In constructing the collective memory, textbooks play a dual role: on the one hand, they provide a sense of continuity between the past and the present, transmitting accepted historical narratives; on the other, they alter—or rewrite—the past in order to suit the contemporary needs.
– Elie Podeh
Historical Question to be Answered
How has the portrayal of the Red River Rebellion been presented in Canadian history textbooks over the 20th and 21st centuries, and what, if any, are some of the forces behind changes in this portrayal?
Thesis
This report aims to track changes in the presentation of the Red River Rebellion in a variety of Ontario secondary school textbooks from the 1930s to present day. By considering the local and global contexts in which these books were written, it is expected that the language and portrayal of the Red River Rebellion will significantly change over time. In particular, with increasing attention to minority rights in the sixties and seventies, it is expected that textbooks written after 1970 will come to represent an increasing range of viewpoints surrounding these controversial historical issues.
Historical Background
The Red River Rebellion (also known as the Red River Resistance) was a series of events that occurred between 1869 and 1870 in what is now the Canadian Province of Manitoba. Until 1869, the area had been under the control of the Hudson’s Bay Company. In 1869, the Hudson’s Bay Company sold the land to Canada. This sale did not take into consideration the existing population in the Red River Colony, which was mostly Métis, Catholic, and French speaking. The residents began to fear for their rights, in anticipation of an influx of English-speaking Protestants from Ontario upon completion of the sale. The situation began to turn hostile after the Canadian government sent survey teams into the area before the sale had been finalized. As a result of this action, the residents began to rise up in protest. Fort Garry was seized by Métis resistance leader Louis Riel, who declared the establishment of a provisional government, representing both French and English populations in the area.
The situation was exacerbated when Riel’s supporters captured a group of Ontarians that attempted to overthrow the provisional government. Among them was Thomas Scott, who while in captivity repeatedly threatened Riel’s life. Riel had Scott tried for treason, and he was convicted and subsequently executed for the crime. This caused outrage in Ontario and eventually led to the Wolseley Expedition, where the Canadian government sent troops to the area in order to assert their control. Riel was forced to flee to the United States in exile. In spite of this, the provisional government was mostly successful in negotiations with the Canadian government. In May of 1870, the Manitoba Act was passed, creating the province of Manitoba in the area of the Red River Colony and guaranteeing French language and Catholic religious rights.
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