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Tenant Farmers
Near the end of the 1700s, many Scottish landowners started evicting their tenant farmers. They wanted to change the land taken by tenants to pasture for sheep, since the wool would bring more money than the rent paid by the tenants.
The tenantscould either migrate to cities and become factory workers, or emigrate to British North America, and become farmers. Most were poor and couldn't make the journey across the Atlantic, and it was people like this, Lord Selkirk wanted to help. -
Creating the Selkirk
By 1810, Selkirk had made colonies in the PEI and Upper Canada. Since Selkirk was one of the directors of the HBC, he decided to launch his project into the Northwest.
Since their were beter supplies, elsewhere, and it was expensive to ship food and such from England to its employees in the Northwest, Selkirk though he could help both the tenant farmers and the HBC by creating a farming colony. The Selkirk Settlement. -
Moving into Manitoba, and Rupert's Land
In 1811, Selkirk received a grant of 300 000 square km, from the HBC to move into - what is now - southern Manitoba, and North Dakota. HBC, and Selkirk thought they hand a right to this land, because it was part of Rupert's Land. Neither considered the people already living there. -
Travel to Red River
Later in 1811, 36 Scottish and Irish labourers, were instructed to leave Britain to travel to the Selkirk Gant to find a spot for the colonists. Under the command of an ex-militia officer, Miles Macdonell.
They arrived at York Factory in late summer and spent the winter there. -
A Second Winter
In the spring, Macdonell took the group back to Red River Valley. They set up crop land, but the harvest failed, and the colonists stayed a second winter in Fort Pembina.
A second group of 83 colonists landed at Fort Churchill. They marched in winter to York Factory, that nearly brought them to their death. They didn't reach the colony until the spring of 1814. -
Red River Valley
The group of didn't get to Red River until the end of August 1812. Two months later, more than 100 men, women, and children arrived. They were made to find shelter at Fort Pembina, living on local pemmican.
In the spring, Macdonell led the group back to the Red River Valley. They set up crops, but the harvest failed, and they were forced to spend a second winter at Fort Pembina. -
Pemmican Proclamamtion
Macdonell, was afraid that crops might fail again, so he issued the Pemmican Proclamation. It banned selling and exporting pemmican from Red River Valley for a year. The ban was meant to protect colonists, but it was a blow to Metis, who made living from trading pemmican. The NWC was equally outraged, as it was driving employees from the area.
macdonell, attempted to force NWC employees out of Red River Valley. -
NWC strikes back
The New ordered two of its employees, Alexander Macdonell, and Duncnan Cameron, to drive British colonists away.
Cameron enlisted the Metis to directive of NWC and gave Cuthbert Grant the role of the Captain of Metis. NEWC and Metis both harassed the colonists, burning, destroing, and firing rifles. -
Metis Inspiration
In early 1815, more than 100 colonists had left, and Miles Macdonell was arrested. They were taken to For William on Lake Superior. After the remaining colonists left for Norway house at north Lake Winnipeg.
Alexander Macdonell saw that acting against Red River colonists, the Metis were inspired know their rights, and fight for their land.
The identity had an effect on the Metis and changed the course of history for the Northwest. -
The Battle Of Seven Oaks
Colin Robertson, led the British colonists back to Red River Valley. Robertson wanted to make peace with NWC and the Metis until Robert Semple, a new governor for the colony, could come. When Semple arrived with new colonists, Robertson warned him to cooperate with NWC and the Metis. Semple ignored Robertson, and created the burning of fort Gibraltar. The Metis assumed this was a sign of war. -
The Metis Attack
Later in the year, a group of Metis led by Cuthbert Grant raided man HBC boats on the Assininiboine River. A large supply of pemmican was stolen. Grant wanted to move the pemmican to Lake Winnipeg, where they supplied the NWC fur trades. -
Metis History
Grant wated to avoid the Red River Colony, but on June 19, they were spotted at Fort Douglas. Sempl and 28 men headed out to confront the Metis. The Metis split into two groups and cornered Semple, a move that Semple didn't notice. 'Parley' was attempted by Grant but failed when words were thrown and a colonist shot a Metis. A fight began, and after 15 minutes, it ended. Semple and 20 men died; one Metis was killed. The date has two names; Battle of the Seven Oaks, and Victory at Frog Plain. -
Selkirk Returns
Grant ordered the rest of the colonists to leave with being harmed, and they retreated to Norway House. Lord Selkirk was going west to visit the colony. He brought Swiss mercenaries as a protective force. He was told about the battle on his journey. He quickly moved west and attacked the NWC post of Fort William. Then he moved downward on the Valley and controlled the area. He promised protection by the Swiss soldiers, and they returned to the settlement. -
Red River Valley in Peace
Selirk man a treaty with the Anishinabe and Cree Nations to own the land along the Assiniboine and Red Rivers. He distributed the land and promised a community would be built. By the time Selkirk left, the colony was in peace.
