Name
CHAPTER
25
S
3
ECTION
Class
Date
Section Summary
SELF-RULE FOR CANADA, AUSTRALIA, AND NEW ZEALAND
In 1791, Britain created two provinces in Canada: Englishspeaking Upper Canada and French-speaking Lower Canada.
When unrest grew in both colonies, the British sent Lord
Durham to compile a report on the causes. In response to his
report, Parliament joined the two Canadas into one colony.
As the country grew, Canadian leaders urged confederation,
or unification, of Britain’s North American colonies. They felt
that this would strengthen the new nation against the United
States and help the economy. British Parliament passed a law
that made Canada a dominion, or self-governing nation. Canada
continued to grow. As Canada expanded westward, the Native
American way of life was destroyed. The métis—people of
mixed Native American and French Canadian descent—tried to
resist. Government troops, however, put down their revolts.
In 1770, Captain James Cook claimed Australia for Britain.
Australia had long been inhabited by other people. These
indigenous, or original, people are called Aborigines. When
white settlers arrived in Australia, the Aborigines suffered
terribly. Britain needed prisons for its criminals. So, it made
Australia into a penal colony, or faraway jail. Then, Britain
encouraged non-criminal citizens to move to Australia by offering them land and tools. Like Canada, Australia was made up of
separate colonies scattered around the continent. To keep away
other European powers and to boost development, Britain
agreed to Australian demands for self-rule. In 1901, the colonies
united into the independent Commonwealth of Australia.
Captain James Cook also claimed New Zealand for Britain.
The indigenous people of New Zealand are the Maori. They
were determined to defend their land. In 1840, Britain annexed
New Zealand. Colonists took more and more of the land. This
led to fierce wars with the Maori. Many Maori died. By the
1870s, Maori resistance had crumbled. Like settlers in
Australia and Canada, white New Zealanders wanted selfrule. In 1907, they won independence.
Review Questions
1. Why did Britain agree to make Canada a dominion?
2. Why did the British agree to self-rule in Australia?
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229
READING CHECK
What indigenous people suffered when European settlers
arrived in Australia?
VOCABULARY STRATEGY
Find the word compile in the
underlined sentence. The word
compile comes from a Latin
word that means “to heap
together.” Use this clue to help
you learn what compile means.
READING SKILL
Identify Causes and Effects
Identify the causes and effects
of the Maori fight against New
Zealand colonists.