Louis RielLouis RielManitoba and RebellionManitoba and Rebellion
Rupert’s Land• purchased from the HBC
• 1.5 million
• official date for the transfer was to be December 1, 1869
• citizens were not consulted…
• population was about 12 000
• 10 000 Metis
• English-Canadians from Ontario
• a few Americans
• most people lived along the Red River
oh boy…• Metis were worried that the Canadians would take
their land and culture away
• their fears were realized when surveyors began to plan rectangular townships
• when the sale was finalized, the Canadians at the settlement welcomed t hoping for an influx of settlers from Ontario
• the Metis felt that this would lead to a destruction of their culture
• Louis Riel to the rescue… ?
Louis Riel• believed in the Metis cause
• spoke fluent English and French
• was Metis (half French/half Native)
• he was a well-educated, twenty-five year old young lad
Oh No They Didn’t…• Ottawa new tensions were growing
along the Red River but were not concerned
• October 11, 1869 - Riel and his men stopped a government survey near the Red River
• a more serious challenge took place on October 21
Oh, ya, They Totally Did!
• Lieutenant-Governor of newly purchased Rupert’s Land, William MacDougal, was denied entry to the Red River Colony from the United States
• Riel seized Fort Garry (Winnipeg) and began planning negotiations with the Canadian government
• MacDougal wrongly declared that the HBC was no longer in control of the territory
• the Canadian government asked for the transfer of sovereignty to be postponed
• so, the Metis created a provisional government
A What?• A Provisional Government
• a government established when a previous government collapses or is no longer able to rule
• Riel took MacDonald’s hesitation in transferring ownership as a void in leadership
• so, Riel took over ruling the Red River Settlement
Riel’s Government• Riel negotiated directly with the Canadian
government to establish Assiniboia (Manitoba) as a province, until….
• THOMAS SCOTT
• he had resisted the provisional government
• he was imprisoned
• there, he abused guards and threatened to kill Riel
• he was put on trial, was found guilty and was executed
Reactions• Quebec was sympathetic
• Riel was seen as a patriot standing up for French-Canadians
• Ontario
• Orangemen (English protestants) worked against the privileges sought by the Metis
• Prime Minister Macdonald refused to recognize the provisional government
• he sent negotiators to deal with the Legislative assembly - to which Riel was made President
Still Reacting…• Macdonald was pressured to order troops
into the Red River to end the rebellion
• eventually he did
• the journey took over ninety days - they marched the whole way
The Manitoba Act• May 12, 1870
• province of Manitoba was created
• separate Protestant and Catholic schools
• French and English were both official languages
• a bicameral legislature
• $30 000 yearly subsidy and 80 cent per capita grant until the population reached 400 000