← Previous · All Episodes · Next →
HBC vs North West Company (CANHIST 2.1) Episode 9

HBC vs North West Company (CANHIST 2.1)

· 10:56

|

  • The Pemmican Proclamation, issued by Miles Macdonell, governor of the Red River Colony, in 1814, prohibited the export of pemmican from the colony for one year. This was ostensibly to ensure adequate supplies for the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) but was viewed by the North West Company (NWC) and the Métis as a ploy to create a monopoly.
  • The Métis, who were key suppliers of pemmican to the NWC, did not recognize the authority of the Red River Settlement, making the Pemmican Proclamation a major point of contention.
  • The Battle of Seven Oaks was a significant event where the Red River Métis asserted their nationhood as "la Nouvelle Nation" and their right to trade and travel freely. This was also one of the first times the Métis flag was flown.
  • A report by Royal Commissioner Lieutenant Colonel William Bachelor Coltman exonerated the Métis, concluding the first shot of the battle was fired by Semple's side, and the conflict lasted no more than 15 minutes.
  • Pemmican was a vital food source in the fur trade, consisting of dried, pounded meat mixed with fat. It was mass-produced by Europeans at their posts and was a staple product of the summer hunt. The majority of the NWC's pemmican was purchased from the Métis.
  • The HBC and NWC both traded for pemmican at various outposts and shipped it to their depots for distribution to brigades of canoes.
  • Competition between the HBC and NWC led to armed conflicts and blockades, including one reported at the Grand Rapids portage.
  • In 1821, after much conflict, the NWC and HBC merged, with the NWC name disappearing after 40 years. George Simpson was appointed to oversee the newly defined territory. At the time of the merger, the amalgamated company consisted of 97 trading posts that had belonged to the North West Company and 76 that belonged to the Hudson's Bay Company.
  • The Hudson's Bay Company exchanged wool blankets, known as Hudson's Bay point blankets, for beaver pelts. The points on the blankets indicated their finished size.
  • The Hudson's Bay Company's motto, "pro pelle cutem," meaning "skin for skin," became a focal point in the anti-fur movement.
  • The Hudson's Bay Company Archives are part of the United Nations "Memory of the World Programme" project. These records include business transactions, medical records, personal journals of officials, and company reports.
  • The Hudson's Bay Company established a court at the Red River Colony in 1839 to dispense formal justice throughout Rupert's Land.
  • Missionaries, particularly Anglicans, accompanied fur traders into Rupert's Land, with notable figures such as John West and David Anderson.

Subscribe

Listen to BarberLM using one of many popular podcasting apps or directories.

← Previous · All Episodes · Next →