The Fur Trade and Western Canada 16701870

1
The Fur Trade and Western Canada 1670-1870

• In so far as Western Canada is concerned, things
  get important beginning with the creation of the
  HBC in 1670
• The Cree become major middlemen of the fur trade,
  and try to separate HBC from other nations to
  control the trade.
• Henry Kelsey, a HBC trader who arrives in 1684,
  makes two journeys south from Fort York in
  1688-90, and 1690-1692 to contact Grose Ventres
  and Assinaboine and get them to stop fighting.
• He is the first European known to have seen the
  prairies, the great bison herds, grizzly bears,
  and the many plains tribes.

2
The Fur Trade and Western Canada, continued.

• In the 1730s, the Pierre Verendrye sons want
  to find the Western Sea (the Pacific Ocean) for
  fame, adventure and money.
• He partners with a Montreal company that tells
  the governor that they will convince the Cree to
  trade with French forts and not the HBC. So the
  governor issues them a monopoly on the fur trade
  in the new areas he would discover.
• La Vérendrye's explorations pushed the limits of
  New France to the Saskatchewan River in the north
  and to the borders of South Dakota and Wyoming.
• Their last expeditions opening the Saskatchewan
  route not only to the English explorers who were
  to follow 30 years later but also to other French
  Canadians.
• La Vérendrye's explorations also led the Hudson's
  Bay Company to send explorers to the country's
  interior because the profitability of its trading
  posts were threatened by those that the La
  Vérendryes and their successors had set up.

3
The Fur Trade and Western Canada, continued.

• 1756-1763 Seven Years War

4
Ruperts Land (HBC) 1670-1869
5
York FactoryHBC Headquarters, Ruperts Land
6
Remember these happenings out East!

• France and Britain almost constantly at war.
• 1701-1714 War of Spanish Succession
• French occupy Fort York even before (they dont
  recognize Britain in HB), then give it up.
• French cede NFLD to Britain.
• French lose Acadia.
• French recognize Hudsons Bay to the British
• They promise far west Indian trade to stay open
  to all nations.
• 1740-1748 War of Austrian Succession
• French lose, then regain, Louisburg fortress.

7

8
Alexander MackenzieNorth West Company
9
Alexander Mackenzies Accomplishments

• Working for the NWC, Mackenzie traveled further
  north and west to Lake Athabasca and established
  Fort Chipewyan in 1788.
• Explored the Mackenzie River in 1791 (named for
  him) hoping that it would lead to the Pacific.
• First European to travel overland coast to coast,
  and arrived on Pacific in July 1793.
• Mackenzie vastly expanded the NWC trade area.
• Wrote a book about the fur trade, North American
  geography, and his explorations in 1801 that
  would inspire another Scot, Thomas Douglas Lord
  Selkirk, to try a settlement of poor Scots in fur
  trade country.

10
Thomas Douglas 5th Lord Selkirk
11
Lord Selkirk and the Red River Colony

• Lord Selkirk was a very rich Scot who wanted to
  provide land for poor Scottish HighlandersCatholi
  c mountain-dwelling clansmenwho were booted off
  their land to make way for extensive sheep
  herding.
• After reading Mackenzies book, he hatched a
  plan he called Mackenzie up and the two men
  bought 51 of the shares of the HBC. With this
  majority control he started a settlement of Scots
  into Ruperts Land in a fertile place called the
  Red River Valley.
• As HBC major shareholder, he also wanted to block
  the NWC from moving into Ruperts Land and
  cutting off their access to resources.

12
The First Years of Red River Colony

• In 1812 the first Scot settlers, 128 of them,
  headed for the Red River Valley, wintering in
  York Factory on Hudsons Bay.
• The following spring the settlers arrived, and
  began to build Fort Douglas.
• Bad planning led to two years of poor crops and
  NWC men and Metis, supplied by their local fort,
  had to help the settlers!
• The Metis people and NWC voyageurs and traders,
  however, refused to accept Selkirk and the HBC
  control over the area.
• After a second year of crop failures, Selkirks
  governor in the area issued the Pemmican
  Proclamation, prohibiting the export of pemmican
  from the Red River valley. This was a clear
  threat to the NWC and the Metiswho responded by
  burning Fort Douglas in 1816.
• The Metis never acknowledged the HBC Charter of
  1670. They simply never cared what some dead
  king had written out for Radisson and Grossilier
  more than 140 before.

13
First years of Red River Colony--Continued

• Selkirks response to the burning was to announce
  1000 new families and appointed a new governor.
  
• Newcomers met with the increased hostility of the
  Metis, who battled Selkirks men at the Battle of
  Seven Oaks. The Metis easily beat the settlers
  and killed 25 of them. Selkirk accused the NWC
  of helping the Metis.
• Selkirk then arranged a militia of Swiss
  mercenaries and retired soldiers to go in and
  arrest the Metis and NWC men responsible