Canada, My Home and Native Land [2] Quiz

Answer: Battle of the Plains of Abraham

In 1759 a British force commanded by General James Wolfe defeated a French force commanded by Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham just outside the walls of Quebec City. Both Wolfe and Montcalm were mortally wounded in the battle. Wolfe died on the battlefield and Montcalm died the next day.

Answer: Fortress Louisbourg

Fortress Louisbourg was built by the French on the eastern shore of Cape Breton Island primarily to protect the Grand Banks fishing grounds. It was completed in 1745 and almost immediately came under siege by the British and New Englanders. The French capitulated, but in 1748, the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle returned the fortress to France. The onset of the Seven Years' War in 1754 again made Fortress Louisbourg fair game and the British captured it a second time in 1758.

Today it is a National Historic Site, faithfully reconstructed as it was when built by the French.

Answer: The Battle of Queenston Heights

In October, 1812 an American force, led by Major General Stephen Van Rensselaer attempted to establish a foothold on the Canadian side of the Niagara River. The British force, led by Major General Sir Isaac Brock, along with their Mohawk allies, defeated the Americans. Brock was shot and killed by an unknown sniper.

Answer: Battle of the Chateauguay

On October 26 1813 an American force led by Major General Wade Hampton set out to capture Montreal. From all historical accounts the invasion turned into a fiasco. The Canadian and Mohawk forces under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles-Michel de Salaberry, through a series of subterfuges, fooled the Americans into thinking the Canadians and Mohawks were numerically superior when actually they were outnumbered.

The Americans retreated after a few brief skirmishes.

Answer: Crysler's Farm

Major General John Wilkinson sailed up the St. Lawrence with the intention of capturing Montreal. Harassed by a Canadian force consisting of British regulars, Mohawks and Canadian Militia, firing from the shore, Wilkinson landed. He attacked the Canadians, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph Morris.

The Americans suffered severe casualties when Morrison drew Wilkinson's force into a frontal attack while the Mohawks and Canadian Militia guarded the woods either side of the battle field. Wilkinson's forces retreated back to their boats and continued on to Montreal, but after hearing about the American defeat at the Battle of the Chateauguay a few weeks earlier, he returned to the U.S.

Answer: Washington D.C.

In 1814, the defeat of Napoleon had freed up British troops, some of whom were then sent to Canada to attack the USA from the north and some blockaded the east coast aboard ships, to effect a diversion of the US army away fr defending the north. The ships and troops under the command of Sir George Prevost, sailed into Chesapeake Bay in August 1814, proceeded up the Patuxent River and landed.

They marched into Washington and after a brief battle with a small American force, proceeded to burn and destroy every building connected to the government.

This raid probably was the most destructive of any during the war.

Answer: William Lyon Mackenzie

The Family Compact were a small group of public servants who dominated most of the decision making in Upper Canada. In 1837, William Lyon Mackenzie, a newspaper publisher and former member of the legislature representing York (Toronto) gathered together a small force of rebels to take over the government of Upper Canada and oust the Family Compact. His force of approximately 100 men was soundly defeated by the British force of 1,000.

He escaped to America where he was jailed for his involvement in the Caroline Affair. He eventually was granted an amnesty and returned to Canada in 1847.

Answer: Louis Joseph Papineau

Like Mackenzie, Papineau thought the government of Canada needed radical reforms and the bonds with Britain should be severed. His rhetoric resulted in the Montreal riots. When the British moved to arrest him, he too fled to America.

In the meantime, a small force had amassed in the country side led by Wolfred Nelson. They initially defeated a superior force of British troops but were soundly beaten in the next two skirmishes.

The Upper and Lower Canada rebellions actually achieved their goal of reform, as Britain merged Upper and Lower Canada and eventually granted them responsible government.

Answer: The Irish

In June of 1866, the Battle of Ridgeway was fought between the Canadian Militia and the Fenians. In Ireland, in 1848, the Young Ireland insurrection was effectively crushed by the British and the leaders scattered, some going to America. They continued to harbor deep resentment against Britain, and in 1866 gathered together a force of American Civil War veterans, mainly of Irish descent.

The Fenians crossed the Niagara River and engaged the Canadian Militia. After two brief skirmishes, the Fenians returned to U.S. soil. There were other raids into New Brunswick and Quebec, with little or no fighting. Unfortunately for the Fenians, all that the raids accomplished was the building of a more solid Canadian confederation.

Answer: FLQ

The Front de libération du Québec was founded in 1963 and over the course of the next 7 years, robbed banks to finance themselves, planted bombs in mailboxes in Montreal and Ottawa, bombed the Montreal stock exchange, planted a bomb in the toilet of the Mayor of Montreal and kidnapped a British diplomat. With the kidnapping and murder of a Quebec cabinet minister, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau implemented the War Measures Act which gives the government the power to override individual citizens rights. Eventually, after massive raids and arrests the situation was brought under control and the War Measures Act rescinded.