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A Lesson In Understanding Settler Point of View Government Perspective

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Overview! Content Slides! Follow Along Questions! Brain Break Primary Source Analysis Unit Project Handout Exit Slip (given time)

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The Selkirk Settlement By 1812, European settlers had reached Winnipeg and made a colony Thomas Douglas, the Earl of Selkirk (Scotland), was a liberal democrat plagued by the conditions of poor people in his home country Liberal Democrats were people concerned with social welfare, and state help into peoples lives Tons of poor people were being evicted from their homes in Scotland, and had two choices: Go south and work in the factories, or cross the sea to the New World if you could afford it

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Thomas Douglas Selkirk used his wealth to help those who could not pay passage to make their voyage across the sea (but they had to settle in his colonies) He was also a director of the HBC, and used his influence to further his ambition How might being a director of the HBC help Selkirk make colonies in the new world?

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Why the Red River!? Selkirk knew the land was incredibly fertile By making a farming colony they he could hit two birds with one stone Farming would produce food to help supply the HBC working in the area (sold at a price) Colony would help homeless Scots start a new life HBC sold him 300,000 km2 to make colony (they thought they had legal right to the land (part of Ruperts Land) Who would feel that this sale was unjust?

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So a bunch of settlers were sent First group of settlers sent faced nothing but problems Delays in travel, harsh winters, poor conditions, late arrival of goods, crop failures, the whole lot Took 3 years for a real colony to get settled

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Miles Macdonell Man sent by Selkirk to make the colony in 1811, clear land for farming, and stake out territory As mentioned before, it wasnt until 1814 that a colony was firmly established, but Macdonell was worried about another devastating crop failure During the years many settlers died from various issues, usually due to malnutrition and famine So Macdonell decided to issue the Pemmican Proclamation

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The Pemmican Proclamation Ban on export and sale of pemmican in order to keep enough of it so settlers dont starve Mtis made a lot of their living off of the sale, so the ban angered them a great deal NWC also angry because pemmican sales fed their fur trappers, felt that the proclamation was the HBC posturing to gain a monopoly

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NWC Strikes Back

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NWC Takes Action Summer of 1814 NWC tells two employees to get the British out (Cameron and A. Macdonell) Enlisted the Mtis, went around burning building, destroying crops, and firing guns at night Early 1815 over 100 settlers had left, and soon the rest went north to Norway House (Northwest Lake Winnipeg) These events bolstered the Mtis to fight for their rights

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Alex Macdonell The new nations under their leaders are coming forward to clear their native soil of intruders and assassins How do we interpret this sort of statement?

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Battle of Seven Oaks Settlers return later in 1815 from Norway House Led by a man named Robert Semple, the new governor, along with 84 other colonists Instead of cooperating with the NWC and the Mtis, as advised by Selkirk, Semple burned down a NWC trading post This was interpreted by the NWC and Mtis as a sign of war, and they began taking steps to mobilize

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BOSO Continued Cuthbert Grant, leader of the NWC/Mtis resistance, raided several HBC York Boats (small river boats) and procured large shipments of pemmican On their way back to supply the NWC with the pemmican, they were spotted by Semples men at Fort Douglas Grant decided to split his forces in two, in case Semple got violent, and tries to negotiate with the colonists

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The conclusion After a few minutes, harsh words are shouted at the Mtis and the colonists open fire In about 15 minutes Grants men have the colonists surrounded, and Semple with 20 of his men are dead This conflict is sometimes known as the Massacre at Seven Oaks Is that an accurate description? How does it paint the Mtis?

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Brain Break 3 Minutes! Use your phones Take a stretch Bathroom Water Be back by the end of Fitz & The Tantrums glorious song Out of My League (3:16)

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Activity: Gallery Walk Around the room are various sources including documents, photographs, and paintings While you go around looking at the sources please take notes on What do you see? How it relates to the issues between the Mtis and government? Any biases that exist in the sources. We will follow the activity with a discussion of what weve seen

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Battle of Seven Oaks

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Scottish Settlers

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Pemmican Proclamation

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Mtis Dance

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From Halifax to Vancouver

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Correspondence Letter Sir, having received from the Governor and Company of the Hudsons Bay, a Representation, of which a copy is enclosed; in which they state their apprehensions of an attack from the Indian nations in the neighborhood of the Red River, and request a small military force for their protection; I am induced to transmit it to you, in order that you may make the necessary inquiries as to the groungs of the fears expressed by them on this point; and in the event of your considering them to be founded, furnish such protection and assistance as can be afforded without detriment to His Majestys service. You will take especial care, whatever measures you may adopt for this purpose, to abstain from doing any act or expressing any opinion which may tend to affect the question in dispute between the Hudsons Bay and North-West Companies; the sole object of the present instruction being, to secure the lives and properties of His Majesys subjects established in the Red River, from the predatory attacks of the Indian nations in the neighbourhood, with which they state themselves to be threatened. I have the honor to be (Signed) BATHURST

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Unit Project Handing it out today, going over it on Monday. Please, over the weekend, read it over and try to come up with any ideas you can for making the project, or any questions you have to be answered on Monday

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Exit Slip On a spare piece of paper write down your answer to the following questions What three events or things led up to the Battle of Seven Oaks? In your opinion, who was at fault for what happened at Seven Oaks?