In 1876, James Cleland Hamilton travelled from Lake Ontario to Lake Winnipeg and published the descriptive narrative of his travels. Entitled The Prairie Province: Sketches of travel from Lake Ontario to Lake Winnipeg, and an account of the geographical position, climate, civil institutions, inhabitants, productions and resources of the Red River Valley; with a map of Manitoba and part of the North-West territory and the District of Kewatin, plan of Winnipeg, and of the Dawson route, view of Fort Garry, and other illustrations, Hamilton’s work promotes the settlement into Manitoba through the same language, themes, and promises present in promotional literature from this period. Focusing on the idealistic visions and optimistic enthusiasm present in Hamilton’s extensive work, the colonial nature of Hamilton’s writing becomes evident. Hamilton’s work mimics that of promotional literature of both Canada and the United States; also, this narrative promotes Canadian expansionists ideals through its discussions of types of settlers, motives for colonization, descriptions of landscape and …show more content…
The grasshopper plagues that occurred from 1873 to 1875 had threatened the crops and livelihood of many homesteaders in Manitoba. Because of damaged crops, either due to the grasshoppers, poor land, or weather, many homesteaders abandoned their lands. The general economic depression and bureaucratic problems during the early 1870s created issues for the province of Manitoba. Additionally, the Red River Rebellion, a conflict that was sparked over the transfer of Rupert’s Land between the settler state and the aboriginal and Métis groups of the area, created many fears for settlers, though many of the negotiations were completed by 1870. These issues together created an outward migration from Manitoba, creating the necessity for colonial settlers into the
Gregory Wigmore’s article Before the Railroad: From Slavery to Freedom in the Canadian-American Borderland covers the main theme of local history during the 19th century in Detroit and Windsor. In particular, Wigmore looks at how the Detroit River served as an escape route between the transnational borders for slaves living on both sides of the river. Wigmore explores how the border was the godsend for the slaves because a simple cross across the river would allow them their freedom. Wigmore’s main focus is the many factors and laws that happened between the 1810’s and the 1820’s that played an important role in this freedom.
Upper Canada was in the tumultuous process of settlement during the nineteenth century. From 1800-1860, wheat and flour exports went from a negligible amount to peak at 13 billion bushels in 1860.1 It is important to understand the rapid nature of settlement to contextualize life in rural Upper Canada. From 1805-1840, the population increased by over eight hundred percent.2 Many of these were Irish emigrants, even in the period preceding the famine; these pre-Famine Irish emigrants were predominantly “middling farmers,” «c'est à dire des fermiers cultivant des terres petites ou moyennes, ceux qui ont été le plus durement touchés par la baisse soudaine des prix des produits agricoles à la fin des guerres napoléoniennes [en Europe]».3 Many of the emigrants settled into townships and villages on the agricultural frontier, such as the Biddul...
To them, the excitement and the adventure of the buffalo hunt held more appeal than farming. Hundreds of Metis were content to earn a living by hunting buffalo, making pemmican or finding employment as freight drivers. After a while Canada bought Rupertsland from Hudson Bay Company. When the Metis heard this they were alarmed. They feared their religion,their language, their lands and their old, free way of* life.
The Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) represents the Métis community in Manitoba in political, cultural, social and economic matters (Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), 2013). Manitoba Métis Federation, representing Métis in Manitoba, filed a claim asking for a declaration that the federal and provincial statutes, which affected the implementation of Manitoba Act provisions, were "constitutionally invalid” (Chartrand, p. 477, 1991). In Section 31 of Manitoba Act, 1870, it provided lands to the Métis people. Section 32 assured the settlers, Aboriginal or not, that their occupied lands in 1869 would not be “jeopardized” by the wave of newcomers (Sprague...
In the 1830's the Plains Indians were sent to the Great American Deserts in the west because the white men did not think they deserved the land. Afterwards, they were able to live peacefully, and to follow their traditions and customs, but when the white men found out the land they were on was still good for agricultural, or even for railroad land they took it back. Thus, the white man movement westward quickly began. This prospect to expand westward caused the government to become thoroughly involved in the lives of the Plains Indians. These intrusions by the white men had caused spoilage of the Plains Indians buffalo hunting styles, damaged their social and cultural lives, and hurt their overall lives.
Steckley, J., & Cummins, B. D. (2008). Full circle: Canada's First Nations (2nd ed.). Toronto:
During the late 1860s the Red River Settlement was rapidly changing and along with these changes came multiple causes and conflicts that would subsequently to a resistance called the Red River Rebellion. Many profound changes occurred in the Red River Settlement that had caused problems and hostility among the inhabitants to emerge such as:the arrival of Canadians to the settlement, the economic problems and the decline of the Hudson Bay Company. However, the Red River Rebellion was sparked by the Hudson Bay Company selling Rupert’s Land to the new Dominion of Canada without consulting with the inhabitants nor paying any regards to their interests.The colonists of the Red River Settlement, many of whom were Metis, feared for their culture and land rights under the dominion’s control. In order to ascertain that their rights would be protected, the Metis set up a provisional government under the leadership of Louis Riel to negotiate an agreement with the new Dominion of Canada that the Red River Settlement and the lands surrounding it, could enter Confederation as the province of Manitoba under their own terms.
MacDougall, Brenda. One of the Family: Metis Culture in Nineteenth-Century Northwestern Saskatchewan. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2010.
Tovias, B. (2011). Colonialism on the prairies: Blackfoot settlement an cultural transformation, 1870 - 1920. Portland, Oregon: Sussex Academic Press.
Thompson, John Herd, and Mark Paul Richard. "Canadian History in North American Context." In Canadian studies in the new millennium. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008. 37-64.
...attles. It eventually ended when Louis Riel surrendered on May 15 1885, after the defeat at Batoche. Riel had written a letter to General Frederick Middleton (British general), saying that he didn’t like war and he’d surrender himself only if the Métis were freed. After the rebellion ended, Riel became a prisoner of the Canadian government and was taken to trial for treason in Regina. He was eventually convicted and executed as a traitor. And so lived and died the heroic, peaceful founder of the Province of Manitoba, and defender of the rights of the Métis.
Bibliography: Bibliography 1. John Majewski, History of the American Peoples: 1840-1920 (Dubuque: Kent/Hunt Publishing, 2001). 2.
In the year 1884, Gabriel Dumont rode to Montana and asked Louis Riel to come back to defend the Metis once again. Louis Riel agreed to this, and risked being captured. This was very noble of him and instead of staying safe in Montana; he risked his life for the sake of his people and returned this time with a petition. The petition was sent to the government, and demanded more food and money for the Natives, and the Metis. I believe that this petition was fair in all parts and made complete sense. Riel wanted the government to give back to the Metis, what was taken away from them. This petition was turned down; again the Metis rights were overlooked and disregarded as not
As a young boy, Duncanson lived with his father in Canada, while his mother lived in Ohio. The village was fifteen miles north of Cincinnati. In the summer of 1841 Duncanson left Canada for Mount Pleasant. As he return to his mother’s home, Duncanson was excited to inform
Ed. W. Gordon West and Ruth Morris. Toronto, Canada: A Canadian Scholar? Press, 2000. 89-99.