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