Socials 10: Chapter 4 The Northwest to 1870 C. Cullen 2006

In 1670, the Hudson Bay Company (HBC) was formed after two explorers, Pierre Radison and Medart de Groseillier came back to England with a ship full of valuable animal pelts that they had traded on the shores of Hudson Bay. They hoped that the king of England would support them with their business.

King Charles the 2nd of England granted the new company a royal charter. They were given a monopoly in the region, meaning that no other company was supposed to trade furs in that area.

The royal charter applied to all lands containing rivers that drained into Hudson Bay. The region was renamed Rupert’s Land, in honour of the king’s cousin, and extended through much of modern-day central and western Canada.

The most important animal was the beaver, as the pelts were made into fashionable top hats in Europe.

York Factory, on the shores of Hudson Bay, was the largest HBC fur fort.

York boats were used to travel up and down the large rivers draining into Hudson Bay. These double-hulled vessels were sometimes rowed, but also could be sailed if there was a favorable wind.

HBC crest At first, the HBC followed a policy called Stay by the Bay, where they preferred to remain in the forts and wait for First Nations traders to paddle up the rivers and bring the furs in to trade. The HBC had a strict policy that gave definite prices for the various animal pelts and left little room for bargaining. Their employees were paid a fixed salary, regardless of how many pelts they traded. The company expected the HBC men to maintain a “business only” relationship with the aboriginals and were opposed to marriages between HBC employees and Native women.

The HBC transported furs to England during the warm summer months, as Hudson Bay froze in late September and remained inaccessible until late June or early July. Supply ships from England also had to arrive during the summer.

Montreal in the 1870’s In 1783, a rival fur company, the NWC, was formed. It was based out of Montreal and was operated by British merchants and businessmen. Although the main directors were British, most of the other employees were French Canadian.

The NWC’s main fur depot was Fort William, located on the western shores of Lake Superior. This was the place that the hivernants (wintering partners) brought their pelts so that the voyageurs could transport them back to Montreal. Shipping of the furs had to occur in the summer months as the rivers froze during the winter.

The hivernants were French fur traders for the NWC The hivernants were French fur traders for the NWC. These men lived in the west all winter and went directly into the First Nations villages to trade furs. They were considered partners in the company and were shared in the profits rather than being paid a fixed salary. They were encouraged to develop relationships with aboriginal women.

The voyageurs were the muscular employees who paddled the large fur canoes. They carried supplies from Montreal to be used as trade offerings, and transported furs back through the Great Lakes to be shipped to England. Usually these men were French Canadians hired by the partners in Montreal.

A canot du nord was a smaller canoe used by the fur traders in the smaller rivers.

A canot de maitre was a huge fur canoe used to travel from Montreal through the Great Lakes to Fort William.

Sometimes the canoes had to carried out of the water and around obstacles such as waterfalls, rapids, or shallow sections of the river. This was known as a portage.

The First Nations people were extremely important to the fur trade The First Nations people were extremely important to the fur trade. They handled responsibilities such as trapping the animals, preparing the pelts, building the canoes, acting as guides, and making maps for the Europeans.

Smallpox Victim The fur trade had some serious negative effects on the First Nations people. The traders carried infectious diseases such as smallpox and measles. The search for furs also caused some Natives to neglect their other family duties and to give up their traditional lifestyles.

The Metis people were created as an indirect result of the fur trade The Metis people were created as an indirect result of the fur trade. The original Metis had fur trading fathers and First Nations mothers. The NWC encouraged the hivernants to take Native wives, to help strengthen trading relationships.

Many of the Metis settled in the Red River Valley, in modern-day southern Manitoba.

Many of the Metis were farmers Many of the Metis were farmers. They set out their farms in the traditional seigneurial pattern, whereby long narrow lots were set up along the river fronts so that each farmer had access to the water. They used oxen to pull Red River carts to clear the land, plough the fields, and transport crops.

The bison hunt was extremely important to the Metis. They made pemmican from the meat, and used the hides for blankets and clothing. The Metis made strict rules to govern the bison hunt.

Bison Hunt Rules No bison hunt on Sundays No hunting before the general order. First offence: offender’s saddle and bridle cut up Second offence: offender’s coat cut up Third offence: offender flogged (whipped) Anyone guilty of theft will be publicly identified by standing in front of the camp and called a “thief” three times

In 1811, Lord Selkirk made a deal with the HBC in which he would get a large parcel of land in present-day southern Manitoba and North Dakota. He hoped to provide new homes for Scottish farmers who had been evicted from their land.

Miles Macdonell was the first governor of the new settlement, and he led a group of Scottish farmers to the region in 1811. Conditions were very harsh and the settlers had to seek refuge at Fort Pembina for the winter.

Bison meat drying before being used for pemmican In 1814, Macdonell issued the Pemmican Proclamation, that prohibited the Metis from selling their pemmican to the NWC. This angered the Metis and prompted retaliation. Encouraged by NWC Chief Trader Duncan Cameron, the Metis burned settlers’ homes, destroyed their crops and fired rifles at night to intimidate them. Many of the settlers decided to leave. Cameron even arrested Macdonell and took him to Fort William for trial.

HBC trader Colin Robertson managed to restore peace in the area and most of the settlers returned to Red River. Robertson was able to get the Metis, NWC, HBC and settlers to all bury their differences and co-exist together. However, this peace would not last for long.

The new governor, Robert Semple, was aggressive towards the Metis, and resentment built. Semple ordered the burning of the Fort Gibraltar, an empty NWC fort, which caused the Metis to prepare for an armed struggle.

A showdown occurred at Seven Oaks, where Cuthbert Grant led a group of Metis into battle against Semple and his colonists. The battle was a rousing victory for the Metis, and Semple was killed in action.

In 1821, the HBC and NWC merged, which reduced tensions in the area In 1821, the HBC and NWC merged, which reduced tensions in the area. The company appointed a new governor, George Simpson, who became well known for his tremendous energy and “hands on” style of management. Simpson loved to travel to the various forts and show up unexpectedly for inspection.

Orange Order march in Ireland Over time, more and more settlers of European descent moved to the Red River Valley. Some were members of the racist Orange Order, who hated French Catholics. Obviously, this group did not get along peacefully with the Metis.

In the 1860’s, Dr. John Schultz, a member of the Orange Order, formed the Canadian Party in Red River. This party wanted to see English Protestants in control and thought the colony should eventually become part of Ontario. Schultz used his NorWester newspaper to spread negative comments and propaganda about the Metis and First Nations groups.

In 1869, the Canadian government purchased Rupert’s Land from the HBC in exchange for a large sum of money, a large parcel of land, and the right to keep trading furs in the region. Prime Minister John A. Macdonald hoped to see the prairie land settled by English-speaking farmers.

The government sent surveyors to the Red River region to begin staking out land claims even before the official sale of land had been made. The surveyors often ignored the Metis people who were already living there and acted as if the Metis had no right to their farmland. They staked out the land in square lots instead of the traditional seigneurial system, which further upset the Metis.

In 1868, Louis Riel, a Metis who had been living in Montreal, returned to his Red River home. He took on the role of Metis spokesperson, as he was intelligent, trilingual (spoke English, French and Cree), and had a background in Canadian law.

Macdonald appointed William McDougall as governor of the Red River, and dispatched him to the region. Riel and the Metis refused to let him into the settlement and told him to go back to Ottawa. They said the Metis could govern themselves

Riel set up a provisional government to rule the Red River settlement until formal arrangements could be made for them to enter Confederation. He drafted a Metis List of Rights that outlined their conditions for joining Canada. Riel was not rejecting the idea of joining Canada, but wanted to ensure the Metis rights would be protected.

The Metis took control of Fort Garry and used it a base for their new government. This greatly angered the HBC, which owned the fort, and the Canadian Party, who saw the action as illegal and intimidating.

In 1870, Thomas Scott, a member of the Orange Order and Canadian Party, was arrested by the Metis. He was found guilty of treason after he threatened to kill Riel, and he was executed by a Metis firing squad. This caused outrage in Ontario, Scott’s home province. Most Quebecers were much more understanding of the Metis actions.

On May 2, 1870, Manitoba became Canada’s fifth province. The Metis were granted many of their requests, including 200,000 hectares of land, the guarantee of equality for French and English, and the establishment of both Catholic and Protestant schools. However, Macdonald’s government refused to allow provincial control of public land.

After Scott’s execution, Macdonald sent Colonel Wolseley and 1200 troops out to the west to maintain order. Although the troops were supposed to keep the peace, many of the soldiers were hoping to avenge Scott’s death. Riel feared for his life and fled to the United States (Montana) before the troops arrived.

Riel was banished for 5 years from Canada for his part in Scott’s execution. He settled down in Montana, got married, and got a job as a school teacher. He would continue to live in the United States for 15 years before returning to Canada to try to help the Metis once again.