The first residential school in Canada was opened in 1831. It was the Mohawk Indian Residential School located in Brantford, Ontario. This school is considered the earliest church-run Indian residential school, established by the Anglican Church as part of efforts to educate Indigenous children in Canada. Later, the federal government became involved in funding and expanding the residential school system, which became more formalized and widespread starting in the 1880s with policies such as the Indian Act of 1876 that empowered government control over Indigenous peoples and their lands.