F ROM E XPL ORAT I ON T O S E T T L E ME NT

RED RIVER COLONY

EXPLORATION
Late 1700s & early 1800s, European traders pushed
further & further west along rivers & lakes of
the Canadian Shield and the Prairies
Rivalry between HBC & NWC spurred this exploration
By early 1800s, HBC & NWC locked in a fierce and often
bitter rivalry for control of the fur trade
Unfortunately, this rivalry also led to dubious trading
practices alcohol unknown prior to European arrival
FN increasingly dependent upon the fur traders for their
very survival
PRIOR TO THE COLONY
Metis, like the FN peoples of the Prairies,
depended upon the great buffalo herds
for their survival
Traded surplus buffalo meat to fur traders
Fur traders, the only Europeans in the region,
for their part, depended entirely upon the FN
and the Metis hunters & trappers of the West for
their livelihood
There was almost no agriculture in the
Canadian West (except for some small
plots at various HBC posts)
With the introduction of the horse (from
Spain), most FN peoples of the Plains
obtained their food from bison hunt
SELKIRK
In 1812, events began to take place which
would change the economic life of western
Canada forever
August 1812, small group of Scottish settlers reached
present day southern Manitoba and began clearing
land along the Red River for farms
Poorly provisioned, arriving too late to plant crops,
barely survived the first winter
Scotsman, Lord Selkirk was driving force behind
establishment of a colony at Red River
Convinced HBC to give him a grant of nearly 300,000
km
Brought in more Scottish farmers
HBC WHY GRANT 300,000 KM
Conflict:
To ensure supply of furs, HBC preferred to disturb FN life as
little as possible VS
Recognition that permanent colony would help reinforce its
claim to the territory covered by grant of 1670
Also saw settlement as source of food and men for the HBC, & a
retirement destination for its men and their families
Also saw that farming in Red River area would disrupt bison-
hunting economy of the Metis, most of whom lived in Red
River & Assiniboine River valleys
All major fur trading canoe routes passed through this
region
Metis provided NWC with pemmican
Remember the HBC NWC rivalry

AGRICULTURAL SETTLEMENT
Continued influx of Europeans to Red River =
increasing conflict with Metis
Lands around Red River very fertile
Drew pioneer settlers from both Upper and Lower Canada
much better prepared & equipped to clear lands & farm
Soon producing crops of hay, wheat, barley and potatoes
Agricultural settlement at Red River showed that farming
could succeed on Canadas fertile western plains
A new economic activity, potentially more valuable than
the fur trade, had been established
Distance from major markets & lack of land transportation
meant full benefit of fertile Prairies would not be realized
until the building of the CPR
HBC NWC MERGER IN 1821
Conflict between HBC & HWC over Red River
greatly disrupted the fur trade
Bit into both companys profits
Something had to change
Merged in 1821 with the HBC (much stronger than before)
Gave HBC an exclusive license to trade in all the unsettled lands
north and west of the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes, and
north along the 49
th
parallel
HBC became the supreme authority governing and controlling
all aspects of trade of nearly 1/3 of the North American
continent
HBC also became the sole source of law and government for
this vast and sparsely populated area
US EXPANSIONISM
At the time of Confederation (1867), western
Canada was still under the complete control of the
HBC
Fertile lands in the West attracted not only farmers
but the attention of political leaders, particularly in
Ontario
Westward expansion of the US (by 1890 four new US
states established along the Canada-United States
border) added to Canadian interest in this region
Britain feared possible conflict with US over control
of the West
CREATION OF NWT
Late 1860s American traders and settlers began
eagerly eyeing the vast & thinly populated
Canadian prairies
Faced with expansionist threats, New Canadian
government entered into negotiations with HBC to
buy lands to north & west of Canada
Believed US would be less likely to annex lands if they
belonged to Canada rather than HBC
Ruperts Land officially transferred to Canada on June 23,
1870 and renamed the North West Territories, more than
doubling Canadas size
The Metis were not consulted
CONFLICT WITH METIS ESCALATES
Metis feared Canadian Govt would take away
their lands
They werent consulted in sale of land
Remembered earlier efforts of HBC to destroy their buffalo
hunting grounds
Had seen the slow but steady growth of pioneer agricultural
settlements along the Red River Valley
Stage was set for the Red River Rebellion
Would lead to the creation of Manitoba as Canadas fifth
province
Creation of Manitoba led many Metis to move further west in
hope of preserving their distinctive way of life
Westward expansion of settlement; however, would again bring
Metis into conflict with the govt of Canada