Answer to Question #279707 in History for con

Question

How did the results of the 1980 Quebec referendum divide French-English relations across Canada?

Answer 1

In this referendum, the Quebec government sought a mandate to negotiate a sovereignty-association agreement with the federal government of Canada. In the event of a “Yes” victory, the outcome of the negotiations would have been submitted to a second referendum. The proposal is rejected, with 59.56% voting "No"

The PQ won the 1976 election in a surprise rout of the governing Quebec Liberals Robert Bourassa  on a general platform of good government and the promise of holding a referendum on sovereignty-association during their first term. In government, the PQ implemented a number of popular reforms to longstanding issues in the province, while emphasizing its nationalist credentials with laws such as Bill 101 which reinforced French as the province's official language.