Is Louis Riel a Hero Or a Traitor?
The Debate is Finally Unraveled
What is a Hero?
What is a Traitor?
The Timeline of Louis Riel
Louis Riel was born in 1844 at the Red River settlement. In school, Riel was seen as a student who stood out. At age 13, due to his high academic level, he was offered a scholarship to study at a school in Montreal. He was at the top of his class.
Riel's Impacts on Red River:
In 1869, the Métis created created a national committee so that they could protect the cultural, political, and social status. Louis Riel was elected president of the national committee. Later in 1869, Louis Riel started something called the Red River Resistance. This was created because the Métis were not treated equally and did not have many rights. Riel did not want his people to have to suffer because of this. Meaning, he took a stand. As a result of this resistance the Métis gained political victory. On October 11, with Riel as their leader, the Métis seized fort Gary and killed Thomas Scott. This was a good thing to do, because it was for the better choice for everyone. By killing Thomas Scott, Louis Riel was able to create what later became Manitoba. Riel had also led a second resistance, titled the North West Resistance/Rebellion. With another victory, the outcome of this battle was the completion of the Canadian pacific Railway. This would benefit many people because now, people from different provinces could travel around the country. Figuratively, this all happened because of Louis Riel.