-
British Columbia, Gold Rush, and Population
In the 1850's onward, the famous (infamous) Gold Rush came to light as people flowed inward to try to make rich. After the rush subsided, the remaining people stayed behind in the rich, First Nations land and began to settle the area. Politicians were contemptuous towards the First Nations and did not consider the various treaties that Britain and some First Nations bands agreed to valid; merely a pacifying formality. -
The Rupert's Land Act of 1868
*The date of January 1st is a placeholder; the exact date of the act is unknown. The Rupert's Land Act of 1868 paid the Hudson's Bay Company 300 000 pounds for the ownership of Rupert's Land, including a section wherein the Metis peoples were. Canada recieved the land. -
Survey of Manitoba Area
William McDougall, the Lieutenant-Governor, goes against Macdonald's wishes and advising, sending survey to the Manitoba area. This caused the Metis in the area to become increasingly agitated, as they did not have land titles and had the seigneurial system of land, not the English grid-lots. -
Survey Disrupted
When Canadian surveyors sent in with McDougall attempted to cross the border, the Métis barred their path, denying entry into Manitoba until the Métis were consulted by Ottawa. -
The Red River Rebellion
The Metis people of the Manitoba region formed a committee of the National Committee of the Metis, with Louis Riel as the secretary, and demanded that they be consulted before Canada could come into possession of Manitoba. -
Canadian Resistance to the Métis
Pro-Canadian people begin to organize in opposition to the Committee. McDougall sends in troops to attack Fort Garry, who are imprisoned. One of the prisoners includes Thomas Scott. -
Métis Takeover of Fort Garry, Rise to Power
To represent the authority and power of the Métis Committee, the Métis went in one by one, innocuously, into the HBC "headquarters" in their region: Fort Garry. The Committee established themselves as the government in Fort Garry. They invite Anglophones and Francophones both to join in a provisional government of Manitoba. Riel later is promoted to president of the Committee, and the new government debates and settles on basic rights of the Métis people, despite much conflict on other topics. -
Thomas Scott's Execution
The execution of an anti-Metis, anti-French Irishman named Thomas Scott, who fought against the current provisional government in Manitoba and was an excessively troublesome prisoner, sparked outrage in Ontario. A warrant for Louis Riel's arrest, as well as a $5 000 reward, went out. -
End of the Rebellion
The Canadian government and the Committee eventually reached the terms of the Manitoba Act, confederating Manitoba. Louis Riel heard the new that Macdonad had ordered troops to go to the new Province of Manitoba to keep peace and order in the newly-confederated province. He later learned that they were to lycnh him for the murder of Thomas Scott. Riel decided that it was too unsafe and fled to America. The volunteer troops of the force ransacked the Fort and caused general chaos in the area. -
B.C's Entry Into Confederation
Around this time period, news from the distant Canada arrived in British Columbia. Amore de Cosmos, a British Columbian politician, finally had his dream of joining Canada realized. First Nations concerns were ignored and B.C. confederated. -
Pacific Railway Scandal
Sir Allan Hugh receives a letter from Macdonald and Cartier for money - in return, Hugh becomes the president of the Transcontinental Railway. George Etienne Cartier dies, leaving Macdonald alone to weather the scandal. -
Pacific Railway Scandal Continued
In the summer of 1873, word gets out about the transaction. Mysteriously, Macdonald disappears, wild media speculation following in wake - end of summer, Macdonald reappears in House of Commons. Tories are destroyed, Macdonald resigns and Liberals win latest election. -
Execution of Louis Riel
"Riel was tried for treason but hanged for the execution of Thomas Scott." - Edwin Brooks This was an important enough event that I elected to include it.