LESSON 12: NORTH-WEST MOUNTED POLICE
History of the NWMP
The RCMP is a Canadian staple, and this red-uniformed mounted police has become symbolic in Canadian culture.
So how did it all start?
Following the Red River Rebellion, the government became concerned with reports from the newly-established North-West Territory of illegal trading, exploitation of the First Nations, and possible conflicts and wars. The government knew that something had to be done to establish some sort of law and order in the largely unpopulated northwest, and to make the land more attractive for new settlers. Their solution was the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP), created in 1873 and modeled after the Royal Irish Constabulary.
Over the next fifty years, the NWMP helped to police the illegal whisky trade, supported the development of the railway, worked to protect treaties with the First Nations, and established forts across northwestern Canada.
So how did it all start?
Following the Red River Rebellion, the government became concerned with reports from the newly-established North-West Territory of illegal trading, exploitation of the First Nations, and possible conflicts and wars. The government knew that something had to be done to establish some sort of law and order in the largely unpopulated northwest, and to make the land more attractive for new settlers. Their solution was the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP), created in 1873 and modeled after the Royal Irish Constabulary.
Over the next fifty years, the NWMP helped to police the illegal whisky trade, supported the development of the railway, worked to protect treaties with the First Nations, and established forts across northwestern Canada.
Additional Resources
Government of Canada: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hist/index-eng.htmGovernment of Canada: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hist/ori-deb/debuts2-eng.htm
Canadian Archives: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/022/022-913.003-e.html
Military Heritage: http://www.militaryheritage.com/nwmp.htm
NWMP Museum: http://nwmpmuseum.com/
CBC (Video): http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/crime-justice/mounties-on-duty-a-history-of-the-rcmp/north-west-mounted-police-a-pretty-hard-job.html
Canadian Archives: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/022/022-913.003-e.html
Military Heritage: http://www.militaryheritage.com/nwmp.htm
NWMP Museum: http://nwmpmuseum.com/
CBC (Video): http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/crime-justice/mounties-on-duty-a-history-of-the-rcmp/north-west-mounted-police-a-pretty-hard-job.html
|
|