History & Government

 200,000 native people were forced out or killed by the French or British (1400s)  Either by disease or violence  Sound Familiar?  British Colonist extended Canadian territory south toward the Ohio River causing conflicts with the American colonists

 Started as a Dominion  Partially self-governing country with close ties to Great Britain  Granted Full Independence in 1931  But Great Britain kept the right to approve changes in the Constitution  This ended in 1982 with the passing of the Constitution Act

 Canada is a democratic constitutional monarchy  Still connected to Great Britain by the Queen  An elected Prime Minister as head of Government.

 In the 1800s Canada sheltered enslaved people who escaped the U.S.  Canada never practiced slavery and refused to honor U.S. laws  European Immigrants forced Natives off their lands  In 1998, the natives or Inuit were awarded their own territory (Nunavut)

 NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)  Eliminates tariffs and other trade barriers between all North American countries  Some Canadians dislike the Trade Agreement  Many French speaking citizens in Quebec desire independence