HISTORY ASSIGNMENT
Written By: Zehra Nasirali
For: Mr. Buck
Course: HCT-2AI
Date: 26 February, 1998
Red River Rebellion – 1870
·
P.M.
John A. MacDonald promoted industrial growth and expansion to the west-->
public favored him.
·
1896
the P.M. purchased North West Territory from Hudson’s Bay Company
·
Majority
of people at Red River were Metis (both French and English).
·
Metis
were upset that surveyors from the Canadian Government came to survey Metis
traditional lands
·
The
leader of the Metis was Louis Riel; he arrested Canadian surveyors in 1896.
·
Metis
decided to set up their own Provisional Government; this angered Ontario
Englishmen living there.
·
Thomas
Scott, a surveyor, failed in his rebel against the Riel Government; he was
executed.
·
Everyone
turned against Riel because of his mistake in killing Scott; Riel therefore ran
away to the United States.
·
In
1870, the Red River settlement was granted to Manitoba so they could keep their
land and language
·
Consequence: Riel escaped to the U.S.
·
Metis point was that Canadian Government didn’t consider their rights.
North West Rebellion – 1885
·
Metis
sold or abandoned their land and moved to North West Saskatchewan to live the
normal life – farming, hunting.
·
The
Government construction (CPR) interrupts their lives again
·
Metis
called Riel from U.S. to lead them and protested together with simple petitions
and letters.
·
McDonald
ignored them but set his soldiers and army to apprehend Louis Riel.
·
The
railway came in handy and brought the troops form Eastern Canada.
·
Some
soldiers and Metis died and Riel was arrested and put on trial.
·
Riel
is found guilty and hanged in 1885.
·
Francophones
in Quebec and Manitoba sympathized Riel.
Manitoba School Crisis – 1870, 1890, 1896
·
1870,
most of the people were Francophones and Roman Catholic.
·
Roman
Catholic schools were promised that taxes would pay for the school.
·
20
years later, 1890, there were more Anglophones that moved to Manitoba.
·
The
Francophones and Roman Catholics were now in minority
·
In
1890 the Manitoba Schools Act was passed; not connected with any church and
fully anglicized.
·
Roman
Catholics would have to pay for their own schools if they wanted them.
·
Supporters
of R.C. schools took their case to the Canadian Government.
·
Court
responded that the BNA Act gave each province the right to manage its own
education system; didn’t listen.
·
1896,
P.M. Wilfred Laurier reached a compromise:
o If there were 10 or more Francophone
students, then French-speaking teachers would be provided
o End of the school day, Roman
Catholic teachers would teach religious studies to Roman Catholic students.
·
These rights were later taken away when English was made the official
language in schools.
Conscription Crisis – 1917
·
At the
beginning of the war, Canadians were very enthusiastic about the war and
therefore thousands rushed to volunteer until the war was extended to 1916
·
In
1917, P.M. Robert Borden was commanded to sent more troops for the war because
the death toll was increasing
·
Borden
returned and therefore asked parliament to pass a conscription act.
·
This
meant that it was necessary for all able-bodied men to join the army; it was no
more voluntary based.
·
This
military act brought a protest among some parts of Canada because Quebec
provided the fewest of volunteers for the war
·
The
reason was that half the people in Quebec were farmers and they couldn’t fight
because they had to provide food for the war.
·
Also
the Francophones weren’t as enthusiastic as the Anglophones to serve in the
British war. They felt that they
shouldn’t be forced to join the war.
·
The French-speaking
Canadians in Quebec felt a sense of betrayal from France when they were
conquered in 1760 by the British. They
felt like they were second-class citizens in Canada.
·
Henry
Bourassa opposed to the conscription in Quebec and produced a pamphlet in 1917.
·
People
in favor of conscription formed a Union government
·
When
the bill was passed, riots broke out in Montreal and Quebec City.
·
In
1918, Canada had split.
Conscription Crisis – 1940’s
·
P.M.
Mackenzie promised that there would be conscription to tear the country apart.
·
Mackenzie
King promised that no Francophones would be forced to fight in the battle.
·
Hitler
wins many victories; more soldiers required for military service.
·
In
1944, the promise was broken and conscription was sent out.
·
In
1945, 13,000 conscripted men were sent overseas.
·
King
protested against the government but lost; French Canadians were in dismay but
gave King credit for trying.
·
Chose
Louis St. Laurent as main assistant on this issue
·
St.
Laurent won support of French with speech in parliament.
Teachers
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