Chapter 11
The 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
Macdonald’s National
Policy
Pg. 240
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.
Macdonald’s National Policy
Pg. 240
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)
Macdonald’s National Policy
Pg. 240
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 NorthWest, with control over resources and
representation in the federal Cabinet +
Parliament
• Wanted provincial status for the District of
Saskatchewan
Events Leading to Resistance
Pg. 249/50
• 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
Events Leading to Resistance
Pg. 249/50
• 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 Uprising
Pg. 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 Uprising
Pg. 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 Resistance
Pg. 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, nondenominational 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