1 / 10

The “Battle of Seven Oaks”

The “Battle of Seven Oaks”. And the events that lead up to it…. Who are the Metis?. Translation: “Metis” = “Mixed” Speak French & Algonquin Settled the Red River Valley –present-day Winnipeg Farmers & Bison Hunters Sold pemmican to the voyageurs Conflict with First Nations over bison

libby
Download Presentation

The “Battle of Seven Oaks”

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The “Battle of Seven Oaks” And the events that lead up to it…

  2. Who are the Metis? • Translation: “Metis” = “Mixed” • Speak French & Algonquin • Settled the Red River Valley –present-day Winnipeg • Farmers & Bison Hunters • Sold pemmican to the voyageurs • Conflict with First Nations over bison • Pg. 141 – “Rules of the Bison Hunt”

  3. Who was Thomas Douglas Selkirk? • Wealthy Landowner • Majority shareholder of the HBC (1811 – 1820) • Used his wealth to build agricultural colonies for “crofters” • Purchased land from the HBC in and around the Red River Valley (pg. 144) • Overlooked the Metis reaction and the harshness of the climate

  4. Who was Miles Macdonell? • 1811 – Commanded advance party to settle the Red River Valley(36 Scottish & Irish labourers) • Fall1812 – 120 settlers join the struggle to settle the land (troubles with crops, clearing land, starvation) • 1813 – still struggles (settlers continue to stay at NWC fort) • Spring 1814 – 83 more settlers arrive • Issues the “Pemmican Proclamation” • Orders all NWC to vacate forts within 6 months

  5. The REaction • 1815 – NWC burns the Selkirk settlements buildings and crops • NWC leader Duncan Cameron convinces 133 settlers to leave • Duncan Cameron arrests Macdonell • Summer 1815 – Colin Robertson (former NWC man) returns to Red River with the settlers • Fall 1815 – Robert Semple is appointed the new “Govenorof the Selkirk Colony” and arrives with 84 more settlers • Semple burns an empty NWC fort in an act of provocation • To the NWC this equals - WAR!

  6. The Conflict Escalates… • May 1816 – Cuthbert Grant raids HBC boats on the Red River and seizes a sizable load of pemmican to make up for two years of the “Pemmican Proclamation” • Cuthbert Grant and his Metis men are well-armed and well-organized • Semple is a racist and believes that the Metis are “inferior” and must be met with brute force • Semple and 28 settlers ride out to fight the Metis encampement • The battle is over in 15 minutes– 21 settlers dead (including Semple) – 1 Metis dead

  7. The “Battle of Seven Oaks” By Jay Çàrdîñàl Villeneuve

  8. Full Scale Conflict While the “Battle of Seven Oaks” is happening… • Selkirk is riding west with 95 Swiss mercenaries • He hears of the battle: attacks and captures a NWC fort • With his mercenaries Selkirk takes control of the Red River Valley • Brokers a deal with the F.N. people: 100 lbs of Tobacco per year to the surrounding tribes for the land along the Red and Assiniboine rivers • Selkirk returns to London, thinking he settled the dispute…

  9. But the Conflict between the Metis and the Settler Colony is far from over…

  10. To BE Continued…

More Related