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Description: | Artist: London, mint; Date(s): 1899; Classification(s): medal, Canada General Service Medal, medals, Military, Britain, Canadian Armed Forces; Acquisition: loan by Cambridge in America, 2005 [LW.0115]
Description: Colonial Canada's nineteenth-century history did not lack for secessionist movements, all ultimately unsucessful. In 1869, the Hudson Bay Territory, which had previously been an independent possession of the chartered Hudson Bay Trading Company, was incorporated into British Canada, the charter having expired.
This caused much local resentment, and a self-proclaimed general by the name of Louis Riel used this to seize the Company's treasury, take over Fort Garry (now in Manitoba) and imprisoned many British residents. A Canadian expedition was sent from Toronto, reaching Fort Garry, 1118 miles away, 3 months later. Riel had already fled and the rising was quickly quelled.
This medal was awarded in 1899 to those who had fought the Fenians in any of their raids or been on the Red River expedition. This one was awarded to Corporal W. Sinclair of the 2nd Quebec Battery. Lester Watson purchased it at some point before 1928. | Format: | text/html | License: | http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/terms.htm | Publisher: | The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK | Rights holder: | The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK | Subjects: | Canada General Service Medal medal London | Source: | Fitzwilliam Museum | Creator: | The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK | Identifier: | http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/opacdire... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | text/html | Go to resource |
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