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Political and Military Conflicts

  • Rate the impact on Aboriginal, Canadien and British peoples of one of the following conflicts: the Battle on the Plains of Abraham (i.e., Seven Years' War), the American Revolution, the War of 1812 or the two rebellions of 1837.
  • Predict what might have happened if any of these conflicts had turned out differently.

Outcomes References Related Resources

Suggested Activities

In this challenge, students consider the effects of major political and military conflicts by rating their impact on Aboriginal, Canadien and British peoples. Note: French people living in Canada were referred to as French prior to 1600 and as Canadiens from 1660 to 1917. The conflicts are the Battle on the Plains of Abraham (i.e., Seven Years' War), the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and the two rebellions of 1837. Students speculate on how the course of British North American history might have changed if a selected conflict had ended differently.

Activity 1
Explain that, in making the recipe for Canada, many ingredients, such as people, legislation, resources, cultural, social and economic factors, influenced the creation or development of the nation. Conflicts are another important factor in nation building. Explain that the class will research the impact of a number of major political and military conflicts on the well-being of Aboriginal, Canadien and British peoples. Offer four criteria for students to consider when assessing impact on well-being:

  • identity; e.g., allowed expression of individual culture
  • sovereignty; e.g., offered control over one's affairs
  • cooperation; e.g., enhanced the ability to co-exist and work together
  • fairness; e.g., considered the unique needs of each group.

Assign students to work individually or with others to assess the impact of one of the following conflicts on the three identified groups:

  • Battle on the Plains of Abraham, i.e., Seven Years' War
  • American Revolution
  • War of 1812
  • two rebellions of 1837.

Provide print, online or video resources, such as Canadian Encyclopedia or Canada: A People's History, as references. Consider adapting one of the charts in Collecting Information (Support Material) to structure and assess student research.

Activity 2
Direct students to rate the lasting impact on each group for each of the criteria, using the following rating scale:

+2 = very positive impact

+1 = somewhat positive impact

0 = no or minimal impact

-1 = somewhat negative impact

-2 = very negative impact.

Consider adapting one of the charts in Rating Options (Support Material) to structure and assess this part of the activity.

Ask students to explain the ratings for each criterion. Invite groups to share their assessments with the class. Record a sampling of responses on a poster-size version of the chart for reference.

Activity 3
Invite students to imagine how history might have changed if these conflicts had turned out differently. Ask students to return to their group to change the recipe for making Canada and develop alternative, but possible, outcomes. Direct groups to summarize, in point form, the documented outcomes for each conflict, brainstorm several alternative outcomes for each event and consider the resulting possible effects for all three groups. Ask students to limit their considerations up to Confederation; i.e., 1867. You may wish to work through one of the events together as a class and/or provide students with a chart to help them think through possibilities (see the example below).

 

 

 

Possible Effects

Conflict

Actual Outcome

Possible Alternative Outcome

Aboriginal Peoples

British

French

Seven Years' War

Wolfe defeated Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham in Québec City

Montcalm defeats Wolfe

Historically, the French/First Nations relationship was better than the British/First Nations relationship so First Nations rights to territory may have been recognized

British may have lost control of North America

French may have gained control of North America and could have created a French-speaking country called Canada


Activity 4

Invite students to individually select one of the conflicts, review the list of alternative outcomes and the resulting impact on the three groups, choose the most plausible of these alternatives and provide reasons for their conclusions. Consider adapting one of the response forms in Justifying My Choice (Support Material) to structure and assess this activity.

Extension
Invite students to consider which alternative outcome would be preferable, e.g., most beneficial, greatest immediate impact, greatest lasting effect, for an assigned group. Discuss ideas as a class.

Last updated: July 1, 2014 | (Revision History)
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