1. North-West Mounted Police

2. NWMP Origins Established on May 23, 1873
Queen Victoria established the force at the request of John A MacDonald
Bring law and order to the West
Assert sovereignty (control) over, the Northwest Territories
Need was particularly urgent because of the American whiskey traders

3. Fort Hamilton “Fort Whoop-Up”
Officially Fort Hamilton, near what is now Lethbridge, Alberta
HBC abandoned the fort
Fort Whoop-Up was the nickname given to a whiskey trading post
Late 1800s, the post served as a centre for various illegal activities such as the sale of whisky.

4. History of Fort Hamilton
First built in 1869 by J.J. Healy and A.B. Hamilton who were two traders from Montana—to serve as a trading post
Within the first year it was destroyed by a fire but it was rebuilt
One type of alcohol was known as Whoop-Up Bug Juice, a highly-priced alcohol spiked with ginger, molasses, and red pepper, then coloured with black chewing tobacco
Was famous for the Whisky trades

5. Fort Whoop-up Was the amongst the worst Whiskey Forts
Represented everything that was wrong in the West
Lawless American desperadoes dealing noxious "whiskey" to an Indian population unaccustomed to alcohol
Buffalo hides by the hundreds of thousands being left as rotting carcasses
General atmosphere of anarchy with no accountability

6. NWMP Control
The outlaws and the supposed flying of an American flag on Canadian Soil prompted the NWMP to arrive
Arrived in October, 1874
Their task was to establish Canadian sovereignty in the territory and control the alcohol trade

7. Traders continued to smuggle their hooch across the frontier and set up trading posts throughout the area that is now southern Alberta and Saskatchewan
At any given time there was as many as 30 whiskey posts in the area

8. The Impact of these Posts
Was just as damaging as the Small Pox Epidemic
Buffalo were disappearing due to the voracious appetite of eastern industries for their huge, tough hides
Natives couldn't even take the carcasses left behind because the hated "wolfers" poisoned the meat to kill wolves and coyotes for their fur
Another reason for Natives to turn to the alcohol

9. ”As they keep the Indians poor, and kill directly or indirectly more Indians of the most warlike tribe on the continent every year, at no cost to the United States' Government, than the entire regular army did in ten years.” American Trader commented that the whiskey traders were doing a great service

10. Cypress Hills Massacre
Took place in 1874
‘wolfers’ believed their horses had been stolen by a group of Assiniboine camped nearby
22 Assiniboine including women and children were killed
When the Dominion of Canada found out they were outraged

11. Force Creation Was the result of the Cypress Hills Massacre
Originally was to be called the North West Mounted Rifles
Name changed to NWMP because it sounded less militaristic
First NWMP commissioner, Colonel George Arthur French

12. George Arthur French

13. March to the Alberta Foothills
Set out from Fort Dufferin, Manitoba, on July 8, 1874 to Fort Hamilton
Group comprised 22 officers, 287 men – called constables and sub-constables – 310 horses, 67 wagons, 114 ox-carts, 18 yoke of oxen, 50 cows and 40 calves
The ‘Wolfers’ fled, sold or buried their supplies
If this march had failed, it would have set back Canada’s plans for the West by many years

14. NWMP Early Activities Containing the whiskey trade
Enforcing agreements with the First Nations peoples
Force's dedication to enforcing the law on behalf of the First Nations peoples impressed all

15. Evolution of the force
NWP jurisdiction was extended northward to the Yukon Territory in 1895
Then again in 1903 to the Arctic coast
Extended to the new provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan in 1905
During WWI the NWMP was responsible for "border patrols, surveillance of enemy aliens, and enforcement of national security regulations. "

16. Creation of the RCMP
NWMP was called in to repress the general strike in Manitoba's capital, Winnipeg, where officers fired into a crowd of strikers, killing two and causing injury to thirty others.
Damaged the image of the NWMP
Viewed as an out-dated institution in early 20th Century Industrial Canada
Saved in 1920 when it merged with the Dominion Police and was renamed as the "Royal Canadian Mounted Police”