Sample Essay Topics With Keys
1. Between 1914 and 1931, Canada evolved from colonial status to independent nationhood.
Describe this evolution and assess the accuracy of this statement.
You are being asked to do two things here. First, describe the evolution between 1914 and 1931. Your
planning page should consist of a chronology of events between 1914 and 1931 that led to Canada's
independence. 1914 is the year that the First World War started and 1931 is the year in which the Statute
of Westminster was passed. The events that occurred between these two dates led to Canada's autonomy.
This is a common essay topic for Social Studies 11, so you should be sure that you have a good
understanding of these events.
The second thing you are being asked to do is evaluate whether or not this statement is accurate. So,
you will need to look at Canada's status in 1931, after the Statute of Westminster had been passed, and
decide whether or not the statement is completely accurate.
KEY
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1914 Canada has no control over foreign affairs and is
automatically at war when Britain declared war on Germany August 4, 1914.
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Minister of Militia, Sam Hughes, insists on Canadians soldiers fighting in Canadian battalions;
however, the battalions are considered part of the British Army.
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World War I—Canada proves itself capable of being an independent nation.
- High industrial output
 - Hundreds of thousands of Canadians serve in England, France, Belgium
 Served with distinction at Ypres 1915, Somme 1916, Vimy ,1917,
Passchendaele 191 7, and the final "100 days" 1918
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Capture of Vimy Ridge is hailed as a great victory. Canadians achieve what the French and
British had failed to do.
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1919—Prime Minister Robert Borden insists Canada sign the Treaty of Versailles independently
from Britain.
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1919—Canada given an independent seat at the League of Nations.
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1922—Canada asked by British government to send troops to help defend against the Turkish
Army at Chanak. Mackenzie King refuses.
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1923—Canada signs a fishing treaty (Halibut Treaty) with the US First treaty signed by Canada
not in the presence of a British official.
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1926—King Byng crisis. King fights an election over issue of British Governor General having
too much power in the democratic process.
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1926—Imperial Conference in London concludes with Balfour Report defining status of the
British Dominions and Britain. They are "autonomous communities equal in status"—
essentially the creation of the British Commonwealth.
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1927—First Canadian ambassador to the United States named (Vincent Massey).
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1931—Statute of Westminster is passed. It officially gives independence to the
Dominions.
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Canada also continues to use the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as a final court
of appeal. This practice ends in 1949.
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Canada still can not amend the Constitution (BNA Act) without approval from the British
parliament, as the BNA Act was a British Act. However, the stumbling block here is that the
Canadian government and the provinces could not agree on an amending formula. The
constitution is patriated in 1982.
2.
To what extent did Canada help the Allies achieve victory during the Second War?
Here you are being asked to write a "To what extent" essay. You will need to construct an organizational
model that allows you to look at Canada's role in World War II compared to other countries. You also
need a way to create categories of Canada's contributions in the Second World War, e.g. Army, Navy,
Air Force, manufacturing, food production, etc. You will need to show that although Canada's
contribution obviously did not come close to that of the US, Russia, or Britain, it was nevertheless
impressive for the size of our country and did help the Allies achieve victory.
All the points mentioned in the key are not necessary to gain full credit for the question.
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Considering Canada's population, the contribution was very large and effective.
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By the end of the war (May 1945), Canada had the fourth largest air force and the third
largest navy in the world. Over one million Canadian men and women were in the armed
services.
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The Canadian Army suffered badly at Dieppe in 1942 but learned valuable lessons that would
help the Allies achieve victory two years later.
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The Army fought in Italy 1943-1945, including a major victory at Ortona.
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Canada was one of the major forces to land at Normandy on June 6, 1944 (D-Day) and take part
in the liberation of France and Belgium that summer.
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The Canadian Army was chiefly responsible for the liberation of Holland.
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The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) grew from a handful of ships in 1939 to over 400 by 1945.
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The RCN played a major role (together with the US and Britain) in the protection of convoys
crossing the Atlantic to Britain.
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In 1940 over 10% of the pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain were Canadian.
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The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) contributed several squadrons to the bomber command
responsible for the night bombing of German cities.
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The British Commonwealth Air Training program took place on the Canadian prairies. Over 1
30 000 flight and ground crew were trained under the plan.
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Canada was known as "the arsenal of Democracy" because of the large number of airplanes,
tanks, trucks, munitions, and amount of food produced and sent overseas.
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As in the First World War, many women worked in the factories, replacing men who were
away in Europe. In addition, in the Second World War many women joined the forces and had
jobs such as working in clerical positions, driving trucks, and ferrying new planes.
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The government's "total war" policy meant that all aspects of the economy were directed
towards winning the war. Prices and wages were strictly controlled and food was rationed.
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Canadian scientists took part in the development of the atomic bomb (the Manhattan Project),
and Canadian uranium was used in the Hiroshima bomb.
3. Describe and analyze Canada's immigration policy during the 20th century. You must use
examples from throughout the time period 1914-2000.
This is a history topic that you are asked to trace over a long period of time. We suggest that you
set up a chart that has a line across the page representing 1945, as shown below.
1914
1945
2000
Note that you have to describe and analyze. So, while you construct your chronology of events in
the two boxes, you should be thinking about what happened to our immigration policy over that
period of time. You will notice that it changed considerably. This is the analysis part of the question:
you should be prepared to explain why it changed and how it changed.
All the points mentioned in this key are not necessary to gain full credit for the question.
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Prior to 1914—large scale immigration to Western Canada during Laurier era. Government interested in
people who were considered suitable for the hardships of prairie life—Americans, British, Central and
Eastern Europeans. Africans, Jews, Chinese and East Indians were not wanted. Between 1891-1911 more
than two million came to Canada.
•
Head tax on Chinese of $50 a head initiated in 1885—raised to $500 in 1903. Chinese Exclusion Act
passed in 1923—not .repealed until 1947.
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1908—Law of Continuous Passage with reference to East Indians passed in Canada. 1914 Komagata Maru
Sikhs were forced to return to India after spending weeks in Vancouver harbour.
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1920s—Eastern European immigrants were considered to be potential revolutionaries—many were
deported.
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Early 1920s—labour groups supported heavy restrictions on immigration, as they feared the
cheap labour competition.
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1922—Canada and Japan agree to restrict Japanese immigration to 150 servants and labourers a year.
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1925—Height of prosperity—restrictions on white immigration is lifted but not on non-whites.
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1931—government imposes a complete ban on immigration as a result of the Depression.
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Late 1930s—Jews fleeing from Nazi Germany were not welcome in Canada—most striking example
was the SS St. Louis
Post-War
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1946—Immigration Act defined acceptable immigrant as British subject from Britain, Ireland,
Newfoundland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa—excluding non-white citizens.
Also allowed US citizens, various family members (including war brides), and a few other
exceptions.
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1945-1950—Asians limited to wife, husband, unmarried children. There were annual quotas
placed on some countries: 150 from India, 100 from Pakistan, 50 from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
Quotas were removed in 1962.
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1946 "Displaced Persons" (refugees) from Soviet-occupied areas were allowed on a special basis
(1947-1952: 1 70 000 came to Canada).
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1945-1967—Canada accepted 2.5 million people (the vast majority were Caucasian).
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1960—attitudes began to change.
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1962—some limits on Asian, African, and Middle Eastern people were lifted.
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1967—new policy of official "colour blindness". A point system introduced—credit for
languages, education, skills, etc. The reality was that not many people from developing nations could
attain enough points.
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1971 —Canadian government introduces official policy of multiculturalism.
• 1960s, 1970s—refugees given greater freedom to immigrate to Canada:
- 1968: after invasion of Czechoslovakia
- 1972: Asians from Uganda
-1975: "boat people" from Vietnam.
• Late 1970s—immigration policy based on three broad objectives —humanitarian, economic, and
demographic considerations
- State of the Canadian economy often determined how many immigrants were allowed in.
- When the economy was struggling in the early 1980s, the quota was lowered (1985—84 300).
- With the improved economy in the early 1990s, the quota was raised (1993—292 000).
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During the 1980s and 1990s the largest increase in immigrants from Asian countries. Prior to
the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China, many Chinese immigrated to Canada.
Since 1978—immigrants have come under one of three classes: Family, Refugee, and Economic. Racial
discrimination in determining immigration is definitely a thing of the past.
4. Compare and contrast the political ideologies of socialism, liberalism, and conservatism in Canada
through the twentieth century.
This essay requires you to look at similarities and differences among the three major political ideologies
that have influenced Canada through the twentieth century. A listing of the characteristics is not
sufficient to gain full credit for the question. You can describe the characteristics, but then you must
go the next step and actually do some comparing and contrasting of the ideologies.
All the points mentioned in this key are not necessary to gain full credit for the question.
Socialism:
• Believes in a more egalitarian society.
• Supports a large role for government in the economy.
• Believes in government ownership of some sectors of the economy.
• Supports government role in social welfare.
• Generally wants to use the tax system to equalize rich and poor in society.
• Believes in equal rights for all members of society.
• Supports change in order to improve the lives of individuals.
Liberalism:
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Supports change if it improves the lives of individuals.
• Believes the government should provide social welfare to individuals.
• Believes in economic freedom for all people.
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Believes in equal rights for all members of society.
• Supports using taxes to redistribute wealth, but also believes that wealthy individuals are needed
to create employment for others.
Conservatism:
• Supports traditions in society.
• Believes changes in society should be made very cautiously.
• Believes the government should play a small role in the economy and allow businesses to basically
run the economy.
• Supports private ownership of all parts of the economy.
•
Believes law and order are important in society, with less emphasis on the rights of the
individual.
• Believes in lower taxes and fewer government services for people.
Having made notes, you now need to identify the similarities and differences among the three and
discuss them in your essay.
5. The concept of human rights has taken on greater importance in Canada through the twentieth
century. Evaluate this statement.
All the points mentioned in this key are not necessary to gain full credit for this question.
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May begin the essay with a brief explanation of basic human rights: the right to food,
shelter, freedom from torture, free speech, free thought, and religion.
Within Canada, early in the century human rights were denied to Asian peoples. Remember
restrictions on Japanese immigration, the total ban on Chinese immigration, and the
attempts to block East Asian immigrants. (The Komagata Maru incident).
Also within Canada for over half of the century human rights were denied to aboriginal
peoples living on reservations.
There were incidents of violating human rights of working people such as during the
Winnipeg General Strike and the On to Ottawa Trek.
During the Second World War Japanese Canadians were denied their basic rights when they
were interned and their property disposed of because of fear on the part of white Canadians.
After the Second World War, the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights
was adopted by the General Assembly in 1948 and gave a huge boost to the whole concept
of human rights.
Even so, many countries, including Canada, still had no formal laws recognizing basic
human rights of citizens.
In Canada, the Diefenbaker government passed the Canadian Bill of Rights in 1960. This
was the first federal government attempt to recognize basic rights that should be enjoyed by
all Canadians.
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For aboriginal peoples, however, these rights were still not recognized.

In the early 1970s the adoption by the federal government of a deliberate policy of
multiculturalism created a more accepting attitude to the great variety of ethnic groups that
make up Canada.
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The Japanese people, though, trying to get redress for the loss of property during the Second
World War, had to wait until 1984 to receive compensation from the federal government.
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The greatest change occurred with the adoption of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982.
This guaranteed the fundamental freedoms of all Canadians and made them part of the new
constitution.
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The British Columbia Human Rights Code adopted in the early 1990s protected all British
Columbians from discrimination and abuse.
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While-generally great strides have been made on the issue of human rights, there are still some
groups in Canadian society who, because of racial background, poverty, or social position are not
treated with the level of respect that the laws require.
6. To what extent can the Kyoto Protocol solve the problems of global warming?
Since this is a "to what extent" question, you are being asked to make a judgment based on what you
know about the Kyoto Protocol and how effective it might be in solving the problems associated with
global warming. Therefore you need to point out arguments on both sides of the question.
All the points in this key are not necessary to gain full credit for this question.
What is Kyoto Protocol?
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An international agreement negotiated by 159 countries in 1997 to lower emissions of gases
that contribute to global warming.
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Protocol calls for 6% reduction of 1990 emissions by the year 2012.
What is global warming?
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Global warming is the result of the burning of fossil fuel, especially oil, coal, and natural
gas.
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These fuels give off carbon dioxide that is trapped in the atmosphere, resulting in warmer
temperatures and erratic weather conditions.
Pro—Kyoto Protocol can help solve problems;
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First time governments have recognized global warming as a major issue.
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Many governments have signed the agreement since it was negotiated in 1997.
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Canada has passed legislation bringing the agreement into force in Canada and is now
taking steps to bring about reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
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Russia has recently signed the Kyoto Protocol and is bringing it into force in that country.
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Part of the Protocol allows for trading of technology to help developing countries reach the
reduction targets set out in it. Developed countries can gain environmental credits by doing
this.
Con—Kyoto Protocol cannot help solve problems:
• The largest producer of greenhouse gases, the United States, has not accepted the Protocol. Some
other countries have followed the American lead.
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The emission of greenhouse gases continues to increase despite the efforts of Kyoto.
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Developing countries do not have the technology nor the money to reduce their dependence on
older polluting equipment.
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As developing countries develop, they are producing more greenhouse gases.
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Governments in developing countries seem powerless to stop major industries from polluting in
their countries.
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China is developing very quickly and increasing its greenhouse gas emissions very rapidly. The
number of automobiles, one of the chief causes of pollution, is increasing very rapidly in the
country. Also, China is still using significant amounts of coal for generating electricity.
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Populations in developed countries appear to be unwilling to reduce their consumption of
greenhouse gases that are causing the problem.
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Business interests fear the costs of changing to cleaner fuels and therefore are unwilling to spend
the money.