what happened in the red river settlement

Locusts devastated the crops in 1818 and 1819, and the greatest known flood of the Red River virtually destroyed the settlement in 1826. After Selkirk

’s death in 1820, his executors administered the colony and sought to reduce expenses by ending settlers’ subsidies and refusing to recruit new European immigrants.

Full Answer

How did the Red River settlement start?

Red River Settlement was among the unbound land, in the center of the continent with key waterways that enabled travelers to reach it from all directions. In 1670, the Hudson’s Bay Company and its English and Scottish fur traders arrived on the coast of James Bay in northern Ontario and Quebec, and later Hudson’s Bay in northern Manitoba.

What happened to the HBC on the Red River?

The Red River inhabitants were continually in conflict with the HBC, particularly over trading privileges. By the 1850s, the company’s rule was under attack from Britain, Canada, and the United States, and by the 1860s it had agreed to surrender its monopoly over Rupert’s Land and the North West, including the Red River settlement.

What was the original name of the Red River Colony?

Red River Settlement. The colony was founded in 1811–12 by Thomas Douglas, 5th earl of Selkirk, a Scottish philanthropist, who obtained from the Hudson’s Bay Company a grant of 116,000 square miles (300,000 square km) in the Red and Assiniboine river valleys. The official name of the settlement was Assiniboia ( q.v. ).

What caused the Red River Rebellion of 1869?

Red River Rebellion, uprising in 1869–70 in the Red River Colony against the Canadian government that was sparked by the transfer of the vast territory of Rupert’s Land from the Hudson’s Bay Company to the new country of Canada. Fearing that their culture and land rights would be compromised under Canadian control,...

What happened at the Red River settlement?

Locusts devastated the crops in 1818 and 1819, and the greatest known flood of the Red River virtually destroyed the settlement in 1826. After Selkirk's death in 1820, his executors administered the colony and sought to reduce expenses by ending settlers' subsidies and refusing to recruit new European immigrants.

Why was the Red River settlement important?

The Red River Colony was created to disrupt trades between the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company.

What was the conflict in the Red River settlement?

Red River Rebellion, uprising in 1869–70 in the Red River Colony against the Canadian government that was sparked by the transfer of the vast territory of Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company to the new country of Canada.

When did the Red River settlement happen?

1811Red River Settlement, (1811–36), colony in Canada on the banks of the Red River near the mouth of the Assiniboine River (in present-day Manitoba).

Who lived in Red River settlement?

Red River was one of the centres of Métis society and many of its leaders, including Cuthbert Grant, Charles Nolin, Pascal Breland, John Bruce, Gabriel Dumont, and Louis Riel, had been born or had homes there. The settlement also included several dozen aboriginals who had been converted to Christianity.

Who was part of the Red River settlement?

In 1872, the population of Red River Settlement totaled about 15,000 people. Most residents were of First Nations and/or Métis/half-breed heritage. Other residents were of European heritage from the countries of Scotland, England, Ireland, Germany, eastern Canada, and the United States.

What was the outcome of the Red River rebellion?

Riel peacefully withdrew from Fort Garry before the troops could arrive in August 1870. Warned by many that the soldiers would harm him and denied amnesty for his political leadership of the rebellion, Riel fled to the United States. The arrival of troops marked the end of the incident.

What were the key events in the Red River rebellion?

Jan 1, 1869. Hudson's Bay Company Withdraws. ... Period: Jun 1, 1869 to Oct 11, 1869. Canadian Surveyors Come. ... Oct 11, 1869. Riel's Forces Interrupt Surveyors. ... Oct 15, 1869. National Committee of the Metis is formed. ... Oct 30, 1869. Metis Turn Back McDougall's Party. ... Nov 2, 1869. Capture of Fort Garry. ... Nov 23, 1869. ... Dec 6, 1869.More items...

Who was the leader of the Red River settlement?

Founded in 1812 by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, the colony grew through times of extreme hardship into a multiracial society. It was the site of the Red River Resistance before reluctantly joining Canada as the province of Manitoba.

Who owns the Red River?

Thus, Texas (or its residents) own the property up to the gradient boundary along the southern bank of the river, while the federal government owns the land between the medial line of the river and the southern gradient boundary. Issues of jurisdiction again arose due to the highly transitory nature of the Red River.

Why was the Red River important to the Métis?

Under the leadership of Louis Riel, the Métis set up a provisional government at Red River with the goal of negotiating terms for entering into Confederation with Canada. They drafted a Métis Bill of Rights, which was then sent to Ottawa.

Where was Red River Canada?

ManitobaThe Red River begins at the southern border between Minnesota and North Dakota and flows north through Manitoba and into Lake Winnipeg. The Red River begins at the southern border between Minnesota and North Dakota and flows north through Manitoba and into Lake Winnipeg.

Why was the Manitoba Act significant?

The 1870 Manitoba Act was a constitutional statute that created the Province of Manitoba. It gave the Métis most of what they asked for, notably responsible government, the status of province, bilingual institutions, confessional schools, and guaranteed property rights with respect to Indian lands.

Who owns the Red River?

Thus, Texas (or its residents) own the property up to the gradient boundary along the southern bank of the river, while the federal government owns the land between the medial line of the river and the southern gradient boundary. Issues of jurisdiction again arose due to the highly transitory nature of the Red River.

What type of music is the Red River Colony most famous for?

One of the most notable is the popular folk song “Red River Valley.” What appears to be a simple song of lament sung by cowboy singers around campfires is, in reality, the end of a musical mix that has its foundation in the melodies of traditional folk songs sung in the mists of a Gaelic past and whose lyrics were ...

What river did the Selkirk settlers build their community near?

the Red RiverThe Selkirk Settlers were the first individuals to establish permanent residence along the Red River in what has grown to become the City of Winnipeg.

What river was the Red River Settlement?

Red River Settlement. The Red River Settlement refers to permanently and semi-permanently inhabited areas along the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. The Parishes of St. Boniface, St. James, St. Charles surrounded the Forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers where Upper Fort Garry was located; adjacent to these were the Parishes of St. John and St. Vital.

When was the Red River Settlement established?

While Indigenous people had used the area around the Forks for millennia, the founding of the Red River Settlement dates to 1811. The first group of Lord Selkirk’s settlers arrived the following year. The area experienced a major increase in population (and decrease in tensions) after the amalgamation of the Hudson’s Bay and Northwest Companies in 1821. Upper Fort Garry, located at the centre of the Red River Settlement, was the headquarters of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC). The HBC controlled the import, export and marketing of goods harvested from the land and those shipped in from Europe during the early years. Challenges by the Metís ended the HBC monopoly in 1849, allowing goods to be shipped in from St. Paul. By the 1860s, paddlewheel steamboats from the United States had largely replaced Red River cart brigades.

Who were the most wealthy people in the Red River Settlement?

Hudson’s Bay Company employees and retirees, such as James Bird and Cuthbert Grant, were among the wealthiest individuals in the Red River Settlement. Until 1870, permanent houses were usually constructed from squared oak logs using mortise and tenon (tongue and groove) techniques.

What were the three farmer-manchants in the 1980s?

Archaeological excavations were conducted at the locations of three Farmer-Merchants in the 1980s: Delorme House, Riel House and Garden House .Based on his analysis of the excavated material, Mr. K. David McLeod proposed the Metís Farmer-Artifact Pattern. He suggested that artifacts categorized as “kitchen” or “architectural” formed upwards of 76% of the assemblage, on average. Much of the remainder consisted of artifacts related to “clothing” (8.9%), “activities” (7.8%) and “pipes” (4.8%). All other categories of artifacts made up only 2% of the total assemblage.

What was the Red River Rebellion?

Red River Rebellion, uprising in 1869–70 in the Red River Colony against the Canadian government that was sparked by the transfer of the vast territory of Rupert’s Land from the Hudson’s Bay Company to the new country of Canada. Fearing that their culture and land rights would be compromised under Canadian control, ...

Who were the Red River colonists?

The Red River Colony was founded in 1812 by Scottish settlers at the confluence of the Red River of the North and the Assiniboine River (on the location of modern-day downtown Winnipeg ). After 1836 the colony was administered by the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) and populated mainly by Métis, most of whom were the descendants of French and English voyageurs and coureurs de bois (trappers) who had come west in the fur trade and settled down with Native American wives.

What was the name of the leader of the Métis movement?

The uprising led to the creation of the province of Manitoba and the emergence of Métis leader Louis Riel —a hero to his people and many in Quebec but an outlaw in the eyes of the Canadian government. Canadian government troops on the Kaministiquia River, en route to fighting against the Red River Rebellion, depicted in ...

What was the name of the province in 1870?

On May12, a new, postage stamp-sized province called Manitoba was created by the Manitoba Act, its territory severely limited in contrast to the vast North West, which would soon be acquired by the Canadian government. Even within Manitoba, public lands were controlled by the federal government. Métis land titles were guaranteed and 607,000 hectares (1,500,000 acres) were reserved for the children of Métis families, but these arrangements were mismanaged by subsequent federal governments. The Métis nation did not flourish after 1870 in Manitoba, however, and Ottawa granted no amnesty for Riel and his lieutenants, who fled into exile just before the arrival of a column of British and Canadian troops in August 1870.

What happened to the HBC in 1869?

While local HBC officials remained neutral, Métis opposition caused the Canadian government to refuse to assume control of the territory on December 1, 1869, as had been agreed. This encouraged the rebels who had seized Upper Fort Garry—the main HBC trading post at the forks of the Red and Assiniboine—and who planned to hold it until the Canadian government agreed to negotiate.

How many hectares of land were reserved for the children of Métis families?

Even within Manitoba, public lands were controlled by the federal government. Métis land titles were guaranteed and 607,000 hectares (1,500,000 acres) were reserved for the children of Métis families, but these arrangements were mismanaged by subsequent federal governments.

What were the concerns of the Métis?

Métis concerns were exacerbated by Canadian attempts to re-survey the settlement’s river-lot farms—typically long, narrow lots fronting the local rivers, which had been laid out according to the seigneurial system of New France, in contrast to the square lots preferred by the English. Many Métis did not have clear title to their land, and although the national government in Ottawa intended to respect Métis occupancy rights, no assurances were given that this would be the case. The Métis therefore feared the loss of their farms. The appointment of William McDougall—a well-known Canadian expansionist—as the territory’s first lieutenant governor also fuelled tensions and Métis fears of English Canadian domination.

What was the Red River Settlement?

Red River Settlement was a colony built at the forks of the Red and Assiniboine rivers long before Confederation. It would become the city of Winnipeg. It became an official colony in 1812 with the arrival of settlers from the Scottish Highlands, known today as Selkirk Settlers.

How many people lived in the Red River Settlement?

After the Scottish settlers arrived, others followed. In 1872, the population of Red River Settlement totaled about 15,000 people. 1. Most residents were of First Nations and/or Métis/half-breed heritage. Other residents were of European heritage from the countries of Scotland, England, Ireland, Germany, eastern Canada, and the United States.

What was the name of the area that was part of the Red River Settlement?

Boniface and west to White Horse Plains (Headingly). The areas we now call St. Clements, St. Andrews, Selkirk, and East Selkirk were the northern extensions of Red River Settlement. Before the concept of Confederation emerged, there was no Canada.

Where did the Saulteaux settle?

They established new camps on the banks of Netley Creek and places further inland near Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipegosis. On 1 July 1867, the British North American Act (BNA) passed, creating the Dominion of Canada.

What was the territory of Rupert's Land?

The territory he claimed was huge, about forty percent of modern-day Canada from Alberta to Quebec and from Hudson Bay south to the northern United States. Red River Sett lement was in the territory of Rupert’s Land.

When did Selkirk become a colony?

It became an official colony in 1812 with the arrival of settlers from the Scottish Highlands, known today as Selkirk Settlers. They sailed from their homeland to York Factory on Hudson Bay and travelled the waterways to Red River.

Why are the Saulteaux called Saulteaux?

They called them this because the people leaped and jumped across the rapids as they speared fish on the St. Mary’s River near modern day Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario).

How did the Red River Valley form?

The Red River Valley as it exists today emerged from receding glacier ice at the end last major ice age. Over a period of time that began about 14,000 years ago, an enormous "ice lobe" crept south from the Arctic, pulverizing all in its way and kneading the land into a new configuration. After reaching a point in what is today mid-Iowa, the ice sheet slowly receded northwards as the climate warmed, until about 12,000 years ago the land that is now the Valley was uncovered once again. The advance and retreat of the ice sheet had remade the land, smoothing it, in the words of geologist John Brophy, with deposits of "glacial and lake sediments so that the topography was now a broad, shallow basin" that gradually sloped away to the north. As melt-off and precipitation filled the low-lying ground a massive inland lake developed, covering some 370,000-430,000 square miles of ground, with depths of 200 to 700 feet. In the late 1800s, after the Swiss geologist Louis Agassiz, compiled evidence for the existence and impact of the ice ages, this massive lake was named Lake Agassiz. Lake Agassiz waxed and waned in size during climate changes over thousands of years, until the further retreat of ice permitted it to drain eastward and northward. Approximately 7500 years ago, the lake had disappeared, replaced by the Red River watershed that now extends from Lake Traverse (another product of the glacier age) on to the north.

When did the first people live in the Red River Valley?

The first people in the Red River Valley were ancestors of the American Indians. They were here after 10000 years ago . This estimate is based on findings at several archaeological sites with either radiocarbon dates, or diagnostic artifacts known from other parts of the continent to date to that time period, known to archaeologists as the Paleoindian. At Browns Valley Minnesota, near Lake Traverse, remains of an ancient man with these distinctive early artifacts was radiocarbon dated to 9050 years ago. This is one of the most famous of all Paleoindian sites in North America.

What was the first settlement in Manitoba?

The first major agricultural settlement established by the British in the Manitoba region was the Selkirk Colony , in 1811. The colony was the brainchild of Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk, a Scottish laird. Lord Selkirk had for years been seeking a place to establish a North American colony for displaced Scot farmers who had lost their livings when ever more land in Scotland was enclosed for sheep. The British crown and parliament had encouraged this ongoing process for decades, as a method of building the empire's profitable woolen goods trade; they had succeeded so well that between 1760 and the early 1800s over 40,000 displaced Scots had left their homeland for overseas colonies. In 1803 Selkirk had helped to settle some 800 homeless highlanders on Prince Edward Island. A year later he paid out funds to help another group establish the hamlet of Baldoon in southern Ontario. But it was the lands of the Manitoba prairie that drew his most avid attention. In 1808, Selkirk visited Montreal and met with shareholders in the Northwest Fur Company, the only real rival to Hudson Bay for Canadian pelts. After extended talks with the already renowned explorer and entrepreneur Alexander Mackenzie, Selkirk approached the board of directors of Hudson's Bay, in which he held considerable stock, and persuaded them to let him fund a colony on a huge tract of land extending south of Lake Winnipeg, reaching east toward Lake Superior and south nearly to the banks of the Missouri River. It encompassed nearly 75 million acres in all.

What did the American traders do on the Manitoba Plains?

American traders who did business with those Europeans living up on the Manitoba plains invariably made their expeditions with combination of canoes, flatboats and two-wheeled carts, usually drawn by oxen. The oxcart trails became the 'international highways" between the two countries. The cart trade with settlements like Pembina and the Selkirk colony, became very profitable. Norman Kittson's cart business grew to the point that by the late 1840s he employed hundreds of men and women between St. Paul and Pembina, and operated over 600 carts. (3)

What was Selkirk's goal?

Selkirk likely had a long-term goal of taking control of Hudson's Bay altogether , but his immediate aim was another farming colony for displaced Scots. Mackenzie had investments in both Hudson's Bay and the Northwest Fur Company, but his main interest in encouraging Selkirk in the early stages of this venture was to expand Northwest fur profits at the expense of the Hudson Company. These conflicting goals helped shape the eventual clash between the 'trappers' and the 'dirt farmers.' See John M. Gray, Lord Selkirk of Red River (1963), and Peter C. Newman, Caesars of the Wilderness (1987).

What are the Plains Village artifacts?

The Plains Village artifacts are very similar to those used by the Oneota, a skilled group pf farming natives who moved into the eastern plains regions about 1100 years ago. Oneota natives may have been the ancestors of several plains "tribes" that European explorers and traders came into contact with in the late 17th and early 18th century -- the Omaha, Winnebago, Oto and Iowa.

What is the Red River?

The Red River is therefore a very young geographical feature. It is shallow, winding along a 550 mile course to Lake Winnipeg. The shallowness of the river, combined with its numerous bends and oxbows, plus the heavy annual snowfall that can readily occur in the prevailing climate, create ideal conditions for Spring flooding. Geological studies confirm that flooding was almost an annual event in the pre-settlement era. Several streams flow into the Red; but, as Brophy notes, the "stream network [has] great distance between streams, leaving vast areas untouched by any natural drainage areas." The land surrounding the river and streams is generally flat but also is filled with uneven depressions that can hold the runoff of the melting snow. Before the land was put heavily to the plow, these 'potholes' acted as "storage tanks" for ground water, and contributed nutrients to the soil. But the swamp-like ground aslo limited how much land could be planted; as late as the 1920s, the agriculture agent for Clay County Minnesota noted that farmers could increase their crops as much as thirty percent if drainage efforts were undertaken.