Do students in the U.S learn about Canadian history?

Question

Yeah. Well I'm in grade 10, and I live in Canada, and was wondering if high school kids in the USA learn about Canada and how it was founded and stuff. Socials ten is basicly only about that and I got to say, it's not very exciting. I've always wondered if the people down south have to go through the boringness of Canadian history too or if we're just alone in the torture.

Answer 1

You only learn it if you do it on your own. Off the top of my head, somewhere around 6th grade in Early American History you hear something about Leif Ericson, Cartier, Cabot, and maybe Champlain. There's a bit about the French explorers of the St. Lawrence and upper Great Lakes (Marquette & Joliet). Then the Plains of Abraham -- Wolfe & Montcalm, and how the French lost North America.

In the American Revolution, some Tories fled to Canada, and some British general -- maybe Burgoyne or Gates -- tried to go down the Hudson River Valley from Canada.

Next is the War of 1812, where there's a paragraph or two about Lundy's Lane, and how Perry won the Battle of Lake Erie.

The Hudson Bay Company did a lot of trapping in the American northwest, and there were conflicting claims over the Oregon Territory. "54-40 or fight!" was a campaign slogan in the 1844 election, and the Canadian border was established at the 49th Parallel.

Halifax was important in WWII for the North Atlantic convoys to Britain. Churchill & Roosevelt met in Quebec. But that might not be in the history books.

And Canada is America's most important trading partner. (Or at least it once was. Maybe today it's China.)

That's about all I can think of.

But about it all being boring ... I don't think so! Somewhere along the line I had to learn California history, and that's pretty interesting, and since I once lived in Michigan, I had to learn some of that too.

I know more Canadian history than I've mentioned here, and I don't think it's boring at all. Of course, when I was in the 10th grade ... well, maybe I thought differently then. I see your ;point.

Answer 2

What a fabulous question. As a Canadian, I often have wondered this exact thing. How sad it is to see the answers here. I wish I could say I regret the many hours learning about American History, but I don't. We are taught and teach everything from the landing of the pilgrims through to detailed studies of each Presidential election. I think in 1976, I understood how the US elects a president than most Americans. Well, I was 11 then, but that history lesson sure came in handy in 2000! In Canada we learn American, British, European, Canadian and American History before graduating from High School. Perhaps this is what gives some of us a deeper understanding of world events. Canadian history is not terribly exciting. No civil war, only one assassination of a government minister and one assassination of a Minister of a Provincial government. We have never invaded anyone without a declaration of war. Invented the UN Peace Keeping forces, and have sought dialogue over violence. Perhaps we have learned from the errors of others by studying their history. I wish American History Students could have the same advantage.

Answer 3

No, we don't learn Canadian history at all. we mostly learn stuff we learn in highschool is american history, and world history. but the world history part is stuff that happened in the world that Affected america. i really didn't learn much history of other countries from school, mostly i learned it myself or i learn it right now in college. but but most americans don't even like to do any type of history. from what i observed, It seems hard for people to stay awake when learning our history, let alone another country's history...even if it is more intersting.

The closest thing that was ever really mentioned about Canada when i was in high school was that in WWII Canadian forces were the ones that were to attack Juno beach on D-day

Answer 4

Well i had to go through Louisiana History and we had a whole chapter on how canada was formed and all of that but aside from that theres world history that i am taking as a 10th grader that we talked about how Canada was important in WWI but in our w. history textbooks it doesnt even mention much about america so dont feel like you are being tortured because each state has a course that is revolving around the state's history.

Answer 5

Not too much unless requested, more over geographic studying about Canada. The reference to that would be we have enough trouble with our own history and keeping up with the changes that have been made to the old historians when they proved they were all lying about some of their history or lets just say they were omitting a few important things, like the truth. So I am sure they would not like to get caught lying about Canada too.

Answer 6

Being from Louisiana, I hear a little bit of Canadian history when the Cajuns were driven out by the Brits. Other than that, we never learned much about Canada.

But I still love the Mounties!!

Answer 7

Well i was born and raised in houston tx and up to date i am a college sophmore. so far i have not learned a single thing about canadian history but im sure that there is a class here at the university i am attending.... hope that helps out :)

Answer 8

U.S. history gets boring by about the 11th grade cuz you'd have done 3 yrs of american history so far

Answer 9

Not much. But I feel your pain. We had to sit through Texas History for at least a year and U.S. history for several.

Answer 10

Americans don't know much about other countries' histories, while foreigners not only tend to know their own history, but American history also. I know this because I was in Europe and Africa. I assume it's not much different elsewhere.