Canadian History Chapter 5 PDF

ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:36 AM Page 88 Home Quit CHAPTER 5 The Expansion of Settlement There were many challenges to building the railway. Crews lowered lake levels, flattened hills, and blasted through rock. Before READING Making Connections Imagine you have been hired to plan the development o...

ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:36 AM Page 88 Home Quit CHAPTER 5 The Expansion of Settlement There were many challenges to building the railway. Crews lowered lake levels, flattened hills, and blasted through rock. Before READING Making Connections Imagine you have been hired to plan the development of a 5-km wheelchair-accessible path through a local park in your community. How will you decide what route your path will take? Where will you get building supplies? How will you clear trees and bushes? What happens if there are water sources and steep hills? These are just a few of the questions the Canadian government had to face as they planned to lay approximately 5000 km of railway tracks across Canada. H 88 he Canadian government wanted to expand settlement in the Prairies, but there was no efficient way to get families there. It was also difficult to get supplies into the region and farm products out. With a railway, settlers would be able to reach the Prairie region more quickly and easily than they did by horse and wagon. Trains could deliver supplies and farm products. The railway linking all the provinces would become a symbol of Canada’s unity. It would show the United States that the Prairies were Canadian territory. How else was the railway project critical in the development and expansion of our country? While encouraging new settlement in the Prairies, the government had to consider the First Nations who were already living there. It signed a series of treaties with the First Nations. Meanwhile, the Métis who had fled from Manitoba after the Red River Resistance were sending petitions to the government without getting much response. What do you predict their dissatisfaction might lead to? T Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:36 AM Page 89 Home Quit Why have railways always been important in expanding population and trade? Questions to Consider as You Read this Chapter Literacy Thinking About Predicting You will explore these aspects of the Unit 2 Big Idea: How and why did Canada expand so rapidly following Confederation? The 5W + H can help you make predictions and conclusions based on what you read. How did building the railway lead to an increased population in the West? Use an organizer to make predictions and conclusions about each main idea. To create a question, use one question word, plus the word in the second column. Try to create one question in each area: prediction, probability, possibility, and thinking. One example is filled out for you below. How did settlers and railway workers affect the ways of life of First Nations? What were the causes and effects of the Northwest Rebellion? How can artists and writers help us understand history? Purpose One 5W + H Add On Question Prediction (before reading) Who? + will Who will sign the treaties? Probability + would Possibility + can Thinking + might Answer/Notes Chapter 5: The Expansion of Settlement H 89 ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:36 AM Page 90 Home Quit How Did Treaties Help Secure Land for Settlement? Canada wanted to settle the Prairies with Europeans, but the First Nations were already living there. They had lived on the Prairies for thousands of years. How could the government meet its goal of expanding and developing the West when its view of the land and resources was so different from that of the First Nations people? Different Perspectives on the Land First Nations’ View First Nations people believed that they did not own the land, but had been entrusted by the Great Spirit to take care of it. In return, the Great Spirit allowed them to live off the land’s resources. Humans were to take only what they needed for their survival so that the land could exist forever. Settlers’ View The settlers and the government believed that people could own individual plots of land. They could put fences around their plots to keep people and wild animals out, and keep farm animals in. The settlers also believed that they, because they owned the land, had the right to use it for whatever purposes they liked. Treaties with First Nations During READING Checkpoint Can you create a new “Probability” question for your chart? While Canada was still a collection of colonies, the French and British governments had relied on treaties to deal with land-use conflicts. In the Maritimes, treaties did not deal with land ownership, but in other regions they did. In these treaties, First Nations agreed to give up their rights to lands upon which they had lived for centuries. In return, the government promised to recognize First Nations’ rights to live on individual reserves WORD S MATTER treaties legal documents outlining agreements between nations reserves land set aside for exclusive use by First Nations people recognize First Nations’ rights to hunt and fish on their reserves according to their ancient customs provide annual payments to reserves to compensate First Nations for the lands they had given up supply farming implements, seeds, and livestock, as well as instruction in new farming techniques build schools on reserves H 90 Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:36 AM Page 91 Home Quit Looking back today, it is fair to say that the First Nations did not imagine how drastically their lives would change as a result of the treaties. First Nations had long been making treaties among themselves. To the First Nations, treaties are solemn and sacred agreements. However, because their traditions transmitted laws orally, First Nations had no experience with written documents. In addition, the treaties were in French or English, not First Nations languages. The Crown representatives told the First Nations chiefs that this was the best deal they could expect, and if they refused to sign the treaties, they might end up with nothing. How could you go about finding out whether or not the information the representatives gave the First Nations was true? WEB LINK For more information on First Nations treaties, visit our Web site. The Numbered Treaties The numbered treaties dealt with northwestern Ontario and the Prairies. They were called “numbered” because they did not have names, merely numbers to distinguish one from the other. Treaties 1 to 7 dealt with what are now Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The map below shows the territory covered by each treaty. Treaties One to Seven, 1871–1908 N Treaty Six extended 1889 Treaty Five extended 1908 Hudson Bay Treaty Five 1875 Treaty Six 1876 Treaty Seven 1877 0 150 Treaty Four 1874 Treaty Two 1871 Treaty One 1871 Treaty Three 1873 300 km As you can see from the map, the First Nations gave up their rights to most of the Prairie region in these treaties. Would you have signed a treaty? Why or why not? Chapter 5: The Expansion of Settlement H 91 ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 92 Home IN ZOOM UD Y Quit eaty 6 Analyzing the Effects of Tr CA SE ST Treaty 6 covered a huge area—about 300 000 km2, more than twice the area of the Maritimes. Alexander Morris was the government’s representative. During the negotiations with the Cree people of the area, he painted a rosy picture of life on the reserve. Alexander Morris’ View All along that road I see Indians gathering, I see gardens growing and houses building; I see them receiving money from the Queen’s Commissioners to purchase clothing for their children; at the same time I see them enjoying their hunting and fishing as before, I see them retaining their old mode of living with the Queen’s gift in addition. slaughtered the bison herds, and there was not enough food for the First Nations. Chief Mistahimaskwa’s (Big Bear’s) Observation Our big game is no more. You now own millions of acres... We have no food...We cannot work. We are tired. Feed us until we recoup our wasted bodies... We are hungry. Treaty 6 had a destructive effect on the Cree. They were cut off from their ancient hunting and trapping ways; as a result, they did not have enough food. The federal government never lived up to its promises. A proud people entered a long period of despair. The Cree were divided on whether or not to sign the treaty. Chief Poundmaker’s View This is our land! It isn’t a piece of pemmican to be cut off and given back to us. It is our land and we will take what we want. Chief Star Blanket’s View Can we stop the power of the white man from spreading over the land like the grasshoppers that cloud the sky and then fall to consume every blade of grass and every leaf on the trees in their path? I think not. The Cree suffered greatly after signing Treaty 6. In the winter of 1883–1884, about 10 percent of all First Nations on the Prairies, including the Cree, died of starvation. Fur traders and hunters H 92 Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada Chief Poundmaker and his wife, 1884 Chief Mistahimaskwa (Big Bear), 1888 THINKING It Over 1. Create an organizer that summarizes a) the main terms of Treaty 6, and b) its effects on the First Nations. k t c 2. Visit the Web site of the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations. Create a visual or a series of visuals to summarize the initiatives that these nations are making today in fields such as health, education, and economic development. t a ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 93 Home Quit The Indian Act In 1876, the government passed the Indian Act. The Act created the principle of Indian status—the term that identified people as First Nations. Here are some of the things the Act said: Only “full-blooded” First Nations people could have Indian status. This meant the Métis were not eligible. First Nations people on reserves became wards of the state. They were forbidden to vote or drink alcohol. First Nations people who lived off the reserves were not considered wards of the state and were not entitled to the same benefits. WORD S MATTER Indian status the term that identified people for recognition as “Indians” wards of the state people who are under the care of the government; usually children or people who are unable to be responsible for themselves First Nations women who married non-First Nations men lost their Indian status and the right to live on the reserve. Non–First Nations women who married First Nations men gained Indian status. The federal government could license companies to take timber from reserves. None of the money from this went to the reserves. First Nations people who committed crimes could be tried in the courts of Canada. This took away the traditional right of First Nations Elders to deal with lawbreakers among their people. First Nations people could have full Canadian citizenship, including the right to vote, only by giving up their Indian status. To this day, many people regard the passing of the Indian Act as one of the worst things the government did to First Nations people. Some of these policies changed many years later. For example, in 1985, First Nations women who married non-First Nations men won the right to remain on reserves and retain their status. In 2003, the Supreme Court ruled that Métis are entitled to benefits under the Indian Act. WEB LINK For more information on the Indian Act, visit our Web site. THINKING It Over 1. a) In your own words, summarize the differences between the First Nations’ and the settlers’ view of the land. b) Think of your own community. Which view seems to have survived? In your opinion, why is this? k t a 2. Research one of Treaties 1–5 or 7. Create an organizer to summarize and compare its terms with Treaty 6. t c Chapter 5: The Expansion of Settlement H 93 ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 94 Home Quit Developing the West During READING Checkpoint What does this tell you about conditions on the ships? Can you create a “Thinking” question for your chart? S WORD MATTER quarantine to keep people in isolation from others to prevent the spread of disease The government of Canada had a problem. How could it fill the West with settlers? The 1871 census showed that Canada had a total population of 3 737 257; however, the West’s population was small, as the following table shows. Population of the West, 1871 Province/Territory Population Percentage of Total Population of Canada Manitoba 25 228 0.67% Northwest Territories* 48 000 1.28% British Columbia 36 247 0.97% Total 109 475 2.92% * At this time, the Northwest Territories included what is now Alberta, Saskatchewan, and most of Manitoba. How could the government increase the number of settlers? There were not enough people living in Canada to expand into the region, so the government would have to consider new ways to boost the population. The government set up a system to make it easier for immigrants to enter Canada and settle in the Prairies. As a result, thousands of immigrants arrived from overseas. The Immigration Act How would you describe the conditions on this immigrant ship? How do you think new immigrants would have felt when they landed at Grosse Île and found they had to stay in this quarantine station? H 94 Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada The Immigration Act of 1869 was the first of a number of acts passed to manage the flow of immigrants to Canada. Its main purpose was to keep people with contagious diseases out of the country. Limits were placed on the number of passengers that could be carried on immigrant ships. The Act also required ships to show passenger lists to officers of the government upon their arrival. These officers would place seriously ill passengers in quarantine until they either got better or died. ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 95 Home Quit S MATTER The Dominion Lands Act WORD You may remember from Chapter 4 that in 1869, the federal government bought Rupert’s Land from the Hudson’s Bay Company. In 1872, the Dominion Lands Act set up rules about how this land was to be used. homesteads lands turned over to settlers for the purpose of farming Land Distribution The Prairies were divided into townships, blocks of land almost 10 km square. Each township was divided into 36 sections. Two sections were set aside for the Hudson’s Bay Company and two were set aside for school use. (A school would be built on part of one section, and the remaining land was sold or rented to provide revenue.) Sixteen blocks of land were for sale or rent to help pay for railway construction. The remaining sixteen were designated as homesteads, lands turned over to people for farming. A family could acquire a homestead quarter section for a $10 registration fee if they built a house or they turned some land into a farm within three years. Failure to meet these conditions meant the land had to be given back to the government. The “Road Allowance People” The Métis did not fare well under the Dominion Lands Act. Many tried to homestead, but found it difficult. The Métis were not treated the same as immigrant settlers. Among other things, they could not get modern steam-driven farm equipment and had to rely on hand tools. Métis author Maria Campbell wrote about what happened to Métis families in Saskatchewan under the Dominion Lands Act: What do you think was the purpose of this poster, produced in the early 1900s in Ontario? Who do you think was the intended audience? Fearless men who could brave sub-zero temperatures and all the dangers associated with living in the bush gave up, frustrated and discouraged. Gradually the [Métis] homesteads were reclaimed by the authorities and offered to the immigrants. The [Métis] then became squatters on their land and were eventually run off by the new owners. One by one they drifted back to the road lines and Crown lands where they build cabins and barns and from then on were known as “Road Allowance People.” Métis author and activist Maria Campbell How might this situation influence the relationship between the Métis and the government? Chapter 5: The Expansion of Settlement H 95 ON8_history_05.qxd 1/14/08 10:41 AM Page 96 Home Quit The Arrival of the Settlers and Immigrants Free land was very appealing to people at this time. For starters, they could grow their own food and would not have to fear starvation. However, there was no railway, and it was still very difficult to get to the Prairies. Most settlers ended up walking great distances to get to their homesteads. As a result, the population of the Northwest Territories increased slowly during the 1870s. The table below illustrates this slow growth. Population of the West, 1881 Province/Territory Population Increase from 1871 Manitoba 62 260 37 032 Northwest Territories 56 446 8446 British Columbia 49 459 13 212 Total 168 165 58 690 Settlers were increasing the population of the West, but the government was impatient. It became obvious that if the government was to increase the population of the Prairies, it would have to complete a railway through the region. It increasingly turned its attention to this matter. THINKING It Over 1. For each region in the population table above, calculate what percentage of the 1881 population arrived since 1871. Make a bar graph with 2 bars side-by-side for each region. One of the bars will represent the 1881 population of the region. The other bar will represent the percentage of the population that arrived in the region since 1871. There are two vertical axes for this graph: one on the left for population in 1881, and one on the right for the percentage of new arrivals. Colour the two kinds of bars different colours and include a legend. Write two conclusions you can draw from your graph. See pages S 16 to S 18 for help with graphs. t c H 96 Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada 2. In your own words, explain the difficulty the government had in filling the Prairies with settlers. How would building a railway help to solve this problem? k t c 3. Canada still has vast open spaces, with more than half of its population living between Montréal and Windsor. In a small group, discuss why that is. Should the government encourage people to migrate to the underpopulated areas today? Why or why not? t c a 4. Revisit the predictions of the Métis on page H 78. Make a chart showing which predictions came true. t c ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 97 Home Quit Rewind / Fast Forward Immigration Then Canada had a small population in the late 1800s. Although the number of immigrants coming to Canada was small, they made up a significant percentage of the population. At that time, Canada actively encouraged immigration, publishing pamphlets and posters in various languages, and distributing them in European countries. Why do you think Canada focused on Europe to attract immigrants? Now The number of immigrants coming to Canada is much larger today. So, too, is the existing population. As a result, the percentage figures are generally lower than they were in the late 1800s (see the chart below). Canada has always relied on immigrants to increase its population. Apart from First Nations people, everyone in Canada is an immigrant or is descended from immigrants. To this day, people continue to come to live in Canada from all over the world. This is a key factor in giving Canada its diverse nature. Year Immigrants % of Total Population Year Immigrants % of Total Population 1870 24 706 0.67% 1986 88 657 0.35% 1875 27 382 0.74% 1991 230 781 0.82% 1880 38 505 1.04% 1996 217 478 0.75% 1885 79 169 1.83% 2001 250 600 0.83% 1890 75 067 1.73% 2006 254 359 0.8% In what ways might immigrants’ reasons for coming to Canada today be the same, or different from their reasons in the 1800s? Chapter 5: The Expansion of Settlement H 97 ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 98 Home Quit Building a Transcontinental Railway As you learned in Chapter 2, British Columbia joined Confederation in 1871. At that time, Prime Minister John A. Macdonald promised to build a railway from Ontario to the West Coast within ten years. At first, the results were disappointing. Private companies could not see how such a railway would make a profit, and they did not want to invest in it. To make it more attractive for companies, Macdonald was prepared to offer them financial help and free land. How might this offer change how and when the railway was built? A railway company could become rich because of the massive amounts of free land it would get. Soon fierce competition arose between groups to get the contract. However, before construction of the railway really got going, Macdonald became involved in a political crisis. The Pacific Scandal It was election time in 1872, and Macdonald needed money to pay for the Conservative Party’s campaign. Sir Hugh Allan was a rich ship owner, and he donated $360 000 (equivalent to more than $7 million today) for the party to cover its campaign expenses. Allan was a member of a group that was trying to win the contract to build the railway. The $360 000 looked like a bribe to make sure that Allan’s group had an advantage over its opponents. People who knew about it tried to keep the matter quiet. The Conservatives barely won the election over the Liberals (103 seats to 97). Macdonald’s government awarded the contract to build the railway to Allan’s group. Then word began to leak out about the money Allan had given to the Conservatives. Two views emerged on the subject. Support for Macdonald At that time, it was legal for companies to give political parties money for their expenses. However, it was not legal to bribe politicians to take certain actions. Supporters claimed there was no evidence that Macdonald had agreed to give Allan’s group the contract to build the railway in return for the money. So the money was not technically a bribe. Therefore, Macdonald’s actions were proper, said his supporters. Sir Hugh Allan H 98 Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 99 Home Quit Criticism of Macdonald It is important that politicians obey the law. It is also important that they appear to obey the law. Allan gave the money to Macdonald, who awarded Allan’s group the contract. This created the appearance of improper conduct. For this reason, Macdonald’s actions were wrong, said his critics. Macdonald’s Defeat As a result of the scandal, Macdonald and his Conservative government were defeated in the House of Commons in 1874. Another election was called. This time, the Liberals defeated the Conservatives by 133 to 73 seats. The Liberal Party leader, Alexander Mackenzie, became prime minister. Macdonald’s Return In 1878, Macdonald returned to power when the Conservatives defeated the Liberals by 137 to 69 seats. Macdonald won that election by coming out with a new economic policy. It was known as the National Policy and it did the following Raised tariffs on foreign manufactured goods. This helped Canadian manufacturers by making imports more expensive. Examine this election campaign poster from the 1800s. What can you infer from it? What features can you identify that serve as symbols representing something else? Reduced tariffs on imported raw materials. This also helped manufacturers by allowing them to get cheaper materials. The National Policy was very popular among Canadian industries. It provided many jobs in Canadian factories. It also allowed Macdonald to win three more elections (in 1882, 1887, and 1891). The term “National Policy” died with Macdonald in 1891. For the next century, Canada maintained import duties on manufactured goods. In the 1990s, Canada moved toward free trade. Since the North American Free Trade Agreement came into effect in 1994, all goods manufactured in Mexico or the U.S. enter Canada duty-free. Duties on goods from many other countries have also been lowered. Chapter 5: The Expansion of Settlement H 99 ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 100 Home Quit The Canadian Pacific Railway The scandal and the Liberal government ended Sir Hugh Allan’s involvement in the railway. The Liberals were less committed to building the railway. By 1878, they had made only a few attempts at starting construction in Ontario and Manitoba. The government was running out of time on its ten-year promise to British Columbia. In 1881, Macdonald gave a new contract to build the railway to a Montréal company, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). Its supporters included rich merchants and bank owners like Donald A. Smith, J.J. Hill, and George Stephen. In return for building and running the railway, the government agreed to give $25 million in cash about 10 million hectares of free land a guarantee of freedom from competition for 20 years The company rushed to build the railway and completed it in just over four years. Railway Construction WEB LINK For more information on the building of the CPR, visit our Web site. For five summers, workers toiled to lay track from Callander, Ontario, to Port Moody, British Columbia. It was relatively simple work through the Prairies, but the rock and muskeg in northern Ontario and the Rocky Mountains in the West presented huge obstacles. Fortunately, the CPR had a competent general manager. Think about clearing a route for the railway through the Rocky Mountains. What would have to be done? Remember that there were no trucks or bulldozers at that time. H 100 Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 101 Home Quit William Van Horne William Van Horne was born in the U.S. in 1843. By 1880, he was general superintendent for a railway based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On January 1, 1882, he was appointed general manager of the CPR. His first duty was to supervise the building of the line. By 1883, it was complete from Winnipeg to Calgary. He had his own private railcar and was deeply involved in the daily running of the line. He personally oversaw the hiring of navvies (labourers). He supervised the purchase of materials, and decisions regarding the line’s route. When Van Horne’s work was done, the CPR would act as a powerful symbol of Canada’s expansion and nationhood. In 1888, Van Horne became president of the CPR. By the time he retired in 1899, he had made a huge impact on Canada. Chinese Labour William Van Horne WORD S MATTER navvies labourers; it is an Andrew Onderdonk also supervised the building of the line abbreviation of the word “navigator” in the old-fashioned eastward from Port Moody to Craigellachie, in British Columbia. sense of a canal builder Laying a route along the Fraser River was difficult work. There was a shortage of labourers in B.C., so the CPR imported workers from China. About two-thirds of the workers on this section were of Chinese origin. During READING The Chinese workers did the most dangerous work. They often Checkpoint blasted rocks with nitroglycerine, an extremely dangerous explosive. How fairly were the Chinese Many workers died in accidents involving these explosives. Many workers treated? Can you were also killed by falling rock blasts. Crowded living conditions, poor create a “Possibility” question diet, cold weather, and lack of medical care also caused hundreds of for your chart? workers to die. It is estimated that 600 to 700 Chinese workers died during construction of the railway. In addition to this, while white railway workers earned $1.50 to $2.50 a day, Chinese labourers were only paid $1 a day. When construction was finished, the government wanted the Chinese to return to China. To encourage this, the government made it extremely difficult for the Chinese workers to bring in other members of their families. In 1885, the government imposed a “head tax” of $50 on every Chinese person coming to Canada. In 1900, the tax was increased to $100, and to $500 in 1902. You read that Canada was encouraging immigration, but then it discouraged Chinese people from coming to Canada. Imagine you are a Chinese railroad worker. Write a letter to your family in China explaining why you cannot send for them to join you in Canada. Chapter 5: The Expansion of Settlement H 101 ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 102 Home Quit During the railway construction, some of the Chinese workers discovered jade deposits in the rocks of British Columbia. Jade has special value in Chinese tradition, as it is believed to bring health, wealth, and happiness. These workers supplemented their wages by mining jade and shipping it to China. Completion of the Line Donald Smith, Lord Strathcona, was president of the Bank of Montréal and provided much of the money to build the line. For this reason, he was given the honour of driving in the last spike at Craigellachie, B.C., on November 7, 1885. This spike joined the lines from the East and West together. The first passenger train left Montréal on June 28, 1886, and arrived at Port Moody six days later. In May, 1887, the line was completed from Port Moody to Vancouver. Finally, the transcontinental railway was completed. N The Impact of the CPR Vancouver Fraser Riv er Hudson Bay Craigellachie Calgary Regina Port Moody Winnipeg Kenora Sudbury Fort William Callander Canadian Pacific Railway 0 250 The CPR ensured the survival of Canada. It made it possible to transport people and products right across the land from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. Settlement of the Prairies was also made possible. It acted as a visible symbol to the U.S. that all lands north of the 49th parallel were Canadian territory. It was one of the greatest achievements of the time. 500 km This map shows the new CPR line. Railway lines had been established east of Callander for some time. THINKING It Over 1. a) Identify three challenges to building the railway and describe how each was overcome. b) Did the people involved with the railway project make the best decisions to overcome these challenges? Why or why not? k t 2. Obtain from your teacher the words to Gordon Lightfoot’s song, “Canadian Railroad Trilogy.” Your teacher can give you a copy of the words to follow as you listen. Draw a picture or write a poem to describe three things you found interesting in H 102 Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada Lightfoot’s song. Explain the reasons for your choices. Share and discuss your work with a partner. k t a c 3. In 2006, the Canadian government formally apologized to Chinese Canadians for unjust treatment in the past. With a partner, discuss the value of an apology more than 100 years after the injustice took place. What else, if anything, could the government do to correct the injustice today? t c a ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 103 Home Quit The Northwest Rebellion By 1885, settlers had begun to arrive in what is now Saskatchewan. Many Métis who had left Manitoba after the 1869 Resistance had settled in Saskatchewan, and they foresaw that they might lose their lands as they had in Red River. Earlier you read about the difficulties the Métis faced under the Dominion Lands Act. Over the years, their situation became more serious. The bison were disappearing and food was scarce. Many Métis faced starvation. How could the Prairies support more settlers? During READING Checkpoint Earlier you learned about the different attitudes people had toward the land and the wildlife. Review and note whose interests must have won out if the bison were disappearing. A Rebellion in the Making The Métis began to send petitions to Ottawa, asking for secure title to their lands, agricultural aid, schools, and a local police force. When Ottawa ignored their demands, dissatisfaction grew. Riel’s Return Louis Riel had been living in the United States. He was persuaded to return to lead the Métis a second time. On March 19, 1885, Riel seized the parish church at Batoche and formed a second provisional government. It was a repeat of the strategy he had used at Red River in 1869. First Nations chiefs supported this move. Cree chief Big Bear and Blackfoot chief Crowfoot were prepared to support Riel. Macdonald’s Advantages There were some key differences between the first situation in 1869 and the second one in 1885. This time, Macdonald had some important advantages. He did not delay, and decided at once to fight Riel and his supporters. The North-West Mounted Police had been formed in 1873 (you will read more about this in the next chapter). Officers were in the area, available to fight. On March 25, the government began to assemble troops. The CPR was almost complete. Soldiers could be mobilized quickly and sent from the East to resist Riel’s troops. By April 10, 3000 troops had assembled at Qu’Appelle, near Batoche. North-West Mounted Police barracks and parade square, 1885 Chapter 5: The Expansion of Settlement H 103 ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 104 Home Quit Major Events WORD S MATTER guerrilla tactics fighting by means of ambush and surprise attacks Riel realized that war was afoot. He appointed Gabriel Dumont as his military commander. Dumont adopted guerrilla tactics to great advantage against the government troops. Instead of fighting the army head-on, Dumont’s troops used ambushes. This worked well against the superior numbers and weapons of the army. Battle of Duck Lake Dumont won some early victories before the full force of the government could be assembled. At Duck Lake on March 26, 1885, Cree and Métis fighters forced the police and the army to retreat to safety. Guerrilla tactics were working. Massacre at Frog Lake On April 2, a breakaway band of Plains Cree warriors attacked Frog Lake. The focus of the attack was Thomas Quinn, an Indian agent who had treated the Cree badly. When he refused to go with his captors, he was shot. In the chaos that followed, eight other white men were killed. In November, six Cree men were tried and hanged for their roles in the Frog Lake Massacre. This incident was different from the battles of the Northwest Rebellion in that it was not Métis military forces fighting the Canadian army, but an independent band of warriors, motivated by hunger and mistreatment. As such, it influenced the reaction of settlers and the NWMP toward the rebellion, and it compelled the Graves of the victims of the Frog Lake Massacre are marked with crosses. government to pay attention to the growing unrest. Battle of Fish Creek On April 24, Dumont organized about 150 First Nations and Métis fighters to ambush government soldiers at Fish Creek, about 20 km from Batoche. The government troops were taken by surprise. They suffered casualties before additional soldiers arrived as reinforcements. Both sides withdrew from the area. H 104 Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 105 Home Quit Battle of Cut Knife On May 1, War Chief Fine Day, with a force of Cree and Assiniboine fighters, encountered a government military force at Cut Knife. The army was almost surrounded by the warriors. Poundmaker, the Cree chief, persuaded the fighters not to pursue the army. They retreated, and casualties were fewer than they might have been. Battle of Batoche Riel was unhappy with Dumont’s progress. He ordered Dumont to stop his guerrilla campaign and organize his followers to defend Batoche. This proved to be a military error. The army could now concentrate their efforts on one spot. Government troops marched on Batoche, taking all their equipment with them. The force of 900 soldiers attacked the 300 Métis, Cree, and Dakota defenders of Batoche from May 9 to 12. The defenders resisted at first, but government troops eventually captured the stronghold. Riel surrendered and was arrested. Dumont fled to the United States. Chief Fine Day From what you know about the Battle of Batoche, what moment has the artist captured in this image? Whose point of view is represented? Chapter 5: The Expansion of Settlement H 105 ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 106 Home Quit Real People Making History The Public and Private Life of Louis Riel H 106 Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 107 Home Quit Real People Making History The Public and Private Life of Louis Riel Chapter 5: The Expansion of Settlement H 107 ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 108 Home Quit The Final Battles WEB LINK For more information on the Northwest Rebellion, visit our Web site. The Cree fighters continued their resistance for a few days, but the fighting ended after skirmishes at Frenchman’s Butte on May 28 and Loon Lake on June 3. The Northwest Rebellion was over. Aftermath of the Rebellion Why do you think Gabriel Dumont is on a Canadian stamp issued in 1985? The Northwest Rebellion was the final resistance of the Métis and First Nations to the advance of the settlers. Riel was tried for treason and executed (see Real People Making History, pages H 106–H 107). English–French tensions exploded across the country. People of British background—the “English”—wanted Riel to be dealt with harshly. The majority of people in Québec—the “French”—wanted him to be regarded as a hero because he had defended Roman Catholic and French language rights. Macdonald did not try to find a middle ground. When Riel was convicted of treason, Macdonald allowed the death sentence to be carried out. This infuriated the French. Support for the Conservative party in Québec plummeted. In 1992, the government of Canada proposed a bill that reversed Riel’s conviction for treason, recognized him as the founder of Manitoba, and acknowledged his contribution to the advancement of Confederation and of Métis rights. How do you think such a drastic change of public opinion comes about? THINKING It Over 1. Make a timeline of the major events of the Northwest Rebellion. Include the dates, names of events, and a short summary. k c 2. Create a cause-effect-results chain web for the Northwest Rebellion. List each event and identify it as a) cause, b) effect, or c) result. See page S 19 for help with cause and effect. k t 3. a) Work with a partner. It is 1885. One of you prepares a short, oneminute speech to the judge, saying why Louis Riel should be executed. The other argues that he should be found insane. Do some research to find arguments for the two speeches. b) Deliver your speeches to each other. c) Now step out of your roles. Discuss whether you think he should have been executed, and why. k t c H 108 Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada ON8_history_05.qxd 1/14/08 10:42 AM Page 109 Home Quit HISTORICAL THINKING SKILL Developing Historical Perspective “Louis Riel, you have been found guilty of the most pernicious crime a man can commit; you have been found guilty of High Treason. For what you did, your remarks form no excuse whatever, and the law requires you to answer for it.” “In 1992, the Parliament of Canada and the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba formally recognized Riel’s contribution to the development of the Canadian Confederation and his role, and that of the Métis, as founders of Manitoba.” Plaque on a statue of Louis Riel near the Manitoba Legislature. Judge Hugh Richardson, 1885. Why do you think these views of Louis Riel and his actions are so different? Is one view simply wrong or misguided, and the other one right? Part of the reason for the difference is because they were written at different times in history. People who live at different times often develop different perspectives on events or issues. Part of understanding history is considering differences in perspective. Step 1 Identify your own perspective Before you can recognize other perspectives, you have to realize that your perspective comes partly from the time and culture in which you live, and is not shared by everyone. Consider an issue and ask yourself the following questions: What do I think about the issue and the best way to resolve it? Step 2 People from different cultural groups develop different perspectives. Page H 90 of this chapter, for example, describes the different perspectives First Nations and settlers had of the land. One historian wrote a book titled The Past Is a Foreign Country to point out that perspectives are often different over time, just as they are across cultures. For the issue you identified above, ask yourself the following questions: What perspectives different from mine exist on this issue? (These might be in our time or in other historical periods.) Who holds these perspectives? What about their circumstances, culture, or time period might have influenced their decisions? What are my reasons for holding these views? What about my circumstances, culture, or time period might have influenced my positions? Who were the individuals or groups involved? Identify other perspectives What was their perspective on the Rebellion and trial of Louis Riel? APPLY It Review the section of the chapter on the Northwest Rebellion (pages H 103–H 108) and complete the following chart. What were the common living conditions, experiences, or historical circumstances that might explain why they held that perspective? Chapter 5: The Expansion of Settlement H 109 ON8_history_05.qxd 1/14/08 10:43 AM Page 110 Home Quit Can You Win the Contract to Build the CPR? What You Will Need How to Win a game board Repeat steps C to E until one player has moved all three counters into the highest squares and has persuaded the government to grant these terms to build the CPR. (Players do not have to roll the exact number to move into the highest squares.) When one of your counters is finished, you may have two die rolls in another turn to help you along. one die six counters in two colours (e.g., three red and three green) How to Play A. Work with another person. It is 1880. Macdonald is desperately trying to get a private company to build the CPR from Ontario to British Columbia. Can your company be the first to reach an agreement with the government? To make the scheme possible, you will need $25 m 10 m ha 20 yr $25 m 10 m ha 20 yr $24 m 9.5 m ha 19 yr $24 m 9.5 m ha 19 yr $23 m 9 m ha 18 yr $23 m 9 m ha 18 yr $22 m 8.5 m ha 17 yr $22 m 8.5 m ha 17 yr $25 million $21 m 8 m ha 16 yr $21 m 8 m ha 16 yr about 10 million hectares of free land $20 m 7.5 m ha 15 yr $20 m 7.5 m ha 15 yr $19 m 7 m ha 14 yr $19 m 7 m ha 14 yr $18 m 6.5 m ha 13 yr $18 m 6.5 m ha 13 yr $17 m 6 m ha 12 yr $17 m 6 m ha 12 yr $16 m 5.5 m ha 11 yr $16 m 5.5 m ha 11 yr $15 m 5 m ha 10 yr $15 m 5 m ha 10 yr $14 m 4.5 m ha 9 yr $14 m 4.5 m ha 9 yr $13 m 4 m ha 8 yr $13 m 4 m ha 8 yr $12 m 3.5 m ha 7 yr $12 m 3.5 m ha 7 yr $11 m 3 m ha 6 yr $11 m 3 m ha 6 yr $9 m 2.5 m ha 5 yr $9 m 2.5 m ha 5 yr $7 m 2 m ha 4 yr $7 m 2 m ha 4 yr $5 m 1.5 m ha 3 yr $5 m 1.5 m ha 3 yr $3 m 1 m ha 2 yr $3 m 1 m ha 2 yr $1 m 0.5 m ha 1 yr $1 m 0.5 m ha 1 yr START START START START START START a guarantee of freedom from competition for 20 years B. Place your counters on the START squares. Each player uses one colour. C. Player A rolls the die and moves the “money” counter ahead by the number rolled. Then Player B takes a turn. If a roll lands on 3 or a 6, move the counter backward, but do not go below START. D. In turn, the players roll the die and move their “hectares” counter forward. E. In turn, the players roll the die and move their “years” counter forward. THINKING It Over 1. Was the winner generally ahead throughout the game, or did he or she only start to move ahead in the final rounds? Why do you think this occurred? t a 2. How did a player have an advantage when one of the counters was finished? t H 110 Unit 2: The Development of Western Canada 3. Do you think this game illustrates some of the advantages and disadvantages a company might have trying to win the contract to build the railway? Explain your answer. k t ON8_history_05.qxd 1/11/08 9:37 AM Page 111 Home Quit PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER You have looked at a few more factors of how Canada expanded. You have seen how the expansion of the West became the focus of Macdonald’s attention from 1869 onward. You have learned that treaties and the Indian Act changed life of the Prairies forever. Another rebellion, in 1885, proved unsuccessful and failed to keep the settlers out. The First Nations and Métis had to adapt to a new way of life, one that was harsh and restricted compared to their traditional way of life. The completion of the CPR, in 1885, was a major development in the expansion of Canada and an important symbol. After READING Predicting Return to the chart you created and completed as you read this chapter. Which of your predictions were correct and why? Which of your questions were most useful in getting information and why? Discuss with a partner. With your partner, use the most useful questions from your chart to create an organizer that might help a student who has a tough time with History. To help choose an organizer, skim through this book to see various organizers. Purpose One 5W + H Add On Question Prediction (before reading) Who? + will Who will sign the treaties? Probability + would Possibility + can Thinking + might Answer/Notes THINKING It Through 1. In a small group, write the key terms on a slip of paper. Divide the group into two teams and appoint a game leader. The leader will draw a slip of paper and show the word to one student in each team. Those two take turns giving one-word clues to their team and the first team to identify the word first earns a point. The game leader is the final judge. Teams can alternate who gives clues and who guesses. k t c 2. The development of the West and the Northwest has inspired many creative people to try to capture its spirit. These include Emily Carr (painter) Mungo Martin (artist) Do some preliminary research to find which one of these interests you the most and about whom you can find sufficient material for this Performance Task. For the person you have chosen a) Locate primary and secondary source material that describes the person’s life and illustrates the person’s work. k t b) Create a display with details of the person’s life and examples of the person’s work. t a c c) Create a conclusion in which you summarize the importance of the person’s contribution to recording history. k t a Paul Yee (writer) Robert Service (poet) Chapter 5: The Expansion of Settlement H 111