chapter 11 the nation’s growing pains (1873 - 1911)

Chapter 11The Nation’s Growing Pains

(1873 - 1911)

Turn to Page 234

Liberal Administration 1873 – 1878 Pg. 237

• Macdonald promised a railway “From Sea to Sea”• Awarded the CPR contract to Sir Hugh Allan• It became public knowledge that Allan had donated

$325 000 to the Conservative Party during the 1872 election

• Macdonald’s Conservative gov’t accused of accepting a bribe in exchange for the railway contract

• This was called the Pacific Scandal• Macdonald resigns and the Mackenzie’s Liberal gov’t

takes over

Northwest Territories Act, 1875 See Map Pg. 238

• Initially, NWT governed from Ottawa with no gov’t of its own• Then, placed under control of the lieutenant governor of

Manitoba• Long delays before decisions made because needed federal

gov’t approval on everything• This Act – gradual implementation of representative

government as more people immigrated here• Given their own lieutenant governor + appointed council of 5

members• When the population increased, it would receive more of a

political voice

Indian Act, 1867 Pg. 238• Governs the First People and their

lands• Aim: Move the First People onto

reserves and use the remaining lands for settlement

• Assumed the First Nations would assimilate

• Isolation policy of reserves– Educated, Christianized, and protected

until they were fully assimilated into the dominant Canadian culture and society

Conservative Administration 1878- 1896 Pg. 239

• Macdonald’s Conservative Party introduced a new policy called the National Policy– Protective Tariffs– National Railway– Settlement of the West

• Canadians responded well and re-elected J.A.M. and his party in 1878

Macdonald’s National Policy Pg. 240

1. Protective Tariffs– To encourage development of Canadian industries

and raw materials– High tariffs (import taxes) were to be put on

goods that Canadian industries could make– Tariffs would make goods from other countries

more expensive than Canadian goods, so Canadian industries would sell more

– Would generate money for the railway


1. Protective Tariffs– Fortunately, a world-wide

period of prosperity began soon after the Conservatives returned to power

– It appeared that J.A.M.’s National Policy worked a miracle because business increased

– However, actually was due to the world-wide business boom and renewal of timber trade with U.S.


2. National Railway– In 1880, the CPR was formed– Take settlers to the West; bring crops to the East– Task of building a transcontinental railway that

would go from Montreal to the west coast of B.C.– A tremendous accomplishment– Canada population with only 4 000 000 completed

its railway only a few years after the U.S. did (a nation with 10 X the population)


3. Settlement of the West– Population growth not good– 1890s, more people leaving Canada than coming in from

other countries– Dominion Lands Act 1872, gave settlers 64 hectares of

land in return for a $10 registration fee with the condition that one must live on the land and work for 3 years

– Prairie farmlands were surveyed into townships (divided squares of land)

– U.S. West more attractive because of free land and railway

The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) Pg. 241

• CPR completed in 1885 under the leadership of William Cornelius Van Horne

• Very expensive; gov’t promised money, land, railway lines, and no taxes to the private company

• Northwest Rebellion (Native resistance) – Van Horne transported soldiers to the West although some places unfinished– People very impressed by the speed of the railway

and protection– Gov’t loans more money to the CPR

The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) Pg. 241

• William Cornelius Van Horne– In 1882, hired as General Manager of CPR– Very ambitious– In 10 years, only 480 km completed; Van Horne built

830 km in one year– CPR completed 6 years before the estimated date– The West now ready for settlers

• Donald Smith and the Last Spike (See Pg. 242)– Nov 7, 1885– Craigellachie, B.C.

Northwest Mounted Police Pg. 244• Created Aug 1873• Since Canada purchased Rupert’s Land in 1869, not

easy to enforce the laws of the western lands• No one to stop the American traders selling whiskey to

the Native peoples• Cypress Hills (Massacre), which are in Alberta and

Saskatchewan, demonstrated the need for police– American traders killed 30 Assiniboine people

• Stopped whisky trade, advice to settlers, carried mail, fought fires, helped with Native conflict

Seven Treaties Pg. 246• The Caucasian thinking was to move the First

People out of the way for European settlement• Many people moved into areas set aside for the

First People• J.A.M. believed the First Nations should be

assimilated• Needed to resolve all land claims before settlers

could move in

Seven Treaties Pg. 246• From 1871 – 1877, seven treaties signed between the Canadian

gov’t and the First People living between Lake Superior and the Rockies

• In return for their lands, First People received reserve lands, a lump-sum payment, yearly payments, and a school on each reserve

• Empty promises; disease and whisky traders weakened the First People; forced to accept the terms

• Those who signed treaties and their descendant called “status Indians”

• Those who did not sign and their descendants known as “non-status Indians”

• Read Page. 247

Causes of NW Rebellion Pg. 249• Read Page. 248• The Manitoba Act of 1870 set aside 500 000 hectares for the

Métis• Gov’t surveyors came in 1878• Métis could not understand why some land lots were recognized

while others not• Without proper gov’t survey, could not get official title to the

land• Slow distribution of promised lands• More and more settlers coming into Manitoba and soon

outnumbered the Métis

Causes of NW Resistance Pg. 249

• By 1885, community of Metis on the North Saskatchewan River (about 500 people)

• National Policy – settle the West; 25 000 new settlers arrived between 1871 – 1881

• West was changing - buffalo and Native lifestyle disappearing; Metis farmers threatened by new settlers

• Metis frustrated with the lack of response from J.A.M.

Causes of NW Resistance Pg. 249

• Louis Riel suffered an emotional breakdown and spent two years in a Quebec asylum after the Red River Rebellion 1869/70

• 1875, granted amnesty (pardon for past offences) if he stayed in Canada for 5 years

• Marries in Montana• June 4, 1884, four man delegation, including

Gabriel Dumont arrived in Montana to get Riel to Saskatchewan

Events Leading to Resistance Pg. 249/50

• 1884 Summer, Riel returns to the Saskatchewan River

• Decided to petition to Ottawa• Concerns of the Metis, the First People, and

the settlers• Asked for responsible gov’t for the North-

West, with control over resources and representation in the federal Cabinet + Parliament

• Wanted provincial status for the District of Saskatchewan


• Letters sent to Ottawa to warn them of trouble if they did not respond to the complaints

• PM J.A.M. drew up a list of all the Metis who were eligible for scrip and land grants

• Scrip: certificate or coupon that was given as compensation for land, entitling to a choice between land or cash


• March 19, 1885, Riel sets up a provisional or temporary gov’t (similar to the one in Manitoba)

• Gabriel Dumont appointed the military leader

• Most First People decided to not take up arms against the federal gov’t except for the bands of Poundmaker and Big Bear

An Armed UprisingPg. 250/1

• North-West Resistance began March 26, 1885 Battle at Duck Lake

• Gabriel Dumont and Metis attacked Superintendent Crozier of the NWMP

• 12 of C’s men killed, 11 wounded; 5 Metis killed• Poundmaker to Battleford for food• April 2 Frog Lake Battle – Big Bear’s men killed 9

people including Thomas Quinn, gov’t agent

An Armed UprisingPg. 250/1

• J.A.M. “The North-West Rebellion saves the CPR” – sends 8000 soldiers on the unfinished track

• Major-General Middleton of Canada divided into 3 groups: Metis at Batoche, Poundmaker at Battleford, and Big Bear

• Riel believed God told him to stay in Batoche and defend; Dumont wanted to hit-and-run

• May 9 -12 Battle at Batoche (Pg. 250/1)• Riel and company surrender

Louis Riel Trial Pg. 252• Watch Heritage Minute• Riel on trial for treason• Found guilty by a jury of six English-speaking Canadian

men• Jury asked for mercy, but the judge had no power to stop

the execution• Petitions and debates of not hanging him• 2 months for J.A.M. to make a decision• Would lose many votes in Quebec• Riel hung Nov 16, 1885

Effects of the NW ResistancePg. 252

• Completion of the CPR• Riel’s hanging caused a rift between English and French

Canada• Direct insult to French-Canadians• English Canadians felt that French-Canadians had no

right to demand special treatment• Many blames J.A.M. for the problems in the NW• Riel: A rebel, a hero, or insane?• 1992, 100 years after the NW Resistance, the Canadian

Parliament recognizes Riel’s contributions

Military Leaders Pg. 253• Dumont: Great rider, marksman, spoke French and six

Native languages, hit-and-run guerrilla strategy, joined “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s travelling Wild West Show

• Major-General Frederick Middleton: led the Canadian Militia, Battle of Fish Creek and Batoche

• Poundmaker: Cree chief, his people had a hard time adjusting as farmers, frustrated and went to Battleford, Colonel Otter defeated, jailed after

• Big Bear: unhappy with gov’t treatment of First Nations, he wanted a peaceful resistance, but his followers took up arms

French Canadian Nationalism Pg. 255

• Becomes a challenge to Confederation• French-Canadians viewed it as an agreement to

guarantee French and English equality• Seemed that biculturalism rejected in English

Canada• Eg. 1871 New Brunswick gets rid of Roman

Catholic schools; 1890 Manitoba replaces dual system with only English

• Fear of English Canadian culture assimilation

Henri Bourassa Pg. 255

• Journalist, Liberal, and Member of Parliament

• Championed the rights of Canada’s French-speaking minority

• Wanted equality between French and English

• Argued that French language and Roman Catholicism should be protected

• “Selective immigration…no railway…too many English settlers coming”

• Break ties with Britain

Manitoba Schools Question Pg. 255

• 1870, Confederation, half the population French-speaking

• Schools were Roman Catholic supported with a subsidy from the HBC

• Over the next 20 years, English immigration outnumbered French-speakers

• 1890, Manitoba voted to set up a single English public school system (no duality)

• Read Pg. 255

Manitoba Schools Question Pg. 255• French Catholics appealed to J.A.M.• No-win situation– If it supported the French Catholics would be seen as

interfering in provincial affairs– If it did not support the Catholics, it would lose votes in

Quebec

• More problems – five P.M.’s in four years• 1895 – Conservative gov’t prepared a bill to give

back the rights to the French-speaking Catholics, but an election called before it became a law

Manitoba Schools Question Pg. 255

• Wilfrid Laurier and his Liberal party won in 1896

• Compromise with provincial leaders– The provincially funded, non-

denominational public school system remained in effect

– If enough students, religious teaching in the last half-hour of the school day

– If 10 or more students spoke one language, taught in that language

The Last Best West Pg. 257

• From 1900 to 1914• A flood of immigrants into

western Canada from Ontario, Britain, and the U.S.

• Six Reasons Pg. 257• Slow to encourage western

settlement; not until good land in the U.S. filled up

Clifford Sifton Pg. 257• Enthusiastically promoted immigrant settlement in the West• Wilfrid Laurier (Liberal PM) appointed him to be Minister in

charge of immigration• Placed ads in 6000 newspapers in the U.S.• Gave American newspaper editors free trips to the Canadian

Prairies, so they could see the inexpensive, fertile land• Sent advertising agents to the British Isles, Central and

Eastern Europe• Many in Europe would not get the chance to own a large

farm; owned small ones with high taxes or were tenant farmers

Alberta + Saskatchewan Pg. 267• NWT concerned whether the territories should be

granted provincial status• Canadian gov’t argued that there were too few

people• Sept 1, 1905 – Alberta and Saskatchewan created• They were promised: cash, yearly cash, taxes used to

support separate Protestant and Roman Catholic schools

• French language + denominational schools (run by religious group)

Alberta Pg. 268

• Edmonton or Calgary as the capital city?• Edmonton: – Geographic center of the province– Early trading post; center of activities for many

years

• Calgary:– Located on the main line of the CPR– Center for the cattle industry

• Frank Oliver, MP, made Edmonton the capital

Saskatchewan Pg. 269• Sept 4, 1905 Inaugural day• Crowds, bands, bunting (strips of cloth used as holiday

decorations), parades, speeches, new lieutenant-governor, musical rides, ball

• Six cities wanted to be capital city• Regina already had the distinction of being appointed

capital of the NWMP and part of the CPR line• Saskatoon invited important people to a lavish

banquet• Regina voted 21 to 2 as the capital city

chapter 11 the nation’s growing pains (1873 - 1911)

Documents