Louis Riel essay

     Louis Riel was a mad hero who fought for the rights of his people. Throughout his years Louis Riel refused to be pushed around and was sick of the racism toward him and the Métis. As a child he was known as a talented student with many abilities and as he grew old he was known as a great man willing to risk his life to stand up for himself and many others. Louis Riel is a hero.




          The great hero was born on October 22 1844. As a kid he went to school in Montreal studying religion and priesthood. Many noted him as a gifted student with many talents. The bishop at St. Boniface, Alexandre Tache, sent Louis to attend College de Montreal in 1858. He studied languages, science, and philosophy. He showed constant and unpredictable mood change. In 1864, when Riels father passed away, Louis began to lose interest in his school work and he left college. He stayed in Montreal for a while living with his aunt. During that time he fell in love but had his heartbroken when the girl’s family would not let her marry him because he was Métis. He had a job as a law clerk in Montreal but he found he did not like law and in 1866 Louis Riel decided to leave Quebec. He then lived in Chicago and worked as a clerk and wrote poems. By 1868 Louis had returned to the Red River Settlement.


              Louis Riel had returned to the Red River Settlement and was disappointed to see that the land that use to be populated with mostly Métis and First Nation people were now populated by Anglophone Protestant settlers from Ontario. He thought he would organize a group called the “Métis National Committee”. Riel was the secretary and a man named John Bruce was the president. This group prevented Lieutenant McDougall to not enter their land. Louis Riel soon became president of this group and met with the Ottawa Delegation to discuss a list of rights for the Métis. Riel and Smith agreed to send representatives to negotiate the list. Thomas Scott and 48 others were arrested by Fort Garry for plotting against the Provisional Government of the Red River Settlement. While Thomas Scott was in jail he was very rude and was threatening to kill Louis Riel and was asked many times to control himself and behave. Scott ignored them and was sentenced to death. This caused many problems for Louis Riel in the future. People wanted the great hero arrested and killed. They were blinded by hate and did not understand why Thomas Scott was killed and how Louis Riel didn't want him to be killed. Riels arrest warrant was 5000$.

              Though Riel was running for parliament he was not able to enter the parliament buildings and was not present for the great “Pacific Scandal Debate” in 1873. During this time Riel spent time with the priests of Oblate in Plattsburg, New York. While spending time here Riel thought less about politics and more about religion. People would encourage him and tell him he was chosen to be the leader of the Métis. Louis soon thought of himself as a prophet of the new world and called him himself Louis David Riel. He would sit praying for hours making the servants hold his arms like a shape of a cross. Soon though Riel recovered from this brief madness and married. He noticed alcoholism with the Métis and tried to stop the whiskey trade but was unable to. By 1884 Riel had settled down in Montana with his two kids and wife. He taught school at St. Peter's Jesuit mission. The Métis travelled down to the Saskatchewan Valley and settled there.

           Louis Riel attended his trial which was on July 28^th and lasted only five days. During the trial doctors tried to convince the judge and jury that Louis was insane. Riel disagreed with the doctors and said he was not crazy. The jury found Riel guilty but sentenced him to mercy. The judge disagreed and sentenced Riel to death on September 18^th 1885. Riel regretted saying he was sane and wanted another trial. This request was denied though. The great hero was hung on September 18^th and his tragic death still affects people to this very day. His body was given to his mother in St. Vital. On the 12^th of December his body was buried at the churchyard of Saint-Boniface Cathedral.

         Louis Riel died a hero and to this very day people still talk about him. Riel is an inspiration and we should look up to this hero for fighting for rights and never giving up. Even as a kid he had great talents and abilities. His belief in god was strong and he prayed while in battle. We will always remember Louis Riel as a strong and brave hero who never gave up