The Red River Settlement, or Colony, was located at the fork of the
Red and Assiniboine Rivers, in the Red River Valley, on the boundary of present-day Manitoba
and North Dakota. This was the first Métis settlement in
1800, so in
1812 when the HBC sold the settlement to
Thomas Douglas, to bring in Scottish settlers, this led to conflict between the HBC, and the Northwest
Company and Métis alliance. The HBC and the Northwest Company contested trade in the territory, but in
1820, the Northwest Company merged into the HBC. Eventually, tensions between Métis and settlers rose: many settlers were members
of the Protestant Church's Orange Order, a violent anti-French and anti-Catholic group
known for discriminating against the Métis, who were primarily French-speaking Catholics.
By the time Canada confederated in
1867, the Red River Settlement's fur trade was declining; in
1869, the HBC sold the Settlement's land to the Canadian government, without consulting
the Métis. As a result, Métis political leader
Louis Riel started to organize the Métis to defend their rights to the land, which would later
be known as the Red River Resistance/Rebellion. Riel successfully negotiated for the Settlement to enter confederation as part of
the province of Manitoba in
1870. He was later exiled to the United States for the murder of Thomas Scott -though this
remains contested, but in
1884 he returned to ensure that the Métis held proper title to their land, later known
as the North-West Resistance. The resistance resulted in
Riel surrendering himself to the Canadian militia and he was executed for treason in
1885. He was an advocate for both Métis and Francophone rights, and his death was widely
mourned by these populations.