Home > North-Western Territory

The North-Western Territory was a region of British North America until 1870. Named for where it lay in relation to Rupert's Land, the territory at its greatest extent covered what is now Yukon, mainland Northwest Territories, northwestern mainland Nunavut, northwestern Saskatchewan, northern Alberta and northern British Columbia.

It is obscure when exactly Great Britain first asserted sovereignty over the territory; however, after France accepted British sovereignty over Rupert's Land by the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), Great Britain was the only European power with practical access to that part of the continent. The Hudson's Bay Company, despite the royal charter assigning only Rupert's Land to the company, had long used the region as part of its trading area before the governance of the North-Western Territory was explicitly assigned to the company in 1859. Unlike in Rupert's Land, land title in the North-Western territory belonged to the Crown instead of the company. The British made virtually no effort to assert sovereignty over the Aboriginal peoples of the area. In accordance with the Royal Proclamation of 1763The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was issued October 7, 1763 by the British government in the name of King George III to prohibit settlement by British colonists beyond the Appalachian Mountains in the lands captured by Britain from France in the French and, large-scale settlement by non-Aboriginal people was prohibited until the lands were surrendered by treatyA treaty is a binding agreement under international law concluded by subjects of international law, namely states and international organizations. Treaties can be called by many names: treaties, international agreements, protocols, covenants, conventions,.

In 1862Events January-March January 10 End of term for John Gately Downey, 7th Governor of California. He is succeeded by Amasa Leland Stanford. January 30 The first American ironclad warship, the USS Monitor is launched. February 1 Julia Ward Howe's " Battle Hy during the Cariboo Gold Rush , part of the North-Western Territory became the Stickeen Territory to enable easier governance from the west coast. The following year, part of the area returned to the North-Western Territory when boundaries were adjusted and British Columbia was extended to the north. In 1868Events January 3 Meiji Emperor declares " Meiji Restoration", his own restoration to full power, against the supporters of the Tokugawa Shogunate. January 10 Shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu declares emperor's declaration "illegal" and attacks Kyoto. Pro-Emperor, shortly after Canadian ConfederationCanadian Confederation or the Confederation of Canada was the process that ultimately brought together a union among the provinces, colonies and territories of British North America to form a Dominion of the British Empire, which today is a federal nation, the Hudson's Bay Company agreed to surrender its vast territories to the new dominionThis is a page about Dominions of the British Empire/Commonwealth. For other meanings, please see Dominion (disambiguation). A Dominion is a wholly self-governing or virtually self-governing state of the British Empire or British Commonwealth, particularl. However, it was not until July 15July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. Events 1099 Christian soldiers take Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after a difficult siege during First Crusade. 1207 John of England, 1870, that the transfer to CanadaCanada historically the Dominion of Canada is the second-largest, and northernmost, country in the world. It is a decentralized federation of 10 provinces and 3 territories, governed as a constitutional monarchy, and formed in 1867 through an act of Confe was made. On that date the North-Western Territory became part of the newly created Northwest Territories.