History is full of famous people whose actions have had long-lasting effects on political, religious, or social life. For the people of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and areas around Canada, Louis Riel was a leader whose actions would change the country for years to come.
The Beginnings of Canada
When Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia joined together in 1867 to form the new country of Canada, the vast areas to the west still remained under British rule. Westward expansion of settlements brought new opportunities for communities but also conflicts as governments and local people clashed and new leaders like Louis Riel of the Red River area of Rupert’s Land arose.
A brilliant but controversial leader, Riel managed to forge the Red River area into a province just three years after Canadian Confederation in 1867 and unite the Métis people but at the same time alienate the federal government so that he was finally executed in 1885. For years, he was considered a traitor against Canada but is now honored for the contributions he made to the fledgling country.
Louis Riel’s Youth and Early Career
Louis Riel grew up on the east bank of the Red River, the grandson of the first white woman to life in the area. As the Métis Nation website indicates, Riel was always very much aware of his native and French identity. His classical education was interrupted by his father’s death, and he later spent several years in the United States after a failed romance. He returned to Rupert’s Land in June of 1868 and found tensions rising over plans to annex the area to Canada. When the government sent representatives to take possession of the area, Riel led a rebellion that eventually resulted in the formation of the province of Manitoba.
The Provisional Government under Louis Riel
When government troops, accompanied by William McDougall, who had been appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Rupert’s Land, advanced on the Red River area, Louis Riel took action. He proclaimed a provisional government with himself as leader, ready to negotiate with the Canadian government for provincial status. His negotiations eventually resulted in the Manitoba Act, which came into effect on July 15, 1870.
It was soon afterwards that Riel made his worst decision, according to the Manitoba government’s website, when he had an agitator named Thomas Scott executed. Fearing a backlash from the local English population, Riel fled to the United States. In 1874, he was convicted of murder for the execution but was later granted amnesty if he remained in exile for five years. He married and began to raise a family in Montana, and for many years he stayed out of politics.
The North-West Rebellion and Louis Riel’s Execution
In 1884, Louis Riel’s political skills were once again in demand when the Métis in what would later become Saskatchewan asked him to do for them what he had done in Manitoba. However, the Canadian government was unwilling to negotiate with the rebels and sent troops to Batoche. The North-West rebellion was defeated in May 1885 and Riel was arrested for high treason, tried, and found guilty. He was executed on 16 November, 1885 in Regina, sparking years of tension between the French and English in Canada.
Historians may never agree on an assessment of Louis Riel's contributions, but there is no doubt that he had a profound influence on Canadian life and culture.
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