How a COMPANY once ruled HALF of Canada

Become a member on Patreon & get your name in the credits + exclusive content! https://www.patreon.com/generalknowledge The Hudson’s Bay Company wasn’t just a fur-trading business - it ruled half of what is now Canada like a private country. From its royal charter by King Charles II, its rivalry with the North West Company, to its monopoly over Rupert’s Land, this corporate empire helped create the very foundation of modern Canada. In this video, we explore how a 17th-century company grew into a de facto state, governed millions of square kilometers, and later transferred its vast territories to form Canada’s Dominion in 1870. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Canada used to be a company? Kind of 02:41 The colonial context (French and British) 04:03 The British plan 04:51 Creation of the Hudson's Bay Company 06:36 Conflicts with the French 07:33 The competitor Northwest Company 09:07 Merging of the two companies 09:48 George Simpson: the emperor of the north 11:27 Peak territories of the company 12:18 From company to Canada 15:32 Native resistence 16:13 What happened to the HBC? 16:44 Would Canada exist without it?