Red River Rebellion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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 The Métis provisional government |
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 Provisional Government of Rupert's Land and the North-West |
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| 3 (Elzear Goulet) | 1 (Thomas Scott) | ||||||
The Red River Resistance (also known as the Rébellion de la rivière Rouge in French) was an important series of events in 1869 and 1870. It happened when the Métis people, led by Louis Riel, formed a temporary government in the Red River Colony. This area later became the Canadian province of Manitoba. Before this, the land was called Rupert's Land and was controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company.
Canada had just become a country in 1867. Buying Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company in 1869 was one of its first big challenges. The Canadian government wanted to send an English-speaking governor, William McDougall, to the Red River area. However, the Métis, who mostly spoke French, did not want him there. They were worried about their land and way of life.
The Métis were concerned because Canadian surveyors started measuring their land in a new way. This was before the land officially belonged to Canada. Louis Riel and his followers stopped McDougall from entering the territory. The Métis then created their own temporary government. They invited both French and English-speaking people to join. Riel worked to make sure the Red River Colony could join Canada as the province of Manitoba.
During this time, Riel's government arrested some people who were against them. One of these people was Thomas Scott. Scott was found guilty of serious actions against the provisional government and faced a severe punishment. Soon after, Canada and the Métis government agreed. In 1870, the Canadian Parliament passed the Manitoba Act, 1870. This law allowed the Red River Colony to become the province of Manitoba. It also included some of Riel's requests, like French schools for Métis children and protecting the Catholic faith.
After the agreement, Canada sent soldiers to Manitoba. This group, called the Wolseley expedition, was there to show Canada's authority. Many people in Ontario were upset about what happened to Scott. They wanted Riel arrested. Riel left Fort Garry peacefully before the soldiers arrived in August 1870. He was warned that the soldiers might harm him and was not promised forgiveness for his leadership. Riel then went to the United States. The arrival of the soldiers marked the end of this important event. Louis Riel later led another resistance in 1885, which had a different outcome.
Contents
The Red River Colony: A Changing Home
In the late 1860s, the Red River Colony was a busy place. It was part of Rupert's Land, a vast area controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). The HBC had a huge network for trading furs across the continent.
The main group of people living there were the Métis. They were a unique community with mixed First Nations and French heritage. They had their own special culture, language (Michif), and traditions, often linked to the fur trade. Métis men worked as trappers, guides, and interpreters. They also farmed the land. Their culture was strongly connected to the French language and the Catholic religion.
Over time, other groups settled in the area. Some were descendants of English and Scottish fur traders who had married into First Nations families. These people often spoke English and were sometimes called "country born" or Anglo-Métis. Later, more English-speaking settlers, mostly Protestants from Ontario, also moved to the Red River Colony.
These newer settlers sometimes did not understand or respect Métis culture. Many wanted Canada to expand and take over the territory. There were also some Americans who wanted the United States to claim the land. With all these different groups and ideas, there was a lot of tension and uncertainty.
The British and Canadian governments had been talking about transferring Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company to Canada. This was partly to prevent the United States from expanding into the area. On December 1, 1869, Canada officially bought the territory.
Before the land transfer, a Canadian government official named William McDougall sent people to survey the land. A survey means measuring and mapping out the land. Local leaders, including a Catholic bishop and the HBC governor, warned that this survey would cause problems.
The survey team arrived in August 1869. The Métis were very worried. They didn't have official ownership papers for their farms. Their land was laid out in long, narrow strips along the river, a French style. The Canadian survey used square lots, which was very different. The Métis feared that the new survey meant they could lose their farms. They also worried that new Canadian settlers would not respect their culture, religion, or political rights. They felt the Canadian government was acting as if the land was empty, without considering the people already living there.
Louis Riel Becomes a Leader
The Canadian government planned for William McDougall to become the new governor of the North-West Territories on December 1, 1869. This news made the Métis even more worried. Their concerns grew after McDougall ordered the land survey in July 1869.
Louis Riel quickly became an important leader for the Métis. He had received a good education. In August, he spoke out against the land survey from the steps of St. Boniface Cathedral. On October 11, 1869, Riel and other Métis stopped the surveyors from working.
Soon after, on October 16, the Métis formed the "Métis National Committee." This group was created to protect Métis interests. Riel was chosen as the secretary, and John Bruce became the president.
Riel and his followers made it clear that McDougall was not welcome in the Red River Colony. They insisted that Canada must first talk with the Métis and other settlers. On November 2, Métis forces, led by Ambroise-Dydime Lépine, turned McDougall's group away at the border. They had to go back to Pembina, Dakota Territory.
On the same day, Riel led about 400 men to take control of Fort Garry. They did this without any fighting. Taking the fort was a smart move. It showed that the Métis controlled access to the settlement and the wider Northwest region.
Not everyone in the Red River Colony agreed on how to deal with Canada. French-speaking and English-speaking settlers had different ideas. To bring everyone together, Riel invited English-speaking communities to send representatives to a meeting on November 6. Riel wanted to make it clear that he was loyal to Queen Victoria and not trying to involve the United States.
On November 23, Riel suggested forming a provisional government. This temporary government would replace the old Hudson's Bay Company council. Its goal was to negotiate directly with Canada. The English-speaking representatives needed more time to think about this idea.
On December 1, McDougall announced that the Hudson's Bay Company no longer controlled Rupert's Land. He declared himself the new governor. However, he didn't know that Canada had delayed the transfer because of the unrest. This meant there was no clear authority in the region.
Around mid-December, Riel presented a list of 14 rights. These were conditions for the Red River Colony to join Canada. They included having representatives in Parliament, a government that used both French and English, and recognition of their land claims. Most English-speaking settlers eventually agreed that these demands were fair.
While many people supported the Métis, a small group called the Canadian Party strongly opposed them. This group was led by Dr. John Christian Schultz. Riel took this threat seriously. On December 7, his forces surrounded Schultz's home and arrested about 50 of his supporters. They were held at Fort Garry.
The Provisional Government and Negotiations
With no clear authority in the area, the Métis National Committee officially declared a provisional government on December 8. McDougall and his team left for Ontario on December 18.
In Ottawa, Canada's Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald, sent Donald Alexander Smith to negotiate with the Métis. Smith had more power to make agreements.
On December 27, Riel became the president of the provisional government. Smith met with Riel and other leaders in early January 1870. Smith realized that direct talks with the committee might not work. So, he decided to present Canada's plans to a larger public meeting.
At these meetings on January 19 and 20, Smith explained Canada's good intentions. He promised that the Red River settlement would have representatives in the Canadian government. He also said Canada was willing to make agreements about land claims.
With strong support from the settlers, Riel suggested forming a new convention. This convention would have 40 representatives, half French-speaking and half English-speaking. They would discuss Smith's proposals. This idea was accepted. A smaller committee then created a more detailed list of rights. The convention approved this list on February 3.
After more meetings, Smith suggested sending a group to Ottawa to talk directly with the Canadian government. Riel eagerly agreed. Riel also proposed making the provisional government more inclusive of both language groups. A new constitution for this government was accepted on February 10. It created an elected assembly with 12 representatives from English-speaking areas and 12 from French-speaking areas.
Challenges and a Serious Event
Even with progress, some members of the Canadian Party continued to resist the provisional government. In January, several prisoners escaped from Fort Garry, including Thomas Scott. John Christian Schultz also escaped later. By February 15, Riel had released the remaining prisoners, asking them not to cause more trouble. However, Scott and others planned to continue their efforts against the Métis government.
On February 12, a group led by Charles Boulton from Portage la Prairie planned to meet Schultz's men to overthrow the provisional government. Riel's forces captured Boulton, Scott, and 46 other men near Fort Garry on February 17. Schultz and others fled to Ontario.
Riel wanted to make an example of Boulton. Boulton was tried and sentenced to a serious punishment for interfering with the provisional government. However, after others spoke up for him, Boulton was pardoned.
Thomas Scott, one of the prisoners, continued to challenge the Métis authority. He was tried for insubordination and for fighting with his guards. He was found guilty and faced a severe punishment on March 4, 1870. Historians still discuss why Riel allowed this to happen. Riel believed it was necessary to show the Canadian government that the Métis must be taken seriously.
The Birth of Manitoba
When news of the unrest reached Rome, Bishop Alexandre-Antonin Taché returned to the colony. He mistakenly believed that Riel and Ambroise-Dydime Lépine would be forgiven for their actions. On March 15, he shared a message from the Canadian government. It said that most of the Métis' demands were "satisfactory."
After creating a final list of rights, which included requests for forgiveness for the provisional government members and French schools, three delegates traveled to Ottawa. They were Abbé Joseph-Noël Ritchot, Judge John Black, and Alfred Henry Scott. They left on March 23 and 24.
Meanwhile, Charles Mair and John Christian Schultz arrived in Toronto, Ontario. They worked to stir up anti-Métis feelings in the newspapers because of what happened to Thomas Scott. However, Prime Minister Macdonald had already decided to negotiate with the Métis.
The Métis delegates were briefly arrested in Ottawa on April 11, but they were quickly released. They began direct talks with Macdonald and George-Étienne Cartier. Ritchot proved to be a very skilled negotiator. They soon reached an agreement that included many of the demands from the list of rights. This agreement became the basis for the Manitoba Act of May 12, 1870. This act allowed Manitoba to join the Canadian Confederation on July 15, 1870.
The Canadian government gained control over a new area with the creation of Manitoba. The Métis also gained control over their land and a government with powers to protect their rights. The Manitoba Act gave the Métis 200,000 hectares of land. Manitoba became the first province created from the Northwest Territories.
However, the delegates could not get a clear promise of forgiveness for Riel and his government. Anger over Scott's punishment was growing in Ontario. A guarantee of forgiveness was not politically popular at the time. The delegates returned to Manitoba with only a promise that forgiveness would come later.
The Wolseley Expedition Arrives
Canada decided to send a military expedition to the Red River settlement. This was to show Canadian authority and to prevent American expansion into the area. The expedition, led by Colonel Garnet Wolseley, started its journey in May.
Many people in Ontario believed the Wolseley Expedition was meant to stop the "rebellion." However, the Canadian government described it as an "errand of peace." Riel was warned that soldiers might harm him. He also knew he might face charges. So, Riel and his followers quickly left Fort Garry when the troops arrived unexpectedly on August 24, 1870. The arrival of the expedition at Fort Garry marked the end of the Red River Resistance.
What Happened Next
The events at Red River were called a "rebellion" mostly after strong feelings grew in Ontario about the punishment of Thomas Scott. Some historians now prefer to call it a "resistance." They see it as the Métis resisting a new authority rather than rebelling against an established government.
Later, Ambroise-Dydime Lépine, who had overseen Scott's trial, faced a serious legal process. However, appeals from French-speaking people in Quebec, who supported the Métis, helped reduce his punishment.
After the soldiers arrived, some Métis people around Fort Garry faced unfair treatment from soldiers. This caused some Métis, like John Bruce, to leave the Red River area.
In 1875, Riel was formally asked to leave Canada for five years. He was elected to the Canadian Parliament three times while he was away but never took his seat. Riel returned to Canada in 1885 to lead another resistance, the North-West Rebellion. This time, he was captured and faced a very serious legal outcome.
See also
- Historiography of Louis Riel
- List of incidents of civil unrest in Canada
