Fourth Grade
Worksheets
Manitoba and Confederation
When Canada began there was no Manitoba. The land of Manitoba was there, of course, but it was open and wild. The only people who lived there were the First Nations.
Then Hudson's Bay Company owned the area. They called it Rupert's Land. The native people and the Metis (MEH-tees) became trappers and fur traders.
In 1812 a small colony was given a grant of land. It was for the Selkirk Colony. It was named after Lord Selkirk. Lord Selkirk wanted to make homes for Scottish people in Manitoba. Many people in Scotland were forced from their homes. They had nowhere to go. They came to Manitoba to start new lives.
The fur traders were not happy. They fought with the settlers. It was several years before there was peace. Some of the fur traders were Metis [MAY-tee]. Metis were the offspring of French and First Nations marriages. Metis often lived in log homes and spoke French. They hunted their meat and traded animal skins for other things they needed. Over the years, the Metis and the Scots became friends. Soon the area became known as the Red River Settlement.
The land in Manitoba was very good for farming. Other people wanted to move there. Many of them were from Ontario. They liked the land.
