History Browser

This fort was occupied by Colonel Wolseley’s Red River Expedition in late August 1870. (Library and Archives Canada, C-114461)

The Red River expedition of 1870, made up of British and Canadian troops, had to travel through much wilderness on the way to Fort Garry. (Library and Archives Canada, C-002775)

In 1869, Canada acquired the North West Territories. The province of Manitoba was created in 1870. The local Métis population objected, and set up a provisional government led by Louis Riel. When Riel ordered the death of an Anglophone opponent, there was outrage in English Canada.

The sale of Rupert's Land by the Hudson's Bay Company to the government of Canada in 1869 sets off a chain of events that lead to the Red River Resistance. Its leader is a young, worldly Métis named Louis Riel. From the television series "Canada: A People's History." Includes links to educational resources, bibliography, games, puzzles, and video clips.

Louis Riel has been interpreted differently by different groups and individuals at different times in our history. Poems, books, plays, and songs have been created to explain Louis Riel. The diverse images of this man have always reflected the politics of the times and they continue to do so. This educational activity prompts the question, "Who was the ‘real' Louis Riel?"

This report correlates the research available on the Canadian Militia and Canadian defence policy in the period 1867-1900. It focuses mainly on three topics: the Militia as a factor in Canadian self-government within the British Empire, the Militia as an area of conflict for the doctrine of ministerial responsibility, and the Militia as a social and political institution.

William McDougall was designated the first lieutenant governor of the North-West territories in 1869. His attempts to fill that position met with resistance from Métis inhabitants. Meanwhile, Prime Minister John A. Macdonald tried to placate Louis Riel and his provisional government by sending an emissary to the region. From the television series "Canada: A People's History." Includes links to educational resources, bibliography, games, puzzles, and video clips.

To take back control of Manitoba from the Métis, the Canadian government organized an expedition in 1870. Two battalions of Canadian militia accompanied a battalion of British regulars west in an impressive cross-country journey. Riel and his supporters fled before the troops arrived.

In 1884, under the leadership of Louis Riel, the Métis and some of their Native allies took up arms in response to Ottawa's denial of land tenure and political rights to the mainly French-speaking Métis, and the refusal to fulfill its treaty obligations to the Cree and Assiniboine peoples of Manitoba.

John Christian Schultz, member of a nationalistic political group called Canada First, organizes an attack on Fort Garry in response to the Red River Resistance led by Louis Riel. Riel's execution of a prisoner named Thomas Scott, who is linked to this group, proves to be the downfall of the resistance movement. From the television series "Canada: A People's History." Includes links to educational resources, bibliography, games, puzzles, and video clips.