The Northwest, Seven Oaks, and the Merger

Before we begin remember… Canada is not a country until 1867 Canada has no influence compared to Britain in the Northwest Britain and the HBC own and largely monopolized trade in the region Rupert’s Land is not purchased by Canada until 1868 under the Rupert’s Land Act Harsh climate forced Europeans to largely depend on Aboriginals for survival methods/tips etc.

What Exactly is the Northwest? In the early 1800s, the Northwest was inhabited by First Nations, Metis, and Fur-traders. The main town in the Northwest was Red River Colony (Winnipeg). The founder of the town, Thomas Douglas, bought the land from the HBC.

The Northwest This area has rich in fertile land conducive for agriculture (eg. wheat, barley, etc.) The farming pattern was similar to the Seigneurial pattern along the St. Lawrence River. This area was central to the success of the fur-trade because it provided food for traders, HBC employees, and Metis.

Pemmican Proclamation (1814) Miles Macdonell, leader of the HBC colonists issued the proclamation for fear of the settlement running out of food (there was a bad harvest of crops). He effectively banned the sale and exportation of pemmican out of the Red River area, without consulting the Metis or the NWC. The Metis relied on selling pemmican to the NWC and were infuriated because this was how they paid to live and survive in the colony.

What is Pemmican? Pemmican is a concentrated mixture of fat, protein, and berries. Pemmican is a high-energy food, which was heavily relied upon by both First Nations and European explorers. Main source of revenue for the Metis in the area. +

Conflict on the Plains The HBC and NWC were in fierce competition with one another in the Northwest. The Metis were angry about the loss of being able to sell pemmican. There was not enough furs for both companies, thus each company attempted to monopolize the Northwest, thus creating more tension. NWC accused HBC of monopolizing the Northwest with the Pemmican Proclamation, prohibiting the NWC from making any profit. *In the process conflict arose…….

Cuthbert Grant Grant was the original leader of the Metis, before Louis Riel. Supported/worked for the NWC. Against the Pemmican Proclamation and set out with Metis troops to seize HBC pemmican at Seven Oaks (storing station of HBC pemmican) Grant’s men were skilled sharpshooters and survivalists.

Robert Semple Supported/Worked for the HBC. Semple regarded Metis people as inferior to Europeans because of their mixed ancestry. Thought Metis would only understand HBC policies (Eg. Pemmican Proclamation) through brute-force.

Battle of Seven Oaks (1816) Full-scale conflict between HBC and the NWC/Metis. Metis outnumbered HBC forces 3:1 Grant’s sharp shooters killed 22 men, and only 1 Metis was killed.

The Aftermath Thomas Douglas was forced to hire mercenaries to bring peace and order to the area by the HBC. Douglas’ militia of nearly 95 Swiss mercenaries restored peace and order in the colony; however, the original founder of the colony was faced with lawsuits from the NWC until his death in 1820. Seven Oaks incident forced stockholders, traders, and businessmen to merge in order to prevent any further incidents from happening.

HBC and NWC Merger Both companies were suffering financially from the fierce competition. Battle of Seven Oaks helped the idea of merging to avoid future conflicts. 1821 HBC and NWC decide to merge to avoid competition and conflict. The company was still called the HBC, but out of 100 shares of ownerships, 45 were owned by HBC investors, while 55 were owned by NWC investors. HBC now monopolized trading in the Northwest.