Republic of Manitoba
Encyclopedia
The Republic of Manitobah was a short-lived, unrecognized state founded in June 1867 by Thomas Spence at the town of Portage la Prairie
in what is now the Canadian
province
of Manitoba
.
, a territory owned by the Hudson's Bay Company
. It was soon to become a part of the Northwest Territories
when Canada purchased Rupert's Land from "the Bay" in 1869.
As Portage la Prairie had no government, laws or taxation at the time, Spence and a group of local settlers wrote to Queen Victoria
asking for recognition as a political entity. There was no reply. Spence organized the community as the "Republic of Caledonia" in January 1868. The name was later changed to the Republic of Manitobah, after a local lake.
trial. The Republic of Manitobah collapsed before it had a chance to blossom.
Thomas Spence served in the council for Louis Riel
’s Provisional Government
, whose actions led to the formation of the Province of Manitoba within Canada on May 12, 1870.
short by the National Film Board of Canada
in 1978, as a part of the Canada Vignettes
series.
Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
-Transportation:Portage la Prairie railway station is served by Via Rail with both The Canadian and Winnipeg – Churchill trains calling at the station....
in what is now the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
.
History
During this time the future province was still part of Rupert's LandRupert's Land
Rupert's Land, or Prince Rupert's Land, was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin that was nominally owned by the Hudson's Bay Company for 200 years from 1670 to 1870, although numerous aboriginal groups lived in the same territory and disputed the...
, a territory owned by the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
. It was soon to become a part of the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
when Canada purchased Rupert's Land from "the Bay" in 1869.
As Portage la Prairie had no government, laws or taxation at the time, Spence and a group of local settlers wrote to Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
asking for recognition as a political entity. There was no reply. Spence organized the community as the "Republic of Caledonia" in January 1868. The name was later changed to the Republic of Manitobah, after a local lake.
Demise
The republic never had clearly defined borders, and could not persuade local Hudson’s Bay Company traders to pay their taxes. By late spring 1868, the Republic had been informed by the Colonial Office in London that its government had no power. The Republic's problems were compounded by misappropriation of tax funds, and a botched treasonTreason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
trial. The Republic of Manitobah collapsed before it had a chance to blossom.
Thomas Spence served in the council for Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
’s Provisional Government
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
, whose actions led to the formation of the Province of Manitoba within Canada on May 12, 1870.
Films
The story of the Republic of Manitobah was made into a humorous animatedAnimation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
short by the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
in 1978, as a part of the Canada Vignettes
Canada Vignettes
Canada Vignettes are a series of vignettes by the National Film Board of Canada , some of which aired on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and other Canadian broadcasters as interstitial programs. The vignettes became popular because of their cultural depiction of Canada, and because they...
series.