Red River Rebellion Part 2: Red River Colony

Red River Rebellion: Part 2

Red River Colony

By Shawn C

Rupert's Land

​1670-1870

T​he sole Trade and Commerce of all those Seas, Streights, Bays, Rivers, Lakes, Creeks, and Sounds, in whatsoever Latitude they shall be, that lie within the entrance of the Streights commonly called Hudson's Streights, together with all the Lands, Countries and Territories, upon the Coasts and Confines of the Seas, Streights, Bays, Lakes, Rivers, Creeks and Sounds, aforesaid, which are not now actually possessed by any of our Subjects, or by the Subjects of any other Christian Prince or State [...] and that the said Land be from henceforth reckoned and reputed as one of our Plantations or Colonies in America, called Rupert's Land.

• Royal Charter, 1670​ establishing

  • The Hudson Bay Trading Company

Red River Settlement

The settlement was established in 1812 by the Hudson's Bay Company and grew over time due to its strategic location at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, which made it a hub for the fur trade. By the mid-1800s, the Red River Settlement had become a thriving community of Metis people, European settlers, and Indigenous peoples, with a population estimated at around 10,000 people.

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• Name comes from the river on which its based (Red River).​

• Most populated settlement in Rupert's Land: Metis are the majority group by this time, with European settlers a minority and some Indigenous (non-Metis) living there as well.

• Divisions exist within the Metis, and they are not a uniform group. Take a look at map on the right, what divisions exist?

• What other divisions does this create?

Reorder

Put the population of the Red River Settlement into order based on total population (1 largest - 3 smallest)

• Metis

• European Settlers

• Indigenous Peoples

1

2

3

• 1
• 2
• 3

Multiple Choice

What differences would have existed between the Metis at the time?

• Language

• Religion

• Language & Religion

• Income levels

Fort Garry - HBC Trading post

Fort Garry Outskirts

Fort Garry location today

Metis Life in Rupert's Land before Confederation

​• Reverend Griffith Owen Corbett repeatedly indecently assaulting a young Anglo-Metis girl named Maria Thomas.​

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• Maria's father filed charges against Corbett in court for his actions. Corbett then forced Maria to write a document saying he was innocent. The British judge rejected the document as being produced through force.

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• A mixed jury (Metis and Europeans) convicted Corbett, but on the first day of his​ imprisonment, he was freed by a mob of European settlers who disagreed with the case.

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• Tensions ran high, and the HBC local authorities were too afraid of the mobs to attempt to put Corbett back into imprisonment - he remained free despite his conviction.

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•See: ​The Queen v. CORBETT - For more information.

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Open Ended

Was there fair justice in Rupert's Land for Metis people?

Yes/No/Maybe

and WHY

​The sale of rupert's land

• In 1869, the Hudson Bay Company surrenders its claims to Rupert's Land to Canada for the sum of ​$1.5 million pounds.

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• America had recently purchased Alaska from Russia and tried to buy Rupert's Land, but were blocked by the British.​

• This This transfer of land, known as the Rupert's Land Act, was controversial and was opposed by some Indigenous nations who argued that they had not been consulted or adequately compensated. It opened their territories up for European settlers to arrive and settle on the land.

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The promise of confederation

• A railroad joining Eastern Canada to Western Canada was one of the main promises of Canadian Confederation.

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•​ Whose land is the planned track going through?

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The Railroad's impact

The Canadian government often did not consult with Indigenous peoples or obtain their consent before building the railroad, and Indigenous peoples were often displaced from their lands and saw their traditional ways of life disrupted as a result of the construction. The railroad was built through Indigenous hunting and fishing grounds, sacred sites, and places of cultural significance, and had significant environmental impacts such as the destruction of forests and wildlife habitat.

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The Metis in Confederation

The lands that the Metis had resided on for centuries were part of a broad territorial claim known as Rupert's Land that the HBC had acquired from the British Crown in 1670. However, the Metis people had long-standing cultural and economic ties to the region and had established their own distinct communities and ways of life there, which were not recognized by the British authorities.

The Metis in Confederation

While William McDougall was appointed by Sir John A. Macdonald as the lieutenant governor designate of the Northwest Territories, which included the Red River region, he was unable to take up his duties there due to opposition from the local Metis population and the provisional government that had been established by Louis Riel, a French-speaking Metis leader.

The Metis in Confederation

Louis Riel established a provisional government in the Red River region in opposition to McDougall's authority, and this government was composed of representatives from both French- and English-speaking communities. While the number of members from each linguistic group was not equal, the government reflected the diverse makeup of the Red River community and its efforts to establish a more representative and inclusive political system. Riel then began negotiations with the Canadian government regarding the status of the Red River region and the rights of its inhabitants.

​This cartoon depicts William McDougall in the Red River Colony.

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What does this infer about his authority in Red River Colony?

Open Ended

What do you believe was Louis Riel's primary motivation for acting as he did?

Fort Garry Under Metis Control

"I came here with fears — we are not yet enemies, but we came very near being so. As soon as we understood each other, we joined in demanding what our English fellow subjects in common with us believe to be our just rights. I am not afraid to say our rights; for we all have rights. We claim no half rights, mind you, but all the rights we are entitled to. Those rights will be set forth by our representatives, and, what is more, gentlemen, we will get them."

Louis Riel, 1870

​Louis Riel in Fort Garry

The Provisional Government

• Not everyone in Red River Colony is happy with the way Louis Riel is handling matters - especially the seizure of Fort Garry. Several Pro-Canadian settlers attempt to dismantle Riel's government by attacking Fort Garry. The efforts are unsuccessful, and the men are taken prisoner: among them is a man named Thomas Scott.

• While the negotiations with Canada are ongoing , Thomas Scott is sentenced and executed for 'insubordination' on account of his behaviour while​ in captivity.

This leads to outrage in the rest of Anglo-Canada who sees Scott as a martyr and being unfairly killed.

Metis List of Key Demands

​19 demands were made, among them:

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​• Manitoba be admitted as a province rather than a territory, which would grant them more power and freedom.

​• The French language be respected as well as their Catholic religion - these would be in contrast with English and their Protestant religion.

• The rights of Metis as a separate people would be acknowledged and protected, and no legal consequences come as a result of the rebellion.

• That the local government ​should be fully bilingual with respect to English and French. ​

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​Demands

​1. Manitoba be admitted as a province rather than a territory, which would grant them more power and freedom.

​2. The French language be respected as well as their Catholic religion

​3. The rights of Métis as a separate people would be acknowledged and protected, and no legal consequences come as a result of the rebellion.

​4. That the local government should be fully bilingual with respect to English and French.

​5. Separate school systems for English and French education were not established.

1. This demand was met. Manitoba became a province of Canada in 1870.

2. This demand was partially met: The Manitoba Act of 1870, which established the province, included provisions for the protection of language and religious rights, but this didn't erase tensions between English and French peoples.

3. This demand was partially met: The Manitoba Act recognized the Métis as a distinct people with certain rights, but many Métis felt that their rights were not fully respected.

4. This demand was met, but not right away: in 1890, Manitoba passed a law recognizing both English and French as official languages of the legislature and courts.

5. This demand is not met. Only English schools are funded, and French/Catholic students must study at English and Protestant run schools, or else pay for private French education with their own money

Open Ended

How successful was the Red River Rebellion?

Did they mostly get what they wanted out of it?

Who was mostly responsible for the result?