova Scotians moved on to establish Freetown, Sierra Leone, a new British colony for freed slaves. (The Quebec Act and the Loyalists)

30. 30.Where was Canada’s first representative assembly elected?

    • AQuébec City, capital of New France
    • BCharlottetown, on Prince Edward Island
    • CToronto, then the town of York
    • DHalifax, Nova Scotia

    The first representative assembly was elected in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1758. (The beginnings of democracy and the abolition of slavery)

31. 31.In which year was the first representative assembly elected in Halifax?

    • A1758
    • B1773
    • C1791
    • D1867

    The first representative assembly was elected in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1758. (The beginnings of democracy and the abolition of slavery)

32. 32.What did the Constitutional Act of 1791 do?

    • AUnited Upper and Lower Canada into one province
    • BDivided the Province of Quebec into Upper Canada and Lower Canada
    • CCreated the Dominion of Canada out of four provinces
    • DEstablished responsible government in the Canadas

    Upper Canada and Lower Canada were carved out of the Province of Quebec by the Constitutional Act of 1791. (The beginnings of democracy and the abolition of slavery)

33. 33.Which was mainly Loyalist, Protestant and English-speaking?

    • ALower Canada
    • BAcadia
    • CRupert’s Land
    • DUpper Canada

    Upper Canada and Lower Canada were carved out of the Province of Quebec by the Constitutional Act of 1791. (The beginnings of democracy and the abolition of slavery)

34. 34.Who led Upper Canada as it moved to abolish slavery in 1793?

    • AJohn Graves Simcoe
    • BRobert Baldwin
    • CSir Guy Carleton
    • DLord Durham

    In 1793 Upper Canada, led by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe, became the first province in the Empire to move toward abolition of slavery. (The beginnings of democracy and the abolition of slavery)

35. 35.In which year did Britain abolish slavery throughout the Empire?

    • A1793
    • B1833
    • C1863
    • D1807

    In 1833 Britain abolished slavery throughout the Empire. (The beginnings of democracy and the abolition of slavery)

36. 36.What was the Underground Railroad?

    • AA tunnel beneath the Canada-U.S.A. border
    • BThe first railway between Upper and Lower Canada
    • CA Christian anti-slavery network
    • DA secret route used by the Loyalists

    Thousands of slaves escaped from the United States and settled in Canada via the Underground Railroad, a Christian anti-slavery network. (The beginnings of democracy and the abolition of slavery)

37. 37.When did the name Canada become official?

    • AIn 1982
    • BIn 1867
    • CIn 1791
    • DIn 1763

    The name Canada became official in 1791 and has been used ever since. (The beginnings of democracy and the abolition of slavery)

38. 38.In which month and year did the United States invade Canada?

    • AAugust 1814
    • BOctober 1805
    • CApril 1813
    • DJune 1812

    The United States launched an invasion of Canada in June 1812. (The War of 1812)

39. 39.Which Shawnee chief supported British soldiers in Canada’s defence?

    • ABig Bear
    • BJoseph Brant
    • CPoundmaker
    • DTecumseh

    Alongside British soldiers in 1812 stood Canadian volunteers and First Nations, Chief Tecumseh's Shawnee among them. (The War of 1812)

40. 40.Which British commander captured Detroit and was later killed at Queenston Heights?

    • ABrigadier James Wolfe
    • BMajor-General Robert Ross
    • CMajor-General Sir Isaac Brock
    • DSir Arthur Currie

    Major-General Sir Isaac Brock captured Detroit but was killed defending against an American attack at Queenston Heights. (The War of 1812)

41. 41.Who turned back 4,000 American invaders at Châteauguay in 1813?

    • ALaura Secord, warning of the attack
    • BMajor-General Sir Isaac Brock
    • CLieutenant-Colonel Charles de Salaberry
    • DSir Sam Steele of the Mounted Police

    At Châteauguay in 1813, 460 soldiers under Lieutenant-Colonel Charles de Salaberry — mostly French Canadiens — halted 4,000 American invaders. (The War of 1812)

42. 42.What did Major-General Robert Ross burn in 1814?

    • AGovernment House in Halifax
    • BFort Garry
    • CThe White House
    • DThe Parliament Buildings at York

    In retaliation in 1814 Major-General Robert Ross led an expedition that burned down the White House in Washington. (The War of 1812)

43. 43.What did the War of 1812 ensure?

    • AThat the Hudson’s Bay Company would keep its monopoly
    • BThat Britain would abolish slavery
    • CThat Quebec would keep its civil law
    • DThat Canada would remain independent of the United States

    The War of 1812 ensured that Canada would remain independent of the United States. (The War of 1812)

44. 44.What did Laura Secord do in 1813?

    • ANursed the wounded after Queenston Heights
    • BCarried despatches from Halifax to Québec City
    • CMade a dangerous 19-mile journey on foot to warn of an American attack
    • DLed a militia unit in the fighting at Châteauguay

    In 1813 Laura Secord made a dangerous 19-mile journey on foot to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon of a planned American attack. (The War of 1812)

45. 45.Which 1805 naval battle left the Royal Navy ruling the waves?

    • AThe Battle of the Atlantic
    • BThe Battle of Amiens
    • CThe Battle of Trafalgar
    • DThe Battle of the Plains of Abraham

    The Royal Navy defeated Napoleon Bonaparte's fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. (The War of 1812)

46. 46.What is meant by responsible government?

    • AEach province governs itself without reference to Ottawa
    • BThe Sovereign appoints the ministers of the Crown directly
    • CMinisters of the Crown are chosen from among the senators
    • DMinisters of the Crown must have the support of a majority of elected representatives

    Responsible government means that the ministers of the Crown must have the support of a majority of the elected representatives in order to govern. (Rebellions and responsible government)

47. 47.What must a government do if it loses a confidence vote in the assembly?

    • ACall a referendum
    • BResign
    • CAsk the Senate to decide
    • DAppeal to the courts

    Under responsible government, if the government loses a confidence vote in the assembly it must resign. (Rebellions and responsible government)

48. 48.Who was Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine?

    • AThe first head of a responsible government in Canada
    • BThe first Governor General of Canada
    • CThe leader of the 1837 rebellions
    • DCanada’s first Prime Minister

    Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine was a champion of French language rights and became the first head of a responsible government in Canada in 1849. (Rebellions and responsible government)

49. 49.In which year did La Fontaine become the first head of a responsible government?

    • A1849
    • B1867
    • C1791
    • D1840

    Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine was a champion of French language rights and became the first head of a responsible government in Canada in 1849. (Rebellions and responsible government)

50. 50.Which colony first attained full responsible government?

    • APrince Edward Island
    • BNew Brunswick
    • CNova Scotia
    • DThe Province of Canada

    The first British North American colony to attain full responsible government was Nova Scotia in 1847-48. (Rebellions and responsible government)