History Notes

• - Vast territory owned by Hudson's Bay Company
• -Employed trappers, hunters and aboriginals
• -Three years after confederation, Canada purchased the land for 1.5 million. Company kept some farm land and trading post. It would officially be Canadian territory in December of 1869

• -Although there were a few tribes on the property
• -Many already questioned if the HBC had the right to own the territory
• -None of the people on the territory were consulted about the purchase

• -The longest settlement was Red River with about 10,000 people. Modern day Winnipeg
• - There were the Scottish, English, and Métis (European and strong French)-Majority

• Very independent and proud
• -Called themselves Metis Nation

• -There are 4 main reasons:·
• Legal ownership of the land·
• Re-organizing the land systems·
• Railway·
• No government representative

• -Canadian government sent surveyors staking out the ground Métis people thought was theirs
• -Metis thought they were getting taken over
• -Metis had no ownership papers

• -Surveyors told the Métis the farmland should be re-organized into square plots
• -The problem was the Métis had farms that were long strips so they had access to water

• -rumors that Canadian government was planning to run the railway through buffalo country
• -Thus a lot of working, digging, and loud noise

• -Canada wasn't treating the Metis with respect
• -Métis weren't considered citizens of Canada
• -Metis did not have a government to help them

• -Leader: Louis Reil
• - Riel formed the National Committee of the Metis in 1869- Purpose: Best was to protest the Metis land and Culture

• -Born into a settlement, trained as a lawyer in Montreal
• - Very opposed to confederation
• -Strong supporter of French rights

• - Riel and Metis take over Fort Gary, Trading post of the HBC
• - To replace HBS rule, the committee decided to take things to another level by declaring themselves as on official provincial government
• - Seen as an act of rebellion

• -Showed the government that the Metis meant business
• -that they would be taken seriously

• -English settlers from Ontario travelled to the Red River
• -Protested and rioted against the provincial government
• -Rioters are jailed at Fort Gary by Riel, Including a man named Thomas Scott

• -Prisoner Scott struck and insulted guards, the church threatened to kill Riel ·
• seen as a threat·
• disobedient to a lawful government·
• Killed in 24 hours, found guilty, executed·
• Scott's execution cause a major outrage in Ontario·
• Quebec thought it was the wrong thing to do

• -Even during the "TSA" was going on, Riel was trying to make a deal with Ottawa
• -To ensure the government would treat them fairly the MPGOV wrote up the Metis bill of rights

• - to enter Canada as a province with 4 elected members of Parliament
• -Have control of own local affairs
• - French and English schools and Courts
• -Metis sent this to Ottawa

• -John A Macdonald wanted to resolve the situation peaceful without troops
• - Ottawa passed "Manitoba Act" in July 1870 to make it a province instead of just a territory
• -Riel was pleased with the deal and was ready to give control to the Canadian Government

• British Columbia had the options to:·
• Remain a colony of Britain·
• Join USA·
• Join Canada

• - John A Macdonald wanted to unite Canada from Atlantic to Pacific
• -It was widely thought that for confederation to work, and to keep the country strong held together, a railway was needed
• -Without railways there would be no Canada

-John A Macdonald lured in British Columbia by promising them a railway in at least 10 years-Would be mostly private but cost 25 million to a country of only 3.5 million people

• - A rich group of businessmen formed THE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY and won the contract to build the railway
• -This contract and owning the only railway in Canada would make the group a lot of money
• -However, it was revealed the CPRC gave Macdonald and the Conservatice Government $350,000 during 1872 election
• - Liberals accused the conservatives of accepting and Macdonald had to resign to the liberal Leader Alexander Mackenzie

• -Mackenzie was not a fan of the railway project. "Just build it little by little as we can afford it"
• - It was the Liberals that weren't very enthusiastic
• -Canadians upset liberals and Macdonald was re-elected

• They blasted through granite to make a straight lane for railway
• Lots of bridges were built, dynamite blowing stuff up, and drains were filled

-To keep cost down, thousands of workers from china were brought in, paid half the regular wage, and often in charge of the most dangerous tasks

• - Many people on Ruperts Land were drinking, had guns, and were causing problems
• - No police to enforce laws
• - Fort Whoop-up was a huge center for illegal things like smuggling and whisky trading

• - On June 1, 1873 hunters lost horse and blamed aboriginals
• - Drunken hunters killed tribe
• - 36 men, women, and kids

• - Canadian Gov formed North Western Mounted Police
• -Their duties were:
• Keep peace, law and order·
• Prevent Crime·
• Catch criminals·
• Be a lawful presences in the area

• - Chosen red because Canada was still very British
• -To distinguish the NWMP from the US Calvary's BLUE

• 1874, 300 men were sworn in as Mounties
• -Colonel Arthur marched his force from Manitoba to Ft. Edmonton and Whoop-up in Alberta
• - Only for intimidation

• - Once posts were established, work began
• - Whiskey and gun traders were run out of the area

-Mounties made a good positive relation with ABS

• Colonel George Arthur French·
• Jerry Potts·
• Lt. Colonel James Macleod·
• Superintendent Sam Steele

• : first commissioner of NWMP
• : Reputation for being extremely tough, and wanted his troops to be kind

• :An early guide and interpreter for the Mounties
• : He was a Metis
• : Even in fierce snow storms he could find his way

• : Urged his Mounties to be fair, and not jerks.
• : Great reputation for law and justice
• : Wanted prisoners brought in alive.

• - As the railway continued west, more settlers soon followed
• - Metis moved further to open was because of many new settlers
• - But the railway and government surveys kept coming

• -Riel is persuaded to come back to Canada to help the Metis
• - Canada was ignoring the Metis claim to the land, and the Metis were having to have the same success when Manitoba was created

• -The government had a police force now, and a railway to bring in troops if necessary
• -This time, Ottawa had the upper hand

• -First attack
• - Ten Mounties killed eleven injured
• -Metis ambushed when the Mounties were getting supplies at a fort near Duck Lake