North-West Mounted Police

North-West Mounted Police
ConfidentBobcat · Public domain · source
Name	North-West Mounted Police
Formed	1873
Dissolved	1920
Superseding	Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Jurisdiction	Northwest Territories, Yukon, Alberta, Saskatchewan
Headquarters	Fort Macleod, later Regina
Minister1 name	John A. Macdonald
Chief1 name	George Arthur French
Chief2 name	James Macleod
Chief3 name	Lawrence Herchmer

North-West Mounted Police. Established in 1873 by the government of Prime Minister John A. Macdonald, this paramilitary police force was created to assert Canadian sovereignty over the vast Northwest Territories following the Red River Resistance. Its initial mission was to curb the illicit American whiskey trade operating from Fort Whoop-Up, establish peaceful relations with First Nations peoples, and facilitate the orderly settlement of the Canadian Prairies. The force's iconic scarlet tunics and wide-brimmed Stetson hats became symbols of federal authority in the West.

Formation and early history

The catalyst for the force's creation was the 1873 Cypress Hills Massacre, where American wolf hunters killed a group of Assiniboine people, highlighting the lawlessness in the region. Under the command of Commissioner George Arthur French, the first contingent of approximately 300 men, known as the "Great March West," departed from Fort Dufferin in Manitoba in 1874. After a grueling journey, Assistant Commissioner James Macleod successfully negotiated with the Blackfoot Confederacy and established the first permanent post at Fort Macleod near the Belly River. Key early posts included Fort Walsh in the Cypress Hills and Fort Calgary on the Bow River, which helped extend the force's reach. The NWMP played a crucial diplomatic role, aiding in the negotiation of Treaty 6 and Treaty 7 with various Plains Cree and Blackfoot nations, fostering a period of relative peace that contrasted sharply with the contemporaneous American Indian Wars in the United States.

Role in the North-West Rebellion

During the 1885 North-West Rebellion, led by Métis leader Louis Riel and Cree war chief Big Bear, the NWMP served as the federal government's first line of defense and intelligence. The force suffered an early defeat at the Battle of Duck Lake against rebels commanded by Gabriel Dumont. NWMP troops were subsequently integrated into the larger Canadian Militia under General Frederick Middleton, participating in the pivotal Battle of Batoche and the Battle of Frenchman's Butte. Following the rebellion, members of the force provided security for the trial of Louis Riel in Regina and helped maintain order during the subsequent executions, including that of Cree warrior Wandering Spirit. This conflict cemented the NWMP's role as an instrument of federal power in the West.

Transition to the Royal North-West Mounted Police

In recognition of its service during the North-West Rebellion and the Second Boer War, where a contingent served in the Canadian Mounted Rifles, King Edward VII granted the prefix "Royal" in 1904, creating the Royal North-West Mounted Police (RNWMP). The force's jurisdiction expanded with the creation of the new provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan in 1905, taking on broader provincial policing duties. Under commissioners like Lawrence Herchmer and Aylesworth Bowen Perry, the RNWMP modernized its criminal investigation methods and established a national criminal records system, laying groundwork for a federal policing mandate.

Policing the Yukon and the Arctic

The discovery of gold in the Klondike in 1896 prompted a massive deployment to the Yukon, with Superintendent Sam Steele imposing strict order at the Chilkoot Pass and in the boomtown of Dawson City. The force collected customs duties, enforced regulations, and prevented the kind of lawlessness seen in Skagway, Alaska. This northern role expanded further in the early 20th century, with lengthy Arctic patrols by schooners like the St. Roch and dog sled teams, asserting sovereignty in remote regions like the Mackenzie River delta and Hudson Bay, and interacting with Inuit communities.

Legacy and cultural impact

The force was amalgamated with the Dominion Police in 1920 to form the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which inherited its traditions and national role. Its history has been extensively portrayed in popular culture through films, television series like Due South, and the literary works of authors such as James Oliver Curwood. The iconic image of the "Mountie" in scarlet serge remains a potent national symbol, featured on items like the Canadian fifty-dollar bill. Historic sites, including Fort Walsh and the RCMP Heritage Centre in Regina, preserve its history, while its early interactions with First Nations continue to be a subject of scholarly re-examination.

Category:Law enforcement agencies of Canada Category:Defunct police agencies of Canada Category:History of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police