Louis Riel: Father of Confederation or a Treasonous Rebel?

French and English Canadians wanted. Laurier wanted to promote national unity in order to protect

At Batoche, Riel told the people that no peaceful solution was possible, he believed that the Canadian government wanted to be at war. He concluded his speech with, “Justice commands us to take up arms.” Riel at this point was announcing war with the government. By calling these orders, Riel caused more violence than there should have been. At Duck Lake, five Metis and one First Nations person were killed along with 12 NWMP officers and another 25 were wounded. This battle was seen as the beginning of the Northwest Uprising. All of these battles caused the loss of many lives, which could have been prevented, if a peaceful solution could have been found. Riel led the Metis to continue fighting against their country until they were short of bullets and were forced to surrender. Riel not only acted on his conspiracies against the government, but his conspiracies lead to battles which caused a large loss of

Moreover, the government’s insufficiency caused Riel to act accordingly. Earlier, it was mentioned that the Canadian government was not authorized to take legal action until December of 1869. Though this was clearly recognized by the government, they sent surveyors in June of 1869 for settlers to live there. The government broke their own laws, hence it proves that Riel, due to the government’s flawed intentions, had to enforce his rule, by stepping on the chains. Unit Two: The Development of Western Canada, on page 36 highlights that in 1882, surveyors came to the Métis peoples North-West Settlements to examine the land once more. The Métis acted quickly and sent 15 petitions to the Canadian government for the rights of their land, none of which were answered. Once again, the government was incapable. The government could have prevented all the troubles, but due to their insufficiency and flawed system, they let the surveyors come onto the land. In addition to this, the government had signed many treaties with the Métis. But, the government, yet again, didn’t keep their word and didn’t follow the laws of giving them what the treaties had promised. To conclude, Riel was compelled to take arms. The lack of control, caused the government to spend millions and ended in destruction. Flashback Canada on page 196 stated, “Some new evidence suggests that the Chief Justice in Manitoba at the time of Riel’s

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

In the year of 1867 the nation we know as Canada came into being. The Confederation in this year only came about after things had been overcome. Many political and economic pressures were exerted on the colonies and a federal union of the colonies seemed to be the most practical method of dealing with these pressures and conflicts. While Confederation was a solution to many of the problems, it was not a popular one for all the colonies involved. In the Maritime colonies views differed widely on the topic. Some were doubtful, some were pleased, others were annoyed and many were hopeful for a prosperous future.1

Many people across the globe argue that nationalism within Canada is simply not feasible. It is said that we as a people, differ so greatly with our diverse cultures, religions, and backgrounds that we cannot come together and exist together as a strong, united nation. In his book, Lament for a Nation, George Grant tells the reader that “…as Canadians we attempted a ridiculous task in trying to build a conservative nation in the age of progress, on a continent we share with the most dynamic nation on earth. The current history is against us.” (1965) Originally directed towards the Bomarc Missile Crisis, the book argues that whatever nationalism Canada had was destroyed by globalization as well as the powerful American

Brothers, sisters, fellow members of reform, I, Antoine Aime Dorion would like to share my opinion on a rather controversial event. Our culture is rich, the land is plentiful and we have worked tirelessly to gain what we currently have. However, the abomination you all know by the name of confederation plots to rob us of these great gifts!

When it comes to Canadian History, perhaps the most controversial and widely disputable topic of debate would have to be one of Canada’s greatest wars: The War of 1812. A wide array of views are held on many aspects of the war ranging from who won to what ramifications the war would ultimately sire. In yet another discussion on the ever so controversial War of 1812, a new question was posed and deliberated by five historians: whose war, was it? Like any other question posed about this war a multitude of ideas would ultimately arise in each of their differing viewpoints. In their roundhouse discussion, the historians would ultimately serve to paint the War of 1812 as a war that transcends much further than the nationalistic view. A view that, though an important part of Canadian history, has been exaggerated to the point of choking out the many voices who fought and continue to fight for inclusion in the narrative. In their remembrance of the War of 1812, society unwittingly failed history in their lackluster commemorations which exclude important narratives and voices and stand tainted by the misuse of history to serve the nationalistic agenda.

To begin, Louis Riel wanted to negotiate with the Canadian government to create the province “Manitoba”. Mr. Riel wanted a province because a province had much greater control over its own affairs than did a territory. On July 15, 1870, the Manitoba Act went into effect. Through this act, Canada’s fifth province, Manitoba, came into being. Many of the points from the Metis Bill of Rights became part of the Manitoba Act. Mr. Riel had been working towards creating a province, it has been

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.

Nationalism is an important aspect of national pride and identity for countries around the world. For example, Canada takes pride in its cultural identity, one that is claimed to be different from other ‘Western’ more ‘industrialized’ nations, such as countries in Europe, and the United States. Even though Canada currently has a national identity that differs greatly from that of other more established countries, history has dictated the way in which a particular national identity exists today. In Canada, Samuel De Champlain and the French established colonies that created a cultural clash between the French Europeans, and First-Nations Canadians within the country. However, this notion of French Canadian Nationalism isn’t necessarily embraced by all of the Canadian Population. This paper seeks to analyze important pieces of Canadian History that have contributed to a broken concept of what constitutes Canadian nationalism, with an emphasis on how historic events prevent and affect coherent Canadian Nationalism in modern society. Through the analysis of the notions and histories associated with ‘First-Nations Nationalism’, ‘Quebecois Nationalism’, and a broader ‘Anti-American’ identity embraced by many Canadians, this paper seeks to locate common ground within the culturally diverse Canadian population in order to progress toward a singular coherent

The most important aspect of this proposal deals with the aftermath of the Canadian insurrections. This will be of extreme to significance to the reader as the aftermath of the rebellion would change the destiny of Canada. After learning of the uprisings in the Canadian colonies the British parliament sent a commission to study the causes. Lord Durham was named governor on May of 1839 and was in placed in charge of establishing an inquiry into the rebellions. From this inquiry came a list of recommendations submitted to the parliament in London (Outlett, 275). Two recommendations in this report became extremely significant to Canadian history.

The concept of recognizing Quebec as a distinct society is an idea that has been kicking around for some time, but just what does it mean and what are its broader implications? This paper will examine the origins of the term, what it means, and its historical context. It will then examine rival interpretations of federalism. The essay will conclude with an in-depth examination of the concept's involvement with the failed constitutional accords and the failed Quebec succession attempts.

"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

Jacques Godbout is a Quebecois historian, author, and filmmaker as well as the great-nephew of Adelard Godbout. He sets out to create a documentary to explore the work of his great-uncle who was once the Premier of Quebec, who has somehow been lost in the history books. This documentary is titled “Patriot or Traitor”, because Jacques openly provides the information on his great-uncle that allows the viewer to ultimately make the decision on how we wish to view this great Canadian. With slight bias, Jacques realizes his fascination with Adelard’s politics may be caused because his childhood was influenced by him, since he and his family were framed as