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Rupert's Land Purchase
- - 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
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Problem
- -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
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Red River and the Métis
- -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
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Métis
- Very independent and proud
- -Called themselves Metis Nation
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Problems with the Metis and Canada
- -There are 4 main reasons:·
- Legal ownership of the land·
- Re-organizing the land systems·
- Railway·
- No government representative
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#1- Legal Ownership
- -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
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#2 - Re-organization of the Land
- -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
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#3- Railroad
- -rumors that Canadian government was planning to run the railway through buffalo country
- -Thus a lot of working, digging, and loud noise
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#4- No Government representatives
- -Canada wasn't treating the Metis with respect
- -Métis weren't considered citizens of Canada
- -Metis did not have a government to help them
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Métis Take Charge: Louis Riel
- -Leader: Louis Reil
- - Riel formed the National Committee of the Metis in 1869- Purpose: Best was to protest the Metis land and Culture
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Who was Louis Riel
- -Born into a settlement, trained as a lawyer in Montreal
- - Very opposed to confederation
- -Strong supporter of French rights
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What NCM decided to do
- - 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
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Purpose of Provincial Government
- -Showed the government that the Metis meant business
- -that they would be taken seriously
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Opposition to Provincial Government: The Thomas Scott Affair
- -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
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Thomas Scott Affair: Outrage in Ontario
- -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
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Metis bill of rights
- -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
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3 Request
- - 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
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Ottawa agrees: Manitoba Act
- -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
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West Coast British Columbia
- British Columbia had the options to:·
- Remain a colony of Britain·
- Join USA·
- Join Canada
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The Dream
- - 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
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The Promise
-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
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The Pacific Scandal
- - 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
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Mackenzie's Plan
- -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
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Macdonald is Prime Minister again
- They blasted through granite to make a straight lane for railway
- Lots of bridges were built, dynamite blowing stuff up, and drains were filled
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Chinese Workers
-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
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Need for Police
- - 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
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Cypress Hills, NWT
- - On June 1, 1873 hunters lost horse and blamed aboriginals
- - Drunken hunters killed tribe
- - 36 men, women, and kids
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The solution
- - 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
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Uniform
- - Chosen red because Canada was still very British
- -To distinguish the NWMP from the US Calvary's BLUE
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The Great March
- 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
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Police work begins
- - Once posts were established, work began
- - Whiskey and gun traders were run out of the area
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Relation with the Aboriginals
-Mounties made a good positive relation with ABS
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Famous Names
- Colonel George Arthur French·
- Jerry Potts·
- Lt. Colonel James Macleod·
- Superintendent Sam Steele
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Colonel French-Top Dog
- : first commissioner of NWMP
- : Reputation for being extremely tough, and wanted his troops to be kind
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Jerry Potts:
- :An early guide and interpreter for the Mounties
- : He was a Metis
- : Even in fierce snow storms he could find his way
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Lt. Colonel James Macleod
- : Urged his Mounties to be fair, and not jerks.
- : Great reputation for law and justice
- : Wanted prisoners brought in alive.
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Northwest Rebellion
The Problem Continues
- - 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
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Riel Returns
- -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
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Canada Not So Willing To Cooperate
- -The government had a police force now, and a railway to bring in troops if necessary
- -This time, Ottawa had the upper hand
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Rebellion Begins: Duck Lake
- -First attack
- - Ten Mounties killed eleven injured
- -Metis ambushed when the Mounties were getting supplies at a fort near Duck Lake
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