44 years of geopolitical and ideological tension between The Soviet Union and America.
Sputnik Crisis
Western Nations feared America had started to fall behind in new development of technology as The Soviet Union launched their first artificial satellite.
This drove America to overtake The Soviet Union in space exploration, this eventually lead to America landing on the Moon.
The Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 was a dangerous confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War and was the moment when the two superpowers came closest to nuclear conflict.
American Jupiter missiles were removed from Turkey and strengthened President Kennedys image both domestically and internationally.
The Main effect of the Crisis resulted in the two countries more cautious in doing a nuclear war.
Collapse of The Soviet Union
Gorbachev's decision to allow elections with a multi-party system and create a presidency for the Soviet Union started democratization and eventually destabilized Communist control and contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The Cold War
Increase of The United States influence as a major global power.
The emerge of new countries with their own independent government.
Post-War Canada
Viola Desmond Racial Injustice
Viola Desmond was a Black Canadian Civil Rights activist. In 1946, she combated racial segregation at a cinema in New Glaslov, Nova Scotia.
Desmond’s courageous refusal to accept racial discrimination gave inspiration to later generations of Black persons in Nova Scotia and in the rest of Canada. In December 2016, the Bank of Canada announced that Viola Desmond would be the first Canadian woman to be featured by herself on the face of a banknote
Creation of Newfoundland
Viola Desmond later opened her own Black owned hair salon, directly inspiring other black businessmen and women to challenge the stereotype of blacks across Canada.
In 1949, Newfoundland joined Canadian confederation officially becoming a province of Canada.
Lawrence Seaway, a massive navigational project undertaken jointly by Canada and the United States and completed in 1959. It opened North America's industrial and agricultural heartlands to deep-draft ocean vessels.
Opening of St Lawrence Seaway
Transportation on the waterway provided shippers with a safe, efficient, reliable and competitive option for the movement of goods. It now has a dynamic role in North American transportation.
Lawrence Seaway waterway now provide C$16.8 billion in economic activity. The Soo Locks, which connect Lake Superior with the lower four Great Lakes, supported 123,172 jobs in the U.S. and Canada.
French and English Relations
Separatist Movement
During the late 1960's, Quebec launched a movement to for Quebec to gain independence from Canada and separate from Canada. This was because many Quebecers feel Quebec is segregated from Canada and that there is already a border between Quebec and Canada.
After conducting a close survey, in 1967, Quebec stayed in Canada from a 60 to 40 percent win.
Conscription Law
Under pressure from the British army, Prime minister Robert Borden passed the conscription law, forcing able bodied men to join the war.
This initiated further disagreement between the two groups, as the English press started calling French speakers “cowards” to which the French Canadian leader, Henri Bourassa, announced publicly “The enemies of the French language, of French civilization in Canada are not the Boches [the Germans]…but the English-Canadian anglicizers.”
Bill 101
The purpose of Bill 101 was to make French the commonly used language of Quebec. It was hoped that this would allow for more francophones to take up management roles in the province.
Bill 101 was passed in 1977
Native Issues
Meech Lake
Quebec rejected Prime minister Brian Mulroney's request, as the lake was a fishery for Natives.
Residential Schools
This system forcibly separated children from their families for extended periods of time and forbade them to acknowledge their Indigenous heritage and culture or to speak their own languages. Children were severely punished if these, among other, strict rules were broken.
In 1987, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney attempted to win Quebec’s consent to the revised Canadian Constitution. The result was the Meech Lake Accord.
The residential school system gradually kept fading away the Indigenous culture from future Native generations, until the schools closed in 1996. It is estimated close to 6000 kids died in Indigenous schools, however we will never know because files were often kept unfinished.
Formal Apology
In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harped formally apologized to Residental School survivors and families. Many Natives accepted this apology, but some believed the torture and scar caused by Residential schools are impossible to be forgiven.
