Horton High School's Canadian History 12
Web Page and Student Resource

Louis Riel and the Red River Rebellion

Manitoba and the Opening of the West:
 

• the Canadian government, under its first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, had to act swiftly in taking the western regions, for the Americans were most interested in acquiring these territories.
• in 1868, the British began the paper work to transfer these lands to the Canadians, primarily the old lands of the Hudson's Bay Company. The H.B.C was paid $1.5 million for this transfer, and was still allowed to keep posts and lands within this territory.
• this transfer was set for December of 1869. The people of this area were primarily settled along the Red River, and numbered approximately 12,000 - 10,000 of whom were Metis (1/2 Aboriginal, 1/2 French).
• the Metis felt threatened by this transfer, and were not impressed by the British and Canadian governments dealing "their" lands away without any input whatsoever from the Metis or Aboriginal community.
• the Metis, feeling threatened by the potential influx of Protestant immigrants and Canadians (they were Catholics), began to interfere with the surveying being done by Canadian authorities.
• their leader was Louis Riel, a young man of 25 who had studied theology in Montreal, spoke both French and English, and was passionate about protecting Metis' rights. His Sergeant-at-arms was the famed buffalo hunter, Gabriel Dumont.
• in October of 1869, William MacDougall, the Lt. Governor of the Northwest Territory, was denied entry into the Red River by Riel. Riel then seized the HBC's Fort Garry in November, along with its weapons, hoping for a government response. MacDougall, insulted, declared the Red River "property of Canada". He made this statement from the United States.

• in December of 1869, Riel established a Provisional Government as well as a Bill of Rights for the Metis people, which guaranteed freedom of the Metis from Canada, while also declaring Metis loyal citizens of the British Empire.
• Quebec supported the Metis, namely due to their religious ties, while in Ontario, the Protestants, especially the Orangemen, demanded the arrest of Riel, and called on Macdonald to act. The Orange Order let it be known that all members would vote for the ultra-Protestant Canadian Party rather than Macdonald's Conservatives in the next election if action was not forthcoming. Macdonald responded.
• Macdonald sent in negotiators to speak with Riel, led by Donald Smith of the HBC. Riel was pleased with these negotiations, which gave the English more rights in the Red River, while Riel retained his leadership. The Canadians were thus "allowed" to settle in the area. In order to facilitate this transition, Macdonald sent in Canadian troops.
• May of 1870 - the Manitoba Act was passed, making Manitoba the 5th province of Canada. French and English were its official languages, with schools based on denomination.

• soon before Manitoba joined Canada, Riel pulled a "power play" by throwing the British politicians in the Manitoba Legislature into Fort Garry's jail for disputing issues with the Metis. The Orangemen in the area organized an attack on the fort.
• this attack was led by Thomas Scott, an Orange Scot, who led 60 men onto the fort. A skirmish ensued, which led to the death of one Metis and one Orange Order member. Cooler heads prevailed, and Scott returned home.
• Riel, however, wanted to leave no loose ends, thus he arrested and imprisoned Scott and his collaborators. While in jail at Fort Garry, Scott was a loud, aggressive and racist sort, causing great distress to the guards. Having had enough, Riel had Scott tried for treason and he was found guilty. The Orangemen in Ontario were outraged, and pleaded for Macdonald to respond to this "mad man" who was to lead Manitoba as Canada's fifth province in the coming months.
• Macdonald, as well as many Metis, warned Riel not to treat Scott harshly. Riel responded by having Scott executed by firing squad in March of 1870, two months before Manitoba joined Canada.
• the Prime Minister responded by sending troops in from Ontario.  By August of 1870, over 1200 Canadian soldiers were in Manitoba. Riel, fearing the worst, fled for the United States.

• Riel appeared to try to make amends with the Canadian government from his stead in Montana. He helped the government suppress a Fenian Raid in 1871, and in 1873 he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Red River, despite Macdonald's warning that Riel would be arrested if he showed his face in Ottawa. Riel went to Ottawa and was, in turn, as a result of his execution of Scott, banished from Canada for five years. Some protestants called for Riel's head, yet Macdonald did not want to enrage the large Metis population in his newest province.
• it should be noted that 2 of these 5 years were spent in an asylum in Montreal, for Riel had developed a belief that he was Jesus incarnate, and the "messenger of his people". The remaining years of his banishment were spent in Montana, where he was a school teacher.
• Riel remained in Montana until 1884, when he felt it was time for the Metis to stand up to Ottawa. Riel wanted Metis Self-Government, which Macdonald refused flatly, thus another uprising began in the Red River (present-day Winnipeg area). By this time, Riel believed himself to be David, king of the Jews, anointed to lead the Metis.
• he established another Provisional Government in March of 1885. The European settlers in the area were not pleased; the Protestant Churches in the area called him insane and the Catholic Church distanced itself from a man proclaiming himself to be David.
• Dumont was appointed Military Commander of the Metis forces, and was able to gain the support of many of the leading Native chiefs in the area. Soon after, Dumont and his forces clashed with the North West Mounted Police (forerunner of the R.C.M.P.), leaving ten officers dead. Native raiding parties began attacking primarily white settlements, sending fear throughout the communities. The Native peoples, like the Metis, wanted to have self-government and freedom from Canadian rule.
• the government responded by sending in 5000 troops by using the newly-laid, yet incomplete, lines of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which had stretched into Manitoba by this time. With these well trained and equipped troops, the Canadian government was able to quickly put down these uprisings.
• the Metis rebellion was now very disorganized and in chaos. The government assured the people of the Red River that they would be treated well as part of Canada, the CPR was a prime example of what Canada could bring to these people.
• In Ontario and Quebec, debates raged over Riel's fate, with the French calling for leniency, the English calling for retribution.
• Macdonald placed Riel and his collaborators on trial. Eight men were executed for murdering innocent settlers during the raids. The Americans and the government of Quebec appealed to Macdonald to be kind to Riel.
• Macdonald appointed a tribunal to look into Riel's sanity, and it was declared that he was sane. He stood trial and was found guilty of treason against the Canadian government. The sentence - death by hanging.
• on November 16th, 1885, Louis Riel was hanged in Regina. The Rebellion was over, yet many felt this was the beginnings of Western alienation towards a centralized government which was controlled by those in Ontario.