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The rise of French nationalism in Quebec presented a serious problem for the federal government.In 1968，Pierre Trudeau，a French Canadian from Quebec，became Prime Minister.He was determined to build a united country and to undercut Quebec nationalism.He sponsored the Official Language Act which made English and French coequal languages of the federal government in any place where speakers of either language made up at least 10％ of the population.Trudeau’s government also promoted multiculturalism and began to address women’s rights.

However，Trudeau’s policies did not end Quebec nationalism.The Quebec provincial government carried out political，social，and economic reforms in the 1960s which became known as the Quiet Revolution.Under these policies，the government took steps to protect French language，culture，and religion in Quebec，and was determined to increase the province’s control over its own economic development.Under the slogan of“masters of our own house”，the Quebec government nationalized private electricity companies and created a large financial administration to manage the Quebec Pension Plan.It also established the first provincial Department of Education in order to secularize education in Quebec.The reforms needed funding，and Quebec demanded more revenue from the federal government.

More radical groups，such as the Front de Libération du Québec（FLQ）demanded Quebec sovereignty and separation from the rest of Canada.The movement reached a crisis in 1970 when FLQ members kidnapped Richard Cross，the British trade representative，and Pierre Laporte，the Quebec Labor Minister，who was subsequently murdered.When the Quebec Premier asked the federal government for help，Prime Minister Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act and sent federal troops into Quebec.Normal civil liberties were suspended and the FLQ was banned.The federal response was strongly supported outside Quebec，but it left bad memories in Quebec.

When the separatist Parti Québecois（Party Quebec）was elected to power in Quebec in 1976，the separatist movement gained momentum.A law was passed in 1977 which made French the sole language in Quebec，prompting some English⁃speaking people to leave the province.In 1980，the Quebec government held a referendum on the question of independence.It turned out that only 40％ of voters supported separation，while 59％ were against it.

In 1982，a federal⁃provincial conference agreed on a new Canadian Constitution to replace the British North American Act of 1867.The constitution included a Charter of Rights and Freedoms，and guaranteed that English⁃speaking Canadians in Quebec and French⁃speaking Canadians in other provinces could be educated in their own languages.Amendments to the constitution required agreement of the federal Parliament and two⁃thirds of the provinces representing at least 50％ of the population.Quebec refused to sign the Constitution because its demand of veto power as one of the two main national groups in Canada was rejected.

In 1994，the separatist Parti Québecois again won election in Quebec.It was determined to win recognition for the province as a sovereign nation that make up Canada，and it held another referendum on Quebec independence in 1995.The separatist cause lost by 49.6％ to 50.4％ of the vote.After the referendum，the independence movement lost momentum，although there continues to be significant pressure for independence.In 1998，the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Quebec does not have the right to declare secession unilaterally，and that secession must be agreed to by the federal government.