Unit 3

After Confederation

Land is one of the most important natural resources.

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First Nations used the land for centuries to provide food and shelter.

We now use the land for farming and ranching.

After Confederation in 1867, thousands of settlers came to the West for one thing: land. 

The government of Canada wanted to gain control of the land to attract new settlers and to keep out the Americans.

Watch

Click the link to watch the short RCMP slideshow to see some images from highlights in the history of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

There were different perspectives on the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) in the 1870s. Answer the following question in your lesson summary:

What were the perspectives of the groups living there at the time?

Note: You can read "Canada Today" on page 199 of the textbook for information about how the NWMP became the RCMP.

When you have completed your Securing the Land worksheet, go to the next page.