Leaders and Legacy
What was the name of the route used by slaves in the American South to escape to Canada?
A- Freedom Express
B- Emancipation Trail
C-Slave Path
D- Underground Railroad
Answer:
D- Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a secret network of routes, safe houses, and abolitionists who helped enslaved African Americans escape from the United States to freedom—often in Canada, where slavery had been abolished and freedom was guaranteed. It was not a real railroad but a covert system operated by free Black people, formerly enslaved people, and anti‑slavery allies. The network grew throughout the early 19th century and ultimately helped an estimated 30,000–40,000 people reach Canada, especially after the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act made the U.S. more dangerous for escapees.
Canada became a destination because after 1834, slavery was abolished throughout the British colonies, and Upper Canada had already declared that any enslaved person who arrived there was automatically free.
In 2010, the mayor of Halifax apologized for the destruction of what historic Black community in the 1960s?
A- Hogan’s Alley
B- Africville
C-Dresden
D-Amherstburg
Answer:
B- Africville
Africville was a historic Black community in Halifax, Nova Scotia, founded in the early 1800s along the shores of the Bedford Basin. It was home to generations of African Nova Scotians, many of whom were descendants of formerly enslaved people who settled in the region. Despite its strong cultural identity and close‑knit community, Africville suffered from decades of systemic neglect, including lack of basic municipal services such as clean water, sewage, and proper roads
In the 1960s, the City of Halifax forcibly evicted residents and demolished the community under the guise of “urban renewal,” moving residents—sometimes in garbage trucks—to public housing and destroying homes, the community church, and gathering places. Africville was completely razed by 1970, and its land later became part of a park.
In 2010, Halifax’s mayor formally apologized for the destruction of Africville and acknowledged the deep harm caused to its residents and their descendants
Michaëlle Jean, the first Black person to serve as Governor General, was born in this country:
A- Jamaica
B- Kenya
C-Haiti
D- French Guiana
Answer :
C- Haiti
Michaëlle Jean, the first Black person to serve as Governor General of Canada, was born in Port‑au‑Prince, Haiti.
In 1946, Nova Scotian businesswoman, Viola Desmond challenged racial segregation by:
A- Refusing to move from the whites-only counter in a New Glasgow café
B- Refusing to move from the whites-only section of a movie theatre in New Glasgow
C- Drinking from the whites-only water fountain in New Glasgow
D- Refusing to sit at the back of the New Glasgow public bus
Answer-
B- Refusing to move from the whites-only section of a movie theatre in New Glasgow
Viola Desmond was a Black Canadian businesswoman who, in 1946, refused to leave a whites‑only section of a New Glasgow, Nova Scotia movie theatre. She was forcibly arrested and fined, exposing Canada’s racial segregation and becoming a symbol of civil‑rights resistance. Her act later earned her a posthumous pardon and a place on Canada’s $10 bill
Nearly 600 people who were part of a group called Maroons were deported to Nova Scotia from this country in 1796, only to be sent to Sierra Leone four years later.
A- Brazil
B- Cuba
C- Jamaica
D- Louisiana
Answer:
C- Jamaica
The sources confirm that the Maroons sent to Nova Scotia in 1796 were the Trelawny Town Maroons of Jamaica
Which Black Canadian politician became the first Black federal member of Parliament in 1968?
A- Leonard Braithwaite
B- Rosemary Brown
C-Lincoln Alexander
D- Emery Barnes
Answer:
C-Lincoln Alexander
The first Black Canadian to become a federal Member of Parliament in 1968 was Lincoln MacCauley Alexander. He made history when he was elected to represent Hamilton West in the House of Commons.
Mary Ann Shadd was the first Black woman:
A- To be a teacher
B- To run for office
C- To publish a newspaper in Canada
D- All of the above
Answer:
C- To publish a newspaper in Canada
Mary Ann Shadd (later Mary Ann Shadd Cary) was the first Black woman in North America to publish and edit a newspaper.
She was a groundbreaking anti‑slavery activist, educator, journalist, and lawyer.
When did the first Black slave arrive in Canada?
A- 1608, Mathieu Da Costa, a free man who was hired by Europeans to act as a translator
B- 1619, a shipload of enslaved Africans who arrived at Jamestown
C- 1629, an enslaved six-year-old boy, the property of Sir David Kirke
D- 1775-1783, when Canada developed a reputation as a safe haven for Blacks during the American Revolution
Answer:
C- 1629, an enslaved six-year-old boy, the property of Sir David Kirke
When did racial segregation end in Canada’s school system?
A- 1983
B-1986
C-1968
D- 1865
Answer
A- 1983
Racial segregation in Canada’s school system ended at different times in different provinces, because segregation was enacted through provincial—not federal—law.
Although segregation laws ended earlier, the last segregated school in Nova Scotia did not close until 1983.
What year was the first Black History Month recognized in Canada?
A- 1996
B- 1987
C- 1992
D- 2001
Answer-
A- 1996
House of Commons passed a motion in December 1995 to formally designate February as Black History Month.
How long did Canada engage in the buying, selling and enslavement of Black people?
A- 200+ years
B- 150 years
C- 50 years
D- 25 years
Answer:
A- 200+ years
According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, the practice began in the early 1600s in New France and continued until slavery was abolished across British North America in 1834
Which civil rights icon became the face of Canada's ten dollar bill?
A- Lincoln Alexander
B- Viola Desmond
C- Mary Ann Shadd
D- Nora Hendrix
Answer
B- Viola Desmond
The civil rights icon who became the face of Canada’s ten‑dollar bill is Viola Desmond, a Black Nova Scotian businesswoman and civil rights advocate known for challenging racial segregation in 1946.