Red River Rebellion breaks out

Background. The Red River Resistance was the first crisis faced by the Canadian federal government after Confederation. It stemmed from the purchase of Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company and the appointment of William McDougall as lieutenant governor. The Métis population grew increasingly suspicious due to the survey of the settlement, which utilized an American grid system that cut across their established river lots.

Outbreak of Resistance. Tensions escalated in late 1869 following the arrival of a survey party headed by Colonel John Stoughton Dennis. Louis Riel denounced the survey in a speech in late August. On October 11, 1869, Riel and other Métis disrupted the survey's work, marking the beginning of the resistance. This action was taken in anticipation of the formal transfer of the territory scheduled for December 1.

Political Context. The resistance was driven by concerns over the transfer of authority and the treatment of the Métis. William McDougall, appointed as the designate lieutenant governor, was viewed negatively by the Métis. The disruption of the survey was a direct response to these political anxieties and the threat to existing land tenure systems, setting the stage for the establishment of a provisional government.