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Louis Riel was without a doubt a hero. He stood up for Metis people rights


seunss 1 / -  
Jun 5, 2012   #1
Please help ASAP eassy due tommrow

Most great stories have a villain and a hero, but who says a person can't be both? The story of Canada becoming a country is no exception. The 19th century was a crucial period in the development of Canada, changed by many so called heroes and villains. Louis Riel, one of the most controversial figures among historians of Canadian history, is considered as both a hero and a villain by some. He was hanged for treason on November 16, 1885, but he wasn't really a villain. Louis Riel is a national hero without a doubt because he stood up for Metis people's rights, was a big part in the formation of Manitoba, and called attention to the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Most people see Louis Riel as a villain because of the actions he took against the government. Louis Riel led two major rebellions. The first was the Red river rebellion of 1869. The Metis people, half European and half native, were fed up with being taking advantage of by the government. Land surveyors at the time had laid out square townships and ignored the strips lots the settlers used to have. Rupert's Land was purchased without discussions with any of the settlers in the area. The Metis people called for Louis Riel, who was the leader of the Metis at the time. After many fruitless negotiations with the government, Louis called together a rebellion at Fort Garry where they took military weapons, ammunition and equipment. Riel then created a provisional government and tried to negotiate with the Canadian government as much as possible. To add to the trouble, Riel executed an Englishman, Thomas Scott, who was opposed to his government. When false reports and rumors reached the east about Scott's murder, Riel became a national criminal and was wanted for arrest. This event led the government to see Louis Riel as an antihero.

The second major rebellion that took place when Louis Riel was leader was the Northwest Rebellion of 1885, which further annoyed the Canadian government. During the time leading up to the rebellion, the Canadian Pacific Railway was being built. The Canadian government broke their treaty and cut off their budget to the Indians because the cost of building the railway was too high. This action of the Government caused many Metis people to die of starvation and disease. The Metis people sent a letter to Louis Riel, who was in the U.S. at the time, and returned to Canada at their request. He presented a plan that would, with a bit of luck, put the situation to an end. After realizing a balanced solution was unworkable, he took a Metis army up to Fort Carleton in anticipation of a military confrontation with large government forces. Riel's army didn't fall without a fight. They held off the Canadian militia for quite some time before they were capture and defeated. Louis Riel was arrested.

From the government's point of view, the end of the Northwest Rebellion had led them to capture one most insulting villains. While the rebellions had made Louis Riel Canada's national villain, all of his acts actually helped Canada in some way. The one thing that stands out about Riel's actions is that he was obsessive about keeping Metis peoples' rights and culture. Unquestionably, he was the true Metis leader. During the Red River Rebellion, Louis thought up a list of rights for the Metis. The list of rights stated that all people were to be treated equally, with equal rights to the services and qualities of society, including voting in elections, land purchases and claims, and cultural and language rights. When the List of Rights was ignored by the government, Riel did not stop trying to improve the conditions for the Metis people. In the Northwest Rebellion of 1885, Riel came up with another Bill of Rights. This pleased the Metis people. The bill states in full detail, that the Metis people were to have the same rights to land, an input in elections, and the same living standards as the English people. Clearly, Louis Riel was the defender of the Metis people rights and culture.

To add to making the lives of the Metis people better, Riel's actions were responsible for the formation of the province of Manitoba. In the Red river rebellion, he formed the provisional government and wrote the List of Rights to help the metis people. The List of Rights was used to base the Manitoba Act. The Act intended that the Red River Colony would be part of Manitoba. In addition, the Manitoba Act made English and French the two official languages of Manitoba and established separated schooling systems for Protestant and Roman Catholics. 1,400,000 acres of Rupert's land became Manitoba. The Act also made sure that the area of Manitoba had a responsible government, and an assurance of land and property, and fair positions for the Natives. As well as being the defender of the Metis people, Louis Riel was named the founding father of Manitoba.

Louis Riel also helped to call Canadian's attention to the Canadian Pacific Railway. In the 19th century, the Railway was an enormous project with a huge price. Prime Minster John A. Macdonald hoped for a railway that stretched from east coast to the west coast. This plan was good, but was too expensive and went bankrupt in 1885. The Trains in the 19th couldn't go up or down hills and turn sharply, made constructing rails pass hills and around mountains. For the government to make a straight path, it would have to go through the United States. Since the price was too much the people decide it wasn't worth it. During the North-West Rebellion, the government needs to get soldiers to Fort Carleton quick. Prime Minster MacDonald suggested using the unfinished railway. This got the soldiers to the Fort quickly and they were able to take back Fort Carleton. This brought Canadians attention to the Railway and they wanted the project finish. Louis Riel didn't have direct actions to the railway, but his rebellion helped it to finish.

Louis Riel was without a doubt a hero. He stood up for Metis people rights, Found Manitoba and brought people's attention to the Canadian Pacific Railway. All of the Louis Riel actions Benefited Canada in some way shape or form. Louis Riel was leader of Metis, an example to every Canadian, and was a Hero.
TheStoneAmber 1 / 3  
Jun 6, 2012   #2
I'm confused. Your essay introduction clearly states that Louis Riel is both a hero AND a villain, yet everything you have written states that he is only a hero.


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