North-Western Territory

The Northwest Territory (English North - Western Territory ) was (now Canada ), and was named after its location in relation to Rupert's land until 1870, a region in British North America. At its greatest extent it included the current territory of Yukon, the mainland portion of the Northwest Territories, northwestern mainland Nunavut, northwestern Saskatchewan, northern Alberta and northern British Columbia.

It is not known exactly when Britain's first laid claim to the area. However, as France had in 1713 to recognize British sovereignty over the coast of Hudson Bay in the Treaty of Utrecht, Britain was the only European power with an access to this part of the continent. Although she had been awarded only Rupert's Land, the Hudson's Bay Company also drove further west trade with the natives. It was not until 1859, the company was explicitly entrusted with the management of the Northwest Territory. The British took virtually no effort to reign over the local natives. In accordance with the Royal Proclamation of 1763, the settlement was forbidden by non- natives until the area was passed through a contract.

During the Cariboo Gold Rush in 1862, a part of the territory was declared the Stikine Territory in order to enable the management of the west coast. The following year, the southern part of British Columbia was added, the northern part was returned to the Northwest Territory. 1868 agreed to the Hudson's Bay Company to cede their territories to the previously founded in Canadian confederation. On 15 July 1870, the North Western Territory and Rupert's land were combined to form the Northwest Territories.