louis riel

Thesis statement: Louis Riel was a mad hero who fought for the rights of his people.

CHILDHOOD
.Louis Riel was born on october 22 1844 in the Red River Settlement

.he attended school and was a very gifted student

.In 1858 Taché arranged for Riel to attend the Petit Séminaire of the Collège de Montréal in Montreal, Quebec under the direction of the Sulpician order. Descriptions of him at the time indicate that he was a fine scholar of languages, science, and philosophy, but exhibited a frequent and unpredictable moodiness

.father died in 1864 and louis lost interest in his school work

.lived with his aunt for a while

.Fell in love but girls parents didnt want to be associated with a Metis and forced the girl and Louis Riel apart

.Had a job as a law clerk in montreal

.disliked law and left quebec to live in Chicago in 1866

.got a job as a clerk and wrote poems

.returned to the Red River Settlement in 1868


REBELLION
.In late August, Riel denounced the survey in a speech, and on 11 October 1869, the survey's work was disrupted by a group of Métis that included Riel

.This group organized itself as the "Métis National Committee" on 16 October, with Riel as secretary and John Bruce as president

.Riel declared that any attempt by Canada to assume authority would be contested unless Ottawa had first negotiated terms with the Métis

.Nevertheless, the non-bilingual McDougall was appointed the lieutenant governor-designate, and attempted to enter the settlement on 2 November. McDougall's party was turned back near the American border, and on the same day, Métis led by Riel seized Fort Garry

.Meetings between Riel and the Ottawa delegation took place on January 5 and 6, 1870, but when these proved fruitless, Smith chose to present his case in a public forum

.On 7 February, a new list of rights was presented to the Ottawa delegation, and Smith and Riel agreed to send representatives to Ottawa to engage in direct negotiations on that bas

.Despite the apparent progress on the political front, the Canadian party continued to plot against the provisional government
.48 men including thomas scott was aressted

.Thomas Scott was rascist and rude and was killed for threatening Louis Riel

.An agreement enshrining the demands in the list of rights was quickly reached, and this formed the basis for the Manitoba Act

 .by late June Riel was back in Manitoba and was soon persuaded to run as a member of parliament

.had announced a bounty of $5,000 for his arrest

.Riel was the only Member Of Parliament who was not present for the great Pacific Scandel debate of 1873 that led to the resignation of the Macdonald government in November.

.Although the Liberals under Mackenzie formed the new government, Riel easily retained his seat

.During this period, Riel had been staying with priests of the Oblate order in Plattsburgh, New York who introduced him to Father Fabien Martin dit Barnabé in the nearby village of Keeseville

.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.

.He consequently began calling himself Louis "David" Riel, prophet of the new world, and he would pray (standing) for hours, having servants help him to hold his arms in the shape of a cross

.Riel recovered and married

.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

.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.

.Following the Red River Rebellion, Métis travelled west and settled in the Saskatchewan Valley, especially along the south branch of the river in the country surrounding the Saint-Laurent mission (near modern St. Laurent de Grandin, Saskatchewan)


THE TRIAL AND DEATH OF LOUIS RIEL

.28 July 1885, and lasted only five days

.Doctors tried to convince the jury and judge that Louis Riel was insane

.Riel disagreed with the doctors

. The jury found Riel guilty but sentenced him to mercy

.The judge disagreed and sentenced to death

.date of his execution initially set for 18 September 1885

 . as the date of his execution approached, Riel regretted his opposition to the defence of insanity and vainly attempted to provide evidence that he was not sane

.Requests for a retrial and an appeal to the Privy council in England were denied

.Following the execution, Riel's body was returned to his mother's home in St. Vital, where it lay in state. On 12 December 1886, his remains were laid in the churchyard of the Saint-Boniface Cathedral