During this time, the growing United States was active in the Red River Settlement, hoping to further their land holdings by acquiring this part of North America. In 1869 J.W. Taylor, was appointed by the State Department as United States Secret Agent in the Red River Settlement. From the outset the small but aggressive "American Party" (Fenians) within the colony did everything it could to direct the Riel movement towards annexation. Oscar Malmros, the American consul at Winnipeg, asked the State Department to give financial support to the Metis resistance in Canada: a demand that was backed up by Senator Ramsey's appeal to President Grant. The Fenian, W.B. O'Donoghue, who was one of Riel's councilors and consistently intrigued for annexation.

During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln had paid little attention to expansionist elements like the Irish-American "Fenians" who, after he was assassinated and Andrew Johnson assumed the presidency, were freely allowed to launch guerrilla raids into Canada. Johnson was expressing his displeasure with Britain's wartime commerce with the secessionist states and lending a supporting arm to those who might formulate a policy of armed conflict, in the furtherance of Manifest Destiny. Professedly the Fenians' only motivation was to hold captured Canadian territory until Britain abandoned its occupation of Ireland. But in the nation's highest circles it was rumoured that any territory gained from Canada, especially on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River, would be permanently attached to the rapidly expanding United States.

Louis Riel intervened. Believing that the Metis' future lay with Canada, not with the United States, he assured the Lieutenant Governor that the Metis would not join the Fenians. For want of local support, the Fenian attack died before it had begun. Grateful for the assistance that Riel had provided, Archibald was prepared to leave him in peace. However, this feeling was not shared by all and Archibald came to believe that peace would be restored more quickly if Riel left the country for a while. Riel and Lepine were each offered the sum of $1,000. They reluctantly accepted this amount, more as a result of threats on their lives than because of the money.

Riel and Lepine left Manitoba on February 23, 1872 and travelled to St. Joseph bound for St. Paul, Minnesota. Bounty hunters pursued them constantly. Lepine was the first to return to Red River in May 1872. The following month, Riel made his way to St. Joseph where he began to campaign as a candidate in the Canadian Federal election for the Manitoba constituency of Provencher. He persisted in this, despite the advice of his friends, and only eventually withdrew in favour of George-Etienne Cartier, who had been defeated in his own riding. Cartier died a few months later and Louis was subsequently elected by acclamation in a by-election for Provencher held in October 1873.

Arrangements were made for Riel to take his seat in the House of Commons, but fearing for his life, Riel fled to Montreal and upstate New York. The February 13, 1874, general election saw Riel re-elected member of parliament for Provencher. On March 30th, he entered the parliament building, took the required oath of allegiance, signed the member's roll and hurriedly left the building again in the direction of Montreal. On April 9, Riel was expelled from the House of Commons. He returned to St. Paul and then to Keeseville, New York, where he lived with Father Fabien Barnabe. In September 1874, a by-election was called to fill the vacant seat in Provencher. Riel was again re-elected "in-absentia" but this time he did not attempt to take his seat. In 1875, the new Prime Minister, Alexander Mackenzie, granted Riel amnesty for the troubles in 1869-70, on condition that he not return to Canada for five years.

The deft statesmanship of Louis Riel in creating a Provisional government in the vacuum created by the delays in the transfer of Hudson's Bay Company lands to the new Dominion of Canada was a totally legal entity and was a serious act by the Metis and settlers to be heard over the roar of Ontario for westward expansion." This List of Rights formed the basis of negotiations with the Conservative Government of Sir John A. Macdonald. This long delay left the Red River Settlement open to acquisition by anyone.

The Metis Bill of Rights was a century ahead of its time. The ad hoc diplomacy of balancing the rights of the Indians, French and English mixed bloods, Fenians and Americans' (to say nothing of the Crown itself) against the strength of the new Dominion startled the empire builders long enough to enable the Metis to get legislated recognition of their land claims. The Metis Nation had affirmed its rights but earned the wrath of Orange Ontario (Thomas Scott, etal). The initial victory in the war of the west went to the Metis, but the war was far from over. The Metis resistance had clearly caught the Dominion by surprise. Even worse, from Ontario's point of view, it had clearly demonstrated that Federal prerogatives in relation to "Indians and Indian Lands" could heavily curtail Ontario's westward expansion. The Dominion and Ontario were becoming competitors in the war for the west and the competition was soon to be at the expense of the Native populations -- for it was their lands that were to be the final prize. As well this entrenchment of French-speaking rights in Canada is an ongoing battle to this day.

The part played by Louis Riel in preserving the western plains for Canada cannot be underplayed. The northern states were keenly interested in the acquisition of that area and in 1868 the Minnesota legislature protested formally against the proposed transfer of the Hudson's Bay Company territories to the new Dominion of Canada. There is little doubt that for several months the fate of the Red River hung precariously in the balance.

Go on to read about the beginning of negotiations by Canada with the Metis.