Canadian History
The history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of Paleo-Indians thousands of years ago to the present day. Prior to European colonization, the lands encompassing present-day Canada were inhabited for millennia by Indigenous peoples, with distinct trade networks, spiritual beliefs, and styles of social organization. Some of these older civilizations had long faded by the time of the first European arrivals and have been discovered through archaeological investigations.
Starting in the late 15th century, French and British expeditions explored, colonized, and fought over various places within North America in what constitutes present-day Canada. The colony of New France was established in 1534 and was ceded to the United Kingdom in 1763 after the French defeat in the Seven Years' War. The now British Province of Quebec was divided into Upper and Lower Canada in 1791 and reunified in 1841. In 1867, the Province of Canada was joined with two other British colonies of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia through Confederation, forming a self-governing entity named Canada. The new dominion expanded by incorporating other parts of British North America, finishing with Newfoundland and Labrador in 1949.
Although responsible government had existed in Canada since 1848, Britain continued to set its foreign and defence policies until the end of the First World War. The passing of the Statute of Westminster in 1931 recognized that Canada had become co-equal with the United Kingdom. After the Constitution was patriated in 1982, the final vestiges of legal dependence on the British parliament were removed. Canada currently consists of ten provinces and three territories and is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state.
Over centuries, elements of Indigenous, French, British and more recent immigrant customs have combined to form a Canadian culture that has also been strongly influenced by its linguistic, geographic and economic neighbour, the United States. Since the conclusion of the Second World War, Canadians have supported multi-lateralism abroad and socioeconomic development domestically.
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Scholarships for Canadian History Majors
Beinecke Scholarship - Dartmouth CollegeDartmouth College |
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award $34,000 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe Beinecke Scholarship is open to juniors at Dartmouth College who plan to enter a master's or doctoral program in the arts, humanities or social sciences. You must be a U.S. citizen or a U.S. national from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern Marian Islands and demonstrate financial need to qualify for this award. In addition,... View Scholarship Details |
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Bess Heflin FellowshipUniversity of Texas at Austin, Office of Graduate Studies |
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award $19,000 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe Bess Heflin Fellowship is open to graduate students at the University of Texas at Austin. You must be studying one of the following programs: plant biology or botany, nutrition, ecology, evolution and behavior, economics, zoology, history, microbiology, cell and molecular biology, government, anthropology, sociology, psychology, biological... View Scholarship Details |
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Honors Scholarship - Bethel College, KansasBethel College - Kansas |
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award $7,500 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe Honors Scholarship is available to incoming freshman students at Bethel College, Kansas, who demonstrate outstanding ability in chemistry, history, psychology, business, or art. View Scholarship Details |
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Ray and Betty Ramseyer ScholarshipUniversity of California, San Diego |
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award Up to $5,000 |
deadline November 30, 2025 |
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DescriptionThe Ray and Betty Ramseyer Scholarship is open to entering freshmen at the University of California, San Diego. You must have an interest in the social sciences to be eligible for this renewable award. View Scholarship Details |
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Virginia E. Hahn Memorial ScholarshipNorth Park University |
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award $5,000 |
deadline April 01, 2026 |
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DescriptionThe Virginia E. Hahn Memorial Scholarship is available to entering freshman students at North Park University who intend to teach history at the high school or college level. View Scholarship Details |
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Michael Jackson ScholarshipUNCF, Inc |
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award Up to $4,000 |
deadline September 30, 2025 |
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DescriptionThe Michael Jackson Scholarship is available to students who are attending UNCF member schools. You must be majoring in communication arts or social science to be eligible for this award. View Scholarship Details |
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CU Boulder Arts & Humanities Achievement ScholarshipUniversity of Colorado Boulder |
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award $4,000 |
deadline January 15, 2026 |
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DescriptionThe CU Boulder Arts & Humanities Achievement Scholarship is available to incoming freshman undergraduate students at the University of Colorado-Boulder who are non-residents. To be considered for this renewable award, you must have a minimum weighted GPA of 3.85. Additionally, you must major in one of the following areas: Art History, Asian... View Scholarship Details |
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Emil A. Erickson Memorial ScholarshipMinnesota North College - Mesabi Range Virginia |
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award $3,500 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe Emil A. Erickson Memorial Scholarship is open to full-time students at Mesabi Range Community and Technical College, Virginia Campus. You must be majoring in history, philosophy and science-related fields and have a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for this award. View Scholarship Details |
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Virginia L. Radley FellowshipState University of New York, College at Oswego |
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award $3,326 |
deadline February 06, 2026 |
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DescriptionThe Virginia L. Radley Fellowship is available to students at SUNY Oswego. You must be an undergraduate or graduate history student and demonstrate excellence academic achievement to be eligible for this award. View Scholarship Details |
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CU Boulder Arts & Humanities Gold ScholarshipUniversity of Colorado Boulder |
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award $3,000 |
deadline January 15, 2026 |
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DescriptionThe CU Boulder Arts & Humanities Gold Scholarship is available to incoming freshman undergraduate students at the University of Colorado-Boulder. To be considered for this renewable award, you must have a minimum weighted GPA of 3.85 and be a Colorado resident. Additionally, you must major in one of the following areas: Art History, Asian... View Scholarship Details |