Examine The Changing Patterns Of North West Mounted Police Work In The West During The Period 1873-1893. What Defines The Character Of The Nwmp Presence And What Is Its Significance?
Thesis statement
The changing pattern of North West mounted police work in the west in the period 1873-1893. The key elements that define the character and on the NWMP presence and its relevance
Summary
The NWMP came into being in 1873. The actual implementation of the new police force was initiated by the cruel massacre of the Indians group in the Cypress hills by American whiskey traders (Curwood, 2012). John Macdonald, who was then the prime minister was convinced that a body like the mounted police was a perfect tool for maintaining order enhancement of western Canada. The prime minister move received opposition from lawlessness which seemed endemic in the American west. Similarly, asserting many Americans coveted Canadian sovereignty over a huge region was a significant issue (Atkin, 1973). Therefore, the paper evaluates the changing pattern of NWMP work in the period 1873-1893. It also focuses on the key elements that define the character and on the NWMP presence and its relevance.
The NWMP policed regions as outsiders. The prime minister wanted to employ westerners in this new force. This plan ended because the Metis-initiated Red river resistance. They considered using Swan River because its condition would fit well this clumsy tradition. This area was considered an ideal location for any type of structure. However, this structure would be located on a small ridge and lacked natural protection. Therefore, this location proved difficult for the Mounted police officers who sought to clear the region for agriculture and drilling.
The worst feature of this location was the name of snake creek. Thousands of harmless garter snakes, which resided near the barracks location (Forcese, 2013). Despite all these problems, the Swan River was selected to be the first headquarters of the Mounted police. It was originally selected for the site in 1874 and was made official eight days later.
The Swan River was selected because it was an essential place to provide raw materials for construction. It also seemed to be the ideal place for transportation in the future of prairie Canada. In additional it was along the proposed line for the Canadian Pacific railway. Therefore, when the final decision was made on location, orders were given to dispatch men and resources to construct the NWMP headquarters.
The Mounted police reflected a basic break with the policing tradition in Canada, which depended on the English systems of the constable and the common law. Since the prime minister wanted a police force that could perform both civil and military roles, he modeled the men in scarlet after the Royal Irish Constabulary. In order to expand its territories to serve a large region in 1893, the NWMP established the jurisdictions, which were extended to the Yukon Territory (Baker, 1998). The NWMP was also extended to the Arctic coast where they built a post at cape Fullerton annexation.
The Mounted police did extremely little on the traditional policing activities while at Swan River. This was so because the area had primitive conditions and lack of financial resources for its operation that made Mounted police lacks interested in the location. In additional the NWMP was extremely significant because it enforced agreements with international people. It ensured there was justice because magisterial authority encouraged good relations in the region and peace was maintained. Therefore, these were the main changing pattern, the character, and the significance of the NWMP.
References
Atkin, R. (1973). Maintain the right: The early history of the North West Mounted Police, 1873- 1900. Toronto: Macmillan.
Baker, W. M. (1998). The mounted police and prairie society 1873-1919. Regina: Canadian Plains Research Center.
Curwood, J. O. (2012). Philip Steele of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police. Auckland: The Floating Press.
Forcese, D. (2013). Police: Current Issues in Canadian Law Enforcement. New York: Dundurn Press.
