Louis Riel
Politician
1844 – 1885
Who was Louis Riel?
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. Riel sought to preserve Métis rights and culture as their homelands in the Northwest came progressively under the Canadian sphere of influence. He is regarded by many today as a Canadian folk hero.
The first resistance was the Red River Rebellion of 1869–1870. The provisional government established by Riel ultimately negotiated the terms under which the modern province of Manitoba entered the Canadian Confederation. Riel was forced into exile in the United States due to the controversial execution of Thomas Scott during the rebellion. Despite this, he is frequently referred to as the "Father of Manitoba". While a fugitive, he was elected three times to the Canadian House of Commons, although he never assumed his seat.
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- Born
- Oct 22, 1844
Red River Colony - Also known as
- Louis David Riel
- Parents
- Spouses
- Marguerite Monet
(1881 - 1885/11/16)
- Marguerite Monet
- Children
- Religion
- Catholicism
- Ethnicity
- Métis people
- Dene
- Nationality
- Canada
- United States of America
- Profession
- Education
- Collège de Montréal
(1858 - 1865/03)
- Collège de Montréal
- Lived in
- Saskatchewan
- Died
- Nov 16, 1885
Regina
Submitted
on July 23, 2013
Citation
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"Louis Riel." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 9 Jun 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/louis_riel>.
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