Louis Riel: A Hero

He had his own lawyers from Quebec, they suggested that the only way to save him from the death penalty was to attempt to prove to the jury that Riel had delusions that cause him to make religious and political decisions without being aware of his doing, and all his crimes are unintentional. But this attempt had failed soon after a medical examination. There was no exception of Louis Riel’s fate. Riel was sentenced to be hanged on 18 September by the judge. Before his death, he tried to show to the government that all Metis and Indians would not rebel for no reason. In fact, they were mistreated by

Riel was tried and found guilty for many of his actions going against the country. Before being put on trial for treason, he was tried once before for the murder of Thomas Scott. However, his response to this was to flee the country. Riel returned in 1884 when the Metis felt that they needed a leader who could get the government to pay attention to their petitions. Once he returned to Canada, he immediately began to conspire against the government.

“I have nothing but my heart, I have given it long ago to my country.” These are Louis Riel’s last words before his execution. Two themes that have been debated is whether Louis Riel is a traitor or hero to the Métis. There have been many controversial figures throughout Canada’s history, but Louis Riel is one of the most controversial figure. His perspective on how he dealt with manner is still debated today. A key aspect discussed today is why Riel is a hero to his people; the Métis. Louis Riel had once recognized the turmoil the Métis had to face, through this Riel proved that one must take actions in order to achieve a person’s right.

The government failed to address the concerns of the Metis people. Louis Riel had Thomas Scott executed, but they for the right reasons, he was a bigot, and a violent man. Riel was tried for treason but he was hanged for the murder of Scott. Riel made great points when testifying but the court refused to listen. Louis Riel was and still is a national hero. He may have been a criminal in the eyes of the law, but his actions have contributed to building Canada as a nation. He still has a lasting impact on Canadians today. He spent most of his life fighting injustice and he leaves behind a great demonstration of a human rights movement and an exceptional political

In Canadian history, nationalism and sovereignty tend to be common themes prevalent since Confederation. A well-known example of this in Quebec was during the Quiet Revolution which strengthened the need for change through Premier Lesage’s reforms and in turn, developed a strong sense of nationalism in Quebec. In contrast to beliefs that the rapid modernization of the Quiet Revolution had a positive impact on Quebec, it rather had a negative impact on Quebec and its citizens and identity. The three consequences which arose in Quebec as a result of the revolution are the encouragement of separatism, the elimination of traditional values and roles and the establishment of powerful bureaucratic control. Quebec’s attempt to be more like the

family back home, and Kolbe decided to take his place. He was then sentenced to execution by

Riel was determined to protect the rights of everyone in the settlement. When the Canadian Party was armed and prepared to attack, he imprisoned them by force. The belligerent Thomas Scott was executed by a majority vote. Then Riel decided to negotiate with the Canadian government, which at first refused to recognize him. Undaunted, the provisional government drafted a proposal for the creation of the province of Manitoba. Unfortunately, the leader of the Canadian Party escaped and reached Ottawa first, spreading prejudicial news of the execution and creating outrage. The delegates from Red River had a hard time getting recognition from Macdonald's government, but eventually their case was heard and agreed upon. The Manitoba Act was created granting land rights, as well as making two official languages and education systems. Overall, the Red River Rebellion was a success, but they could've used more peaceful means when dealing with the Canadian Party, especially since they didn't act beforehand. The Red River Rebellion did not end all of the Metis problems though.

“I am more convinced everyday that without a single exception I did right. And I have always believed that, as I have acted honestly, the time will come when the people of Canada will see and acknowledge it.”- Louis Riel. We believe that Louis Riel is innocent of treason. Also, 92% of the class believes that Louis Riel is innocent. Mr.Riel is an ambitious, daring, well educated, political leader, who is a proud leader of the Metis. First, he was protecting the Metis rights. Secondly, he was threatened by racism and the Canadian Party. Finally, he negotiated with the Canadian government to create Manitoba. As you see, Louis Riel is innocent of treason.

Louis Riel was one of the most controversial figures in Canadian history, and even to this day – more than a century after his execution – he continues to be remembered. Many believed him to be a villain; others saw him as a hero. So who was he really? Born in St. Boniface at the Red River Settlement of Canada (present-day Winnipeg, Manitoba) on October 22, 1844, Louis Riel hoped one day to follow his father’s footsteps and become a great Métis leader just like him. Eventually, Riel was seen as a hero to the French-speaking Métis. In the Canadian West, however, most people regarded him as a villain due to his execution in 1885. Nevertheless, Louis Riel was not really a villain by heart; only a flawed man who made many mistakes in his life.

“Maîtres chez nous” or in English “Masters of our own house”. These words spoken by Premier Jean Lesage caused an uproar in Quebec by giving the citizens a sense of confidence they had never felt before. Jean Lesage played a crucial role in the modernization of Quebec in a short period of time after recuperating the province from the “Great Darkness”. While the rest of Canada was undergoing innovation, Quebec fell behind due to Maurice Duplessis. After the death of Duplessis, Lesage ran for Premier and was elected in 1960. He promised to improve Quebec through social, economic and cultural changes and proved so by creating programs and replacing others. One of Lesage’s accomplishments to modernize Quebec was being able to subside the Catholic Church’s role and replace it with a more commanding provincial government role. Another achievement of Lesage’s to rejuvenate Quebec was nationalizing private electricity companies which allowed workers to speak French entirely, guaranteed the Quebec economy benefits, and adjusted wages. Finally, the Quiet Revolution allowed the rest of Canada to hear the nationalist views of Quebecers after the FLQ terrorist group terrorized several mailboxes, kidnapped James Cross and killed Pierre Laporte.

Riel, caught up in the battle, condemned a man named Thomas Scott as a traitor to the provincial government and shot him. This action enraged the anti-Catholic and anti-French communities. In addition, Riel was elected into the Canadian House of Commons in 1873-74 but was denied his seat. He was pardoned in 1875 on the condition he would leave Canada. Both these incidents influenced Riel to go to the United States, where he taught in Montana at a Jesuit Mission, before being asked by the Métis to present their grievances to the Canadian Government and be their leader once more.

The first reason Louis Riel should be viewed as a hero is due to his noble acts at the Red River Settlement. Louis Riel continued to respect the English people despite their attempt at taking over his land. He allowed the English people to become part of the provisional government he created. He also, gave them an equal number of representatives even though they were in the minority. Furthermore, Louis Riel helped Manitoba to become a province and join the Confederation. That happened since if Louis Riel had never stopped the English people from taking over the Red River settlement, Manitoba would have never been formed. Louis Riel also sent Father Ritchot to Ottawa in order to discuss the creation of Manitoba with John A. Macdonald.

Secondly, Louis Riel is the leader of the Metis people, Louis Riel intervened. Believing that the Métis' future lay with Canada, not with the United States, he assured the Lieutenant Governor that the Métis would not join the Fenians and he kept his word. For want of local support, the Fenian attack died before it had begun. 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 Lépine left Manitoba on February 23, 1872, and traveled to St.

"We must cherish our inheritance. We must preserve our nationality for the youth of our future. The story should be written down to pass on." (Louis Riel, 1884). Louis Riel, a man of great nature and abiding love for his western Métis heritage, is proven to be one of the most revolutionary men looked upon in the chronicles of the Dominion of Canada. In spite of this, he remains as one of the most controversial and cryptic figures throughout the course of Canadian history. A period of revolution lasting from the 1870’s to the late 1880’s was condemned with constant revolts justified as an intervening year for those involved. Louis Riel is regarded as a hero by preserving the civil liberties and identities of the Métis and leading two

Louis XIV had a passion for glory and used it to fight four wars because he was motivated by personal and dynastic considerations.