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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

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

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

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

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

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

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

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

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. 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

24. 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.

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

26. 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.

27. 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.

28. 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.

29. 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.

30. 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.

31. 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.

32. 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.

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. 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.

36. 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

37. 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.

38. 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.

39. 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.

40. 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.

41. 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.

42. 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.