AH Challange: Rupert's Land Independant

Penelope

Banned
With a POD of 1865 or later, get the land formally known as Rupert's Land to become and independant nation.

Rules

1. The Dominion of Canada must still be instated in some way.

2. The nation must be called Rupert's Land, or some variant. (Another language, Rupertshire, etc.)
 
America invades Canada, wins, but Britain holds onto the Northern Parts of it, eventually getting just enough settlers to warrant dominion status, gets called Rupert Something.
Hope you like the scenario, took me two seconds to make.;)
 
With a POD of 1865 or later, get the land formally known as Rupert's Land to become and independant nation.
I have to admit, I found the notion of Rupert's Land appealing from the first time I saw it on a historical map.

The nation must be called Rupert's Land, or some variant. (Another language, Rupertshire, etc.)
Are you sure on this point? Because the alternate name for it was New Britain, which sounds a lot better.
 
Trying to settle the Canadian prairies through Hudson's Bay is ... difficult. All your people and gear have to travel several hundred miles up river over portages. Any grain, e.g., that the country produced would have to go down river the same way.

You absolutely need rail to do it. OTL the rail line to Churchill was only completed in 1829.

Remember, too, that the shipping season into Hudson's Bay is pretty short, so if you did decide to build rail from Churchill south west (rather than the other way around), it would be REALLY tough. You'd have to unload a year's supply of rail, fishings, plates, spikes, etc. in a matter of a month or two, and if someone made a miscalculation (ordered half the number of necessary spikes, say, or the train carrying them fell into muskeg), your rail construction would be shut down for the rest of the year.



OTOH. Building rail across the Canadian shield (granite, lakes, muskeg, etc.) is really, REALLY nasty. If some decides that the route from Churchill involves far few miles of Shield work than crossing the entire length of Lake Superior, it might be theoretically possible. In which case 'BC' gets connected to Rupertsland, not Canada.

OT3H, you'd still have connexion with Britain for one short window in the summer, so any army response to a hypothetical US invasion might have to wait as much as 9 months, say, after said invasion happened...


Given you're asking for a PoD after 1865, rail tech is good enough by that point that it is possible, even if not likely.

If Canada is only parts of OTL Ontario and Quebec (ie. COnfederation never happens - remember 'Canada' has existed for some time. As a united colony since 1841) then 1) the Brits might be less eager to shove Rupertsland off onto Canada and 2) *Canada couldn't finance the CPR by itself, probably.


Any help?
 
With a POD of 1865 or later, get the land formally known as Rupert's Land to become and independant nation.

Rules

1. The Dominion of Canada must still be instated in some way.

2. The nation must be called Rupert's Land, or some variant. (Another language, Rupertshire, etc.)

Here's my shot at it.

1865: The Sioux Indian War and the Colorado War heats up. Unlike OTL several small towns are attacked and massacred as war bands demand revenge for the Sand Creek Massacre.
When word reaches the East the government and public demand blood. Thousands of US troops move West to put an end to the Indian Menace. Strict new terms are ordered such as a removal of most firearms from the Natives, further extensive restructuring of land claims, reparations to be made to the US government for the costs, and a handing over of all rebellious Indians to stand trial for murder.
Some traders and others who are friendly to the Indians tell them to flee. Several hundred neutral and peaceful Indians head West and North before the advancing army.
In September of 1865 the Main US Detachment reaches the first of the Sioux Reservations. As they read the new treaty there are cries of outrage and a few young men reach for their weapons. Almost the entire Reservation of 197 people is killed.
The survivors flee to spread the news.
By 1866 the entire West is in flames. THe American army is winning but trying to find the Indian Warriors is extremely difficult. They solve the problem by attacking the villages.
In desperation many Indians flee North into Ruperts Land, and farther West.
The US army makes numerous incursions across the borders. Britain demands a stop to these raids. The US demands that the British stop allowing the INdians to freely move across the border.
In fear of war the British colonies of North America but not British Columbia form a Confederation in late 1866. There ws some talk of including Ruperts Land in the Canadian Confederation, but the fighting and unsettled situation makes the majority of 'Canadians' refuse the offer. Although they did buy the land directly to the North of Ontario and Quebec.
In 1867 the Sioux War had become "The Western War". Settlers have formed militias throughout the West and began to hunt down any Rebel Indians that were nearby. This was often a blatent land grab, and thousands of peaceful Indians were attacked.
Most Indians also formed into groups often composed of many different tribes and attack settlers and soldiers.
Confusion wass total and often in the dark different groups would attack only to discover they attacked their own allies.
In 1868 to deal with the growing influx of fleeing Indians, the British set a series of forts all along the border, and attempt to keep the Indians from entering or leaving Ruperts Land. It is largely unsuccessful, but the gesture eases tension with the USA.
In the end the more numerous settlers, and the more disciplined soldiers take their toll.
By 1874 the majority of the Indians had fled to Mexico, Ruperts Land, or the most inhospitable areas of the West.
The British unsure what to do with Ruperts Land that was populated by the defeated Indian tribes from the US, the Metis of HBC, and a wide assortment of Indians that called it home for generations, tried to keep the peace. The years of fighting often side by side had eased tensions between the Indian Tribes somewhat, but old grudges, and the need for hunting grounds and farmland caused frequent fights between the groups.
The British finally in desperation provided the different Indian tribes supplies of seeds, horses, cattle, farming equipment and deeds to the land in return for peace treaties between themselves. They also gave them a stern warning that if the fighting continued they would turn the land over to the United States and wash their hands of the entire affair. The Indians largely agreed, and the British government bought Ruperts Land from the HBC.
Low level raids still went across the border regularly, but the British threat, combined with the British keeping a strong military presence in the area kept the peace.
In 1895 Red River Wheat was developed and proved so effective in the short growing period, that Indian farmers began to expand throughout the southern prairies of Ruperts Land. Combined with Rapeseed the more settled tribes became increasingly powerful. This caused problems with the Buffalo hunters, and the cattle ranchers. Fortunately after the British very publically executed five warriors that attacked a farm, and arrested and convicted the leaders of a group of farmers planning to steal cattle to four years of hard labour, things calmed down.
Some White settlers tried to enter Ruperts Land, but the best land was held by Indians and the Indians who controlled most of the stores often refused to sell anything to the Whites.
In 1903 the Indians of Rupert Land agreed to form a Tribal Federation, and petitioned Britain to be acknowledged as the legitimate but subordinate government of Ruperts Land. Britain agreed.
In 1904 an unwieldly Tribal Assembly of 400 members from the various tribes and villages was formed, but a much smaller and more powerful Tribal Council was also created which had 21 members. They acted much like the British Upper and Lower House, but the Tribal Assembly picked members of the Tribal Council. A Governer General from Britain had the final say in all matters.
Britain was happy to finally not have to directly try to control a hard to reach land that was in the words of one politician "full of the most savage and contemptable race of humans that ever existed." Since Britain still controlled most of the trade to and from the country it had little complain about.
By 1957 shortly after the British began to dismantle its Colonial Empire, Ruperts Land (the Tribal Assembly refused to ratify any permanent name the many attempts ending in deadlock) became an independant member of the British Commenwealth.


I was thinking of this as I wrote it, so please don't laugh too hard.
 
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