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.

 

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