Louis Riel

Louis "David" Riel (October 22, 1844 – November 16, 1885), was a Canadian politician and leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government that sought to preserve Métis rights and culture as their homelands in the Northwest Territories came progressively under the Canadian sphere of influence.

The intervening years

The amnesty question

It was not until September 2 that the new lieutenant-governor Adams George Archibald arrived and set about the establishment of civil government. In the absence of an amnesty, and with the Canadian militia beating and intimidating his sympathisers, Riel fled to the safety of the St. Joseph's mission across the border in the Dakota Territory. However the results of the first provincial election in December 1870 were promising for Riel, as many of his supporters came to power. Nevertheless, stress and financial troubles precipitated a serious illness — perhaps a harbinger of his future mental afflictions — that prevented his return to Manitoba until May of 1871. The settlement now faced another threat, this time from cross-border Fenian raids coördinated by his former associate William Bernard O'Donoghue. While the threat proved overstated, Archibald proclaimed a general call to arms on October 4. Companies of armed horsemen were raised, including one led by Riel. When Archibald reviewed the troops in St. Boniface, he made the significant gesture of publicly shaking Riel's hand, signalling that a rapprochement had been effected. But this was not to be — when this news reached Ontario, Mair and members of the Canada First movement whipped up a significant resurgence of anti-Riel (and anti-Archibald) sentiment. With Federal elections coming in 1872, Macdonald could ill afford any further rift in Quebec-Ontario relations. He therefore quietly arranged for Taché to offer Riel what amounted to a bribe of $1000 to enter voluntary exile. This was supplemented by an additional £600 from Smith for the care of Riel's family. With few other options, Riel accepted, arriving in St. Paul on March 2 1872. However, by late June Riel was back in Manitoba and was soon thereafter convinced to run as a member of parliament for the electoral district of Provencher. However, following the early September defeat of Cartier in his home riding in Quebec, Riel stood aside so that Cartier — on record as being in favour of amnesty for Riel — might secure a seat. Cartier won by acclamation, but Riel's hopes for a swift resolution to the amnesty question were dashed following Cartier's death on May 20, 1873. In the ensuing by-election in October 1873, Riel ran unopposed, although he had once again fled, a warrant having been issued for his arrest in September. Lépine was not so lucky; he was captured and faced trial. Riel made his way to Montreal and, fearing arrest or assassination, vacillated as to whether he should attempt to take up his seat in the House of Commons — Edward Blake, the Premier of Ontario, had announced a bounty of $5000 for his arrest. Famously, Riel was the only Member of Parliament who was not present for the great Pacific Scandal debate of 1873 that led to the resignation of the Macdonald government in November. Liberal leader Alexander Mackenzie became the interim prime minister, and a general election was held in January 1874. Although the Liberals under Mackenzie formed the new government, Riel easily retained his seat. Formally, Riel had to sign a register book at least once upon being elected, and he did so under disguise in late January. He was nevertheless stricken from the rolls following a motion supported by Schultz, who had become the member for the electoral district of Lisgar. Undeterred, Riel prevailed once again in the resulting by-election, and although once again expelled, his symbolic point had been made and public opinion in Quebec was strongly tipped in his favour.

Related Topics:
September 2 - Adams George Archibald - Dakota Territory - 1870 - 1871 - Fenian - William Bernard O'Donoghue - October 4 - Canada First - 1872 - $1000 - £600 - St. Paul - March 2 - Parliament - Provencher - May 20 - 1873 - Assassination - Edward Blake - Premier of Ontario - Member of Parliament - Pacific Scandal - Liberal - Alexander Mackenzie - Prime minister - 1874 - Lisgar

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Exile and mental illness

During this period, Riel had been staying near Plattsburg, New York in the French-Canadian village of Keesville. It was here that he received news of Lépine's fate: following his trial for the murder of Scott, which had begun on October 13 of 1874, Lépine was found guilty and sentenced to die. This sparked outrage in the sympathetic Quebec press, and calls for amnesty for both Lépine and Riel were renewed. This presented a severe political difficulty for Mackenzie, who was hopelessly caught between the demands of Quebec and Ontario. However, a solution was forthcoming when, acting on his own initiative, the Governor General Lord Dufferin commuted Lépine's sentence in January 1875. This opened the door for Mackenzie to secure from parliament an amnesty for Riel, on that the condition that he remain in exile for five years.

Related Topics:
Plattsburg - New York - October 13 - Governor General - Lord Dufferin - 1875

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During his time of exile, he was primarily concerned with religious rather than political matters. Spurred on by a sympathetic Roman Catholic priest in Quebec, he was increasingly influenced by his belief that he was a divinely chosen leader of the Métis. Modern biographers have speculated that he may have suffered from the psychological condition megalomania. His mental state deteriorated, and following a violent outburst he was taken to Montreal, where he was for a period of some months under the care of his uncle, John Lee. But after Riel disrupted a religious service, Lee arranged to have him committed in an asylum in Longue-Pointe on March 6, 1876 under the assumed name "Louis R. David". Fearing discovery, his doctors soon transferred him to the Beauport Asylum near Quebec City under the name "Louis Larochelle". While he suffered from sporadic irrational outbursts, he continued his religious writing, composing theological tracts with an admixture of Christian and Judaic ideas. He consequently began calling himself Louis "David" Riel, prophet of the new world. Nevertheless, he slowly recovered, and was released from the asylum on January 23 1878 with an admonition to lead a quiet life. He returned for a time to Keesville, where he became involved in a passionate romance with Evelina Martin dit Barnabé, sister of his friend, the oblate father Fabien Barnabé. But with insufficient means to propose marriage, Riel returned to the west, hoping that she might follow. However, she decided that she would be unsuited to prairie life, and their correspondence soon ended.

Related Topics:
Biographer - Psychological - Megalomania - Longue-Pointe - March 6 - 1876 - Quebec City - January 23 - 1878 - Oblate

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Montana and family life

In the fall of 1878, Riel returned to St. Paul, and briefly visited his friends and family. This was a time of rapid change for the Métis of the Red River — the buffalo on which they depended were becoming increasingly scarce, the influx of settlers was ever-increasing, and many had sold their land to unscrupulous land speculators. Like many other Red River Métis who had left Manitoba, Riel headed further west in order to start a new life. Travelling to the Montana Territory, he became a trader and interpreter in the area surrounding Fort Benton. Observing rampant alcoholism and its detrimental impact on the Native American and Métis people, he engaged in an unsuccessful attempt to curtail the whisky trade. In 1881, he married Marguerite Monet dit Bellehumeur (1861–1886), a young Métis, "in the fashion of the country" on April 28, an arrangement that was solemnized on March 9, 1882. They were to have three children: Jean-Louis (1882–1908); Marie-Angélique (1883–1897); and a boy that was born and died on October 21, 1885, less than one month before Riel was hanged.

Related Topics:
Buffalo - Montana Territory - Fort Benton - Alcoholism - Whisky - 1881 - April 28 - March 9 - 1882 - October 21 - 1885

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Riel soon became involved in the politics of Montana, and in 1882, actively campaigned on behalf of the Republican Party. He went so far as to bring suit against a Democrat for allegedly rigging a vote, but was then himself accused of fraudulently inducing British subjects to take part in the election. In response, Riel applied for United States citizenship and was naturalized on March 16, 1883. With two young children, he had by 1884 settled down and was teaching school at the St. Peter's Jesuit mission in the Sun River district of Montana.

Related Topics:
Republican Party - Democrat - British subject - United States - Citizenship - Naturalized - March 16 - 1883 - 1884 - Jesuit - Sun River

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