The Merger of the HBC and the NWC Changes at Red River Colony

By 1820 both HBC and NWC were suffering financially Fur resources were declining Profits were shrinking

Merger In 1821, the companies joined together There were 100 shares in the company The HBC controlled 45 shares The NWC controlled 55 shares The Company was called the Hudson’s Bay Company

Benefits Great Britain gave the new company control over Rupert’s Land It extended the monopoly to west of the Rocky Mountains The company controlled over half modern Canada

HBC Maintains Power Even though the NWC had more shares in the company the HBC maintained control. The old HBC trading routes were used because they were cheaper By 1825, the NWC partners sold their shares back to the HBC

Native Peoples The company reduced the number of its European employees after the merger They relied on the Native people as: Guides Trappers Translators Map makers Canoe builders

Native women worked at the post Gardening Tending Livestock Chopping Wood

If pemmican was not available the HBC relied on the Native people to provide meat for the posts.

A New Boss: George Simpson

George Simpson became Governor of the Northwest Department Dynamic and an experienced manager Spent 40 years traveling across Rupert’s Land visiting trading posts

The Little Emperor Autocratic leader High standards Arrived at the post without warning

Frances Simpson 18 year old wife of George Simpson Simpson was also married to a native woman in Red River Simpson’s Red River Family was shipped away from the post before Frances arrived

Anti-social Simpson’s Mrs. Simpson refused to socialize with the Metis wives at the post The Simpson’s were isolated from the community It was lonely and George Simpson started writing down all of the faults of his employees in his “character” book

The Simpsons left Red River in 1832 They later settled in Montreal George Simpson died in 1860.