Chapter 6: British Commercial Takeover 1800-1850
1)Which year marked the beginning of a spectacular increase in British immigration to Montréal?
A.1805 B.1815 C.1825 D.1835
Comment: A first wave of British immigration occurred immediately after the American Revolution of 1776, when many Loyalists faithful to the British Crown settled in Canada. However, British immigration increased remarkably after 1815. The end of the Napoleonic Wars and economic hardship prompted thousands of Europeans from the British Iles to settle in Canada, in hope of a better life. Sources: Paul-André Linteau, Brève histoire de Montréal , Boréal, 1992. Encyclopédie canadienne, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com (page consultée le 20 janvier 2007).
Sources: Paul-André Linteau, Brève histoire de Montréal , Boréal, 1992. Encyclopédie canadienne, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com (page consultée le 20 janvier 2007).
2)What was the first bank founded in Canada?
A.The National Bank of Canada B.The Royal Bank of Canada C.The Bank of Montreal D.None of the above
Comment: Canada’s first bank, the Bank of Montréal, opened its doors on November 3, 1817. It was founded by a group of the most influential businessmen in the country. One of its goals was the financing of large-scale projects, such as the construction of the transcontinental railway in 1880. The Bank of Montréal remained the country’s foremost bank until the arrival of the Bank of Canada in 1935.
Sources: Paul-André Linteau, Brève histoire de Montréal , Boréal, 1992. Official site of Bank of Montréal, www4.bmo.com (page consultée le 20 janvier 2007)
3)In which year was the first Canadian railroad built?
A.1803 B.1815 C.1823 D.1836
Comment: A group of Montréal businessmen, Peter McGill (1789-1860) and John Molson (1763-1836) in particular, built the country’s first railroad with the intention of speeding up communication with the United States. The railroad was inaugurated in July 1836 in the presence of several Canadian dignitaries, including Louis-Joseph Papineau (1786-1871) and Lord Gosford (1776-1849), Governor-General of Lower Canada. It linked the villages of La Prairie and Saint-Jean, and facilitated a speedier connection between the St. Lawrence River and Lake Champlain.
Sources: Paul-André Linteau, Brève histoire de Montréal , Boréal, 1992. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, www.biographi.ca (page consultée le 20 janvier 2007).
4)Which building housed the Parliament of Canada between 1844 and 1849?
A.The St. Anne’s Market B.The Bonsecours Market C.The Marché Maisonneuve D.The Marché Saint-Jacques
Comment: In 1840, The Act of the Union fused Upper and Lower Canada into United Canada. Kingston was chosen as the capital, but three years later, Governor-General Lord Charles Bagot (1781-1843), transferred the seat of parliament to Montréal in the hopes of appeasing tensions between English- and French-speaking citizens. The following year, parliament sat at St. Anne’s Market, remaining there until the fire of April 25, 1849, set by rioters in response to a bill compensating victims of the Patriote rebellions. Considered too tumultuous, Montréal was abandoned as the capital in favour of Toronto a few months later. Toronto and Québec City then alternated as Capital until Ottawa became the definite seat of parliament in 1866.
Sources: Gaston Deschênes, « Une capitale éphémère », in Les cahiers du Septentrion, Septentrion, 1990. Official site of Gouvernment of Ontario, www.gov.on.ca (site visité le 25 janvier 2007).
