The North-West Rebellion: The History and Legacy of the Native American Uprising against Canada in the Late 19th Century by Charles River Editors

Author:Charles River Editors
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Charles River Editors
Published: 2023-06-07T00:00:00+00:00

The Dominion of Canada

In 1867, the Dominion of Canada was formed including the eastern areas of the country. Obviously, the new country would benefit from uniting with its western neighboring lands, but the Canadians simply did not have the funds to entice the Hudson’s Bay Company to sell to the Dominion. Many worried that the United States, who, in the same year had purchased Alaska from the Russians, would seek to purchase Rupert’s Land.[122] Instead, the Company negotiated with the Canadian government, reaching an agreement to sell the company to the dominion of Canada for 300,000 pounds and choice lands. The agreements and subsequent movements of the Indians with the new Canadian dominions meant that the Hudson’s Bay Company would seek a new consumer for its traded goods. For the first time since its founding, the company would concentrate on selling goods to white men living in Canada rather than to trading with local Indian populations.[123] With the introduction of Hudson’s department stores and other pursuits, the era of fur dominance was over.

A further consideration of the conditions that forced the sale of Company lands clarifies the changes in both Western Canada and in the outlook for the Company itself. From the time the colonies in North America were established, their growth made western expansion an ever-present reality. The fur trade had played an active role in European western advancement on the North American continent by providing trade routes and a livelihood for those speculating a move west, but with the fur trade came other economic opportunities. The desire of all people groups for manufactured goods caused an increase in traded goods from Europe. Until 1850, throughout Canada and parts of the northern United States, animal pelts were the base currency. Animal skins drove expansion of new markets and trade routes extending to the Pacific.

In the 1860s, tens of thousands of fortune seekers converged upon Canadian territories, specifically British Columbia, looking to strike it rich with gold. This influx of treasure hunters altered trading patterns. People needed shelter and services and with those needs came an increased demand for a variety of goods. The development of roads and infrastructure moved forward to support these new settlers and their search for minerals. Trading furs wasn’t as simple as it had been when a few staple items were satisfactory to acquire fur pelts from Indian peoples. To attract this new consumer (many of whom were Americans looking for a new start) arriving in British Columbia, those seeking to trade were forced to decide whether they were going to expand their inventories of goods or lose business to those who were willing to take on the extra cost and risk.

Though expansion was a result of the successful fur trade, it eventually became its demise. As more and more people settled the west, other means of commerce were necessary and the discovery of gold provided that other means. People began to shift from using furs and beaver coins to precious metals, specifically gold. This

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