North-West Rebellion of 1885 - Riel Rebellion - Canadian History - Need help?

A railroad into new territory is like a pipeline of people; a flood, compared to what came before. The railroad opened up the west by flooding it with settlers from Eastern Canada. The change is dramatic, especially in the 19th century. British Columbia was so keen on the railway, it refused to join Canada until the railroad was finished. But this "new territory" wasn't really new. The natives had always been there, and the Metis had existed since the first French fur traders and voyageurs, and had certainly put down roots. Now English-speaking settlers were showing up in droves, bringing their culture, and each one looking for land. Trouble? Big time. Look at what happened with Riel's first fight, in Manitoba. The Metis had long since settled into a peaceful existence, dividing up the land according to the French seigneurial system. Along came the largely English government of Canada, determined to survey as if no one was there, and establish it's own laws and rules, with varying degrees of hostility toward French, natives and Catholics, and along came the first wave of settlers from Ontario. The rest you know.

I recommend looking for the volume I cite below. You may also want to look for the Canadian Encyclopedia online which may add some details. Canadian Confederation took place in 1867 and one of the tactics used to invite various colonies into this union was a communications network which would connect each of these to the others. In those days 'communication' basically meant transportation. Thus a transcontinental railroad was instigated and the idea of the railroad going through territory in Manitoba where Metis people ran trap-lines as their livelihood did not sit well with the local population. The Metis, perceiving themselves to constitute a 'people' staged two rebellions and set up a renegade government which sentenced a rail worker to death which set off repercussions from the central government of the fledgling nation in Ottawa. Read about Louis Riel and John A. Macdonald.

I recommend looking for the volume I cite below. You may also want to look for the Canadian Encyclopedia online which may add some details. Canadian Confederation took place in 1867 and one of the tactics used to invite various colonies into this union was a communications network which would connect each of these to the others. In those days 'communication' basically meant transportation. Thus a transcontinental railroad was instigated and the idea of the railroad going through territory in Manitoba where Metis people ran trap-lines as their livelihood did not sit well with the local population. The Metis, perceiving themselves to constitute a 'people' staged two rebellions and set up a renegade government which sentenced a rail worker to death which set off repercussions from the central government of the fledgling nation in Ottawa. Read about Louis Riel and John A. Macdonald.

here