Red River Rebellion

Quick Facts: Who was Red River Rebellion?

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Red River Rebellion

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The 1869 Red River Rebellion led to the establishment of Manitoba as a Canadian province.

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Origins & Early Life

The Red River Rebellion (French: Rébellion de la rivière Rouge), also known as the Red River Resistance, Red River uprising, or First Riel Rebellion, was the sequence of events that led up to the 1869 establishment of a provisional government by Métis leader Louis Riel and his followers at the Red River Colony, in the early stages of establishing today's Canadian province of Manitoba. It had earlier been a territory called Rupert's Land and been under control of the Hudson's Bay Company before it was sold. The event was the first crisis the new federal government faced after Canadian Confederation in 1867. The Government of Canada had bought Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company in 1869 and appointed an English-speaking governor, William McDougall. He was opposed by the French-speaking mostly-Métis inhabitants of the settlement.

Career & Major Achievements

Before the land was officially transferred to Canada, McDougall had sent out surveyors to plot the land according to the square township system used in the Dominion Land Survey. The Métis, led by Riel, prevented McDougall from entering the territory. McDougall declared that the Hudson's Bay Company was no longer in control of the territory and that Canada had asked for the transfer of sovereignty to be postponed. The Métis created a provisional government to which they invited an equal number of anglophone representatives. Riel negotiated directly with the Canadian government to establish Manitoba as a Canadian province.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Meanwhile, Riel's men arrested members of a pro-Canadian faction who resisted the provisional government. The arrested included an Orangeman, Thomas Scott. Riel's government tried Scott for insubordination, convicted him and then executed him. Canada and the Assiniboia provisional government soon negotiated an agreement. In 1870, the Parliament of Canada passed the Manitoba Act, 1870, allowing the Red River Colony to enter Confederation as the province of Manitoba.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1867: 1867 Milestone — The event was the first crisis the new federal government faced after Canadian Confederation in 1867.
2. 1869: 1869 Milestone — The Red River Rebellion (French: Rébellion de la rivière Rouge), also known as the Red River Resistance, Red River uprising, or First Riel Rebellion, was the sequence of events that led up to the 1869 establishment of a provisional government by Métis leader Louis Riel and his followers at the Red River Colony, in the early stages of establishing today's Canadian province of Manitoba.
3. 1870: 1870 Milestone — In 1870, the Parliament of Canada passed the Manitoba Act, 1870, allowing the Red River Colony to enter Confederation as the province of Manitoba.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Red River Rebellion

True or False: “The Métis population in the Red River Colony was entirely composed of French settlers from France.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The Métis were a mixed ethnicity descended from First Nations and French descent, developing a unique culture over time.

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