Who led Quebec into Confederation?
Quick answer: Sir George-Étienne Cartier. In our practice tests 53% of 93 answers were correct, and the most common mistake is choosing “Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine”.
Why is this the correct answer?
Sir George-Étienne Cartier was a key Father of Confederation who led Quebec into the union. He worked alongside Sir John A. Macdonald to unite the colonies into the Dominion of Canada.
Study Tip
This individual played a significant role in negotiating Quebec's entry into Canadian Confederation, and was a key figure in Quebec's politics during the 19th century. He was a prominent leader in the Quebec Liberal Party.
What should you know about this topic?
Sir George-Étienne Cartier was the key Father of Confederation from Quebec and led Quebec into Confederation in 1867. Discover Canada describes him as a railway lawyer, Montrealer, close ally of Sir John A. Macdonald and patriotic French Canadian.
Cartier believed that French Canadians could protect their language, religion and civil law traditions best inside a federal union, where Quebec would have its own provincial government with control over local matters such as education and civil law. He worked closely with Macdonald, who would become Canada's first Prime Minister. Their partnership between English- and French-speaking leaders was essential to bringing together the different communities of British North America.
At Confederation on July 1, 1867, the Province of Canada was divided into Ontario and Quebec, which joined Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to create the Dominion of Canada. Other important French-Canadian leaders in Canadian history include Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine, a champion of responsible government, and Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the first French-Canadian Prime Minister after Confederation. Related test topics include the Fathers of Confederation, the first Prime Minister, and the meaning of Confederation. Cartier is remembered as one of the most important builders of modern Canada. A statue of him stands on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and many places in Quebec are named after him. His work showed that French and English Canadians could build one country together while keeping their own identities. Learn his name alongside Macdonald's.
Why are the other answers wrong?
- Sir Wilfrid Laurier: Laurier was the first French-Canadian Prime Minister after Confederation, serving from 1896 to 1911. He did not lead Quebec into Confederation.
- Sir John A. Macdonald: Macdonald was Canada's first Prime Minister and a leader from Upper Canada (Ontario), not the leader who brought Quebec in.
- Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine: La Fontaine is known for achieving responsible government with Robert Baldwin in 1849, nearly 20 years before Confederation.
What is the most common mistake?
Learners often confuse Cartier with La Fontaine or Laurier, since all three were important French-Canadian leaders. Remember that Cartier is linked to Confederation in 1867.
How can you remember the answer?
Cartier and Confederation both start with C, and Cartier carried Quebec into Canada.
Original data
How many people get this question right?
53% of 93 practice answers from about 65 people were correct. The most common wrong answer is "Sir Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine", chosen 28% of the time. The data covers practice tests on BecomeACitizen.ca from March 31, 2026 to September 30, 2026.
How hard is this question compared with others?
It is the 9th hardest of the 167 questions we have enough data to rank. The average for the Canada's History chapter is 68% correct, and the average across all questions is 75%. You need 75% to pass the real test.
These are practice questions written from the official Discover Canada guide. IRCC does not publish the real test questions. See the full ranking in the 20 most-missed citizenship test questions or browse more Canada's History questions.
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Which part of Discover Canada is this question from?
This question is from the Canada's History section of the Canadian citizenship test. The test consists of 20 multiple-choice questions drawn from the official Discover Canada study guide. You need to score at least 75% (15 out of 20 correct) to pass.
This chapter has 61 questions in our database. Studying chapter by chapter is one of the most effective ways to prepare, as it helps you build deep understanding of each topic before moving to the next.
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