Changes in the Red River Settlement1860-1870 Part I

Red River Valley Rising population in Canada West during 1850s meant that most suitable agricultural land was occupied By 1860s many people were looking for new areas to settle and farm Red River Valley became an appealing prospect disrupted the lives of the original inhabitants of the Red River Valley once again

Rising Tensions Immigration to the area from Canada West new Canadian settlers were Protestant members of Orange Order: a violently anti-French, anti-Catholic movement prejudiced against the Métis Dr. John Christian Schultz immigrant – took over newspaper NorWester – promoted Canadian interests by agitating Métis Used newspaper to promote anti-Métis views

Rising Tensions Economic problems also contributed to rising tensions crop failures bison disappearing from the prairies HBC losing interest in the area Métis never made legal claim to the area believed if you cleared land and farmed it, then you had a right to it

Brainstorming Question What do you think the inhabitants of the Red River Valley would have been thinking at this point?

Canada Purchases Rupert’s Land Fathers of Confederation planned for all BNA colonies to join Canada The HBC wanted to give up control of Rupert’s Land difficult to maintain control over such a vast area fur trade was declining and more and more settlers were moving to the Northwest HBC realized that to survive it would have to diversify its operations and drop its administrative duties in the territory

Land Transfer HBC did not consult people in the Red River Settlement did not care about their special interests people in Red River settlement heard rumours and were upset, especially the Métis 1869 the Canadian government received title to Rupert’s Land HBC received cash payment of $1.5 million, 2.8 million hectares of prairie land, and the right to continue with the fur trade but without the same monopoly

Surveyors 1868 Dominion of Canada surveyors arrived in Red River to lay out the grids of townships Surveyors assumed that the current occupants did not own their property Surveyors also failed to recognize the seigneurial patterns of farms that had existed along the Red River since the 1820s

Arrival of Louis Riel 1868 Louis Riel returned to the Red River Valley was literate and a well educated lawyer fluent in both French and English Soon assumed the role of the leader of the Métis people

Brainstorming Questions Imagine you are a Métis person and your life has been dramatically affected once again by intrusions into the Red River Valley. Who would you be mad at? Why? How would you respond to what was happening around you?