Red River Rebellion occurred in 1869 and 1870, when settlers of the Red River Valley in what is now Manitoba resisted steps to put the valley under Canadian government control. The region had long been governed by the Hudson’s Bay Company. The uprising is sometimes called the First Riel Rebellion, after its leader, Louis Riel.
The Hudson’s Bay Company had allowed the valley’s residents much independence. In 1869, however, the company surrendered its rights in Rupert’s Land, including the Red River Valley, to the United Kingdom. The British decided to transfer Rupert’s Land to the Canadian government, which paid the company for the land. The Canadian government planned to develop the region for farmers from what is now eastern Canada.
In 1869, the population of the Red River Valley consisted of First Nations people, settlers, and a few fur traders. Most of the settlers were Métis, people with both First Nations and European ancestry. The settlers farmed land to which they held no formal title. They feared that the transfer of the valley to the Canadian government would threaten their land rights and their distinctive culture.
The revolt.
Shortly before the transfer of Rupert’s Land to the Canadian government, roadbuilders, surveyors, and officials of all kinds from the east descended upon the valley. One of their chief aims was to divide the land into townships and sections in advance of incoming settlers. This activity angered the residents.
A leader arose among the Métis. He was Louis Riel, a young man of French, Irish, and First Nations descent who came from a prominent local family. The Canadian government then sent out William McDougall as the first governor of the new territory. When the Métis heard of McDougall’s approach, they determined to prevent him from entering the territory. A group of Métis met McDougall at the border of Rupert’s Land and forced him to turn back. Riel then led the Métis in a successful attempt to capture Fort Garry, at what is now Winnipeg, and set up a provisional (temporary) government there.
As a result of the rebellion, the Canadian government decided not to take control of the area on Dec. 1, 1869, as it had planned. Early in 1870, a group of Métis with much popular support in the valley decided to negotiate with the Canadian government. But before any negotiations began, settlers loyal to Canada launched an unsuccessful attack on Fort Garry. Riel’s provisional government imprisoned several of them. One of the prisoners was an English Canadian named Thomas Scott. The provisional government condemned Scott as a traitor and had him shot. Scott’s death inflamed the people of eastern Canada against the provisional government.
End of the conflict.
After the killing of Scott, the Canadian government ordered troops under Colonel Garnet Wolseley to the Red River Valley. But before the force could start westward, Riel’s provisional government opened negotiations with the government of Canada. The Canadian government created a new province named Manitoba from the Red River settlement and nearby land. It also set aside 1,400,000 acres (567,000 hectares) of land for the Métis. But many of the Métis moved westward into what is now Saskatchewan. In addition, the Canadian government refused to pardon Riel for actions taken by the provisional government, including the killing of Scott. As a result, Riel fled to the United States. In 1885, he returned to Canada to lead another Métis uprising, known as the North West Rebellion. But he was captured and hanged for treason later that year.
