1.) The French were the first to settle. The French had been exploring the southern Quebec region since the early 1500's but the first major permanent settlement came in the 17th century. Quebec city was founded in 1608 by Frenchman Samuel de Champain on the St. Lawrence River. The city not only survived, but thrived and is today Canada's 11th largest city. The area that is now Quebec was celebrated and became known as New France. The French worked hard to maintain a relatively friendly relationship with the Native peoples in order to make economic gains in fur trade and for priests, to spread the Roman Catholic faith.
2.) The British invaded New France: In 1763 a treaty known as the Treaty of Paris was signed and New France was handed over to the British after they had lead a successfully military campaign against the French land. English would become the major language over French.
3.) The British helped the Catholic Church become the major church of Canada. According to Statistics Canada 43.6% of Canadians identified as Catholic in 2001. The percentage would probably be much lower if the Government hadn't agreed to fund Catholic education. To this day Canada's two largest Provinces fund Catholic elementary and high schools to the same extent they fund public schools. This in sharp contrast to the American model.
4.) Treaties were made and treaties were broken. Many treaties were made with the Native nations in order to secure the protection of their lands from both those outside British territory and those within it. Conversation was frequent between the Iroquois and the British. Although hundreds of reserves were created many treaties were broken. In the 1900's the Canadian government created residential schools in a push to integrate Natives into the country, the idea was to "kill the Indian in the child." Conservative Prime Minister Harper Prime Minister became the first to offer an apology in 2008.
5.) Canadians burned down the White House. During the war of 1812 (which only lasted two and a half years) the Canadians fought Americans in the Toronto and the Detroit region They even made their way to Washington DC where they burned the White House to the ground. Something tells me that wouldn't happen today.
6.) Canada became a country in 1867 (91 years after American independence was declared.)
Canada became a Principal of the British Empire on July 1, 1867. July 1st was officially made a holiday in the 1867 British North America Act and is known as Canada Day.
7.) But in a sense it wasn't all of Canada. Most of the Provinces and Territories took decades to join the newly formed country. In 1867 Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia joined the country--but they only represent around 30% of today's Canada. The others joined eventually: Manitoba joined in 1870, British Colombia came the following year and Prince Edward Island joined in 1873. Alberta and Saskatchewan were late comers--they joined in 1905. The latest one to become a Province was Newfoundland in 1949.
8.) Canada wouldn't be the same without World War I. Canada automatically declared war when Britain did on August 4, 1914. Its contributions, especially at Vimmy Ridge (in north-eastern France) was highly honored and it was Canadians who used a Platoon for a first time. World War one changed the world's view of Canada: The Canadians were no longer thought of as mostly lumberjacks and fur-traders but as a significant force in the Great War.
9.) Canada joined world War Two on September 10, 1939--a week after the United Kingdom. Canada's role in World War Two was of course important but when it declared war on Germany is also significant. It was Canada's way of saying "We're with you unto death Mother Britain, but we want to make sure you know we're all grown up now."
10.) Canada's 'Constitution' was created in 1982. Canada's separate Constitution was created 195 years after the American one and differs in a few main areas; for example it has a notwithstanding clause that grants restrictions on rights; it states that it is "subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society." It also says in its preamble "Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law:" as opposed to America's which reads "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
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