Louis-Joseph Papineau
Encyclopedia
Louis-Joseph Papineau born in Montreal
, Quebec
, was a politician, lawyer, and the landlord of the seigneurie de la Petite-Nation. He was the leader of the reformist Patriote movement
before the Lower Canada Rebellion
of 1837–1838. His father was Joseph Papineau
, also a famous politician in Quebec
. Louis Joseph Papineau was the oldest of eight children.
of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
on January 21, 1815. The same year, he replaced Pierre-Stanislas Bédard
as leader of the Parti canadien
. Under his leadership, the party worked for the reform of Lower Canada's political institutions and strongly opposed the abuses of the appointed Legislative Council.
In 1820, he refused a position on the Legislative Council offered by governor Dalhousie.
. Denis-Benjamin Vigier "was for a time the assembly's agent in London and became one of Papineau's prominent supporters and close friends; but after the rebellion he was to follow Lafontaine."
Papineau's later childhood was mainly spent on the seigniory of la Petite Nation located on the Ottawa river, which was purchased by his father in 1801 from the Quebec Seminary. During his time spent at the seigniory of La petite Nation, Papineau was sent to study at the College of Montreal in which he rebelled and was forced to leave college. He was then sent to study at the Seminary of Quebec, where he completed his secondary studies.
In 1808 Papineau was elected member of parliament for Kent (now Chambly, Quebec) before being admitted to the Bar of Lower Canada in 1810. Later, he served as a militia officer in the War of 1812
. He married Julie Bruneau, in Quebec City on April 29, 1818.
In 1822, he was sent to London with John Neilson
to present a petition of 60,000 signatures against the Union project. While in the United Kingdom
, he was replaced by Joseph-Rémi Vallières as Speaker.
In 1826, he was chosen leader of The Patriotes, a reformed and more radical Parti Canadien. In 1831, he sponsored a law which granted full equivalent political rights to Jews, 27 years before anywhere else in the British Empire
. The events that lead to Jews receiving full citizenship rights in Lower Canada in advance of other nations or territories in the British Dominion were due to the involvement of one Ezekiel Hart, a Jew who had proved his dedication to the burgeoning Canadian identity by having raised money to support troops in the Lower Canada to help in defence against United States
invasion from the south.
Louis-Joseph was part of the committee that wrote the Ninety-Two Resolutions
passed by the Legislative Assembly on February 21, 1834. The resolutions called for an elected Legislative Council and an Executive Council responsible before the house of the people's representatives.
. He and O'Callaghan fled Montreal for Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu on November 16, after governor Lord Gosford ordered their arrest and that of 25 other Patriot leaders. Papineau and O'Callaghan went to the home of Wolfred Nelson
. He crossed the United States border on November 25.
. He arranged for his wife and his children to join him there. For some time, he attempted to gain the support of American President Martin Van Buren
using all the diplomatic influence that he and American supporters could provide. When the United States declared themselves neutral in the conflict between Britain and its Canadian colonies, he turned to Europe for support.
On February 8, 1839, he parted to leave New York City
for Paris
where he hoped to get France involved. In May, he published the Histoire de l'insurrection du Canada (History of the insurrection in Canada) in the magazine Progrès. Despite meeting with influential politicians such as Lamartine
and Lamennais
, the France of Louis-Philippe
also remained neutral. After his wife left in 1843 "he spent a large part of his leisure in the main archival repositories in Paris, where he copied documents relating French rule in Canada".
His role in the 1837 rebellions
against British rule forced him into exile until 1845. In 1845, three years after he had been granted amnesty he finally decided to return to what in 1845 was called The Province of Canada
but he visited Italy
and Switzerland
before getting to The Province of Canada. He only returned to Montreal after he had been granted amnesty by the colonial government as well.
In 1848, he was elected member of the new united Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
in the riding of Saint-Maurice
. In severe disagreement with the emerging French Canadian Liberal Party, he became an independent Member of Parliament
. A convinced republican
after a long exile in the United States and France, Papineau supported the Montreal Annexation Manifesto
that called for Canada to join the United States of America. At the time, it was a logical move for Papineau and his followers. The United States was an ally of France, French was the second language of America, and
the assimilation of the Louisiana Cajun
s to American English culture had not occurred yet. This became a reality only after the Civil War
.
Louis-Joseph Papineau, along with John Molson Jr., the son of John Molson
, and Horatio Gates
, served as the first Vice-Presidents of the Montreal Mechanics' Institute
. He participated in the creation of the Parti rouge
. He was defeated in 1851, but elected in a by-election
in 1852. He did not present himself again in the elections of 1854. He retired from public life and reappeared only once to hold a conference at the Institut canadien de Montréal
in December 1867. He died at his manor in Montebello, Quebec
near the modern Château Montebello
on September 25, 1871.
Papineau's manor house in Montebello and his house in Montreal have both been designated as National Historic Sites of Canada.
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, was a politician, lawyer, and the landlord of the seigneurie de la Petite-Nation. He was the leader of the reformist Patriote movement
Patriote movement
The Patriote movement was a political movement that existed in Lower Canada from the turning of the 19th century to the Patriote Rebellion of 1837 and 1838 and the subsequent Act of Union of 1840. It was politically embodied by the Parti patriote at the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada...
before the Lower Canada Rebellion
Lower Canada Rebellion
The Lower Canada Rebellion , commonly referred to as the Patriots' War by Quebeckers, is the name given to the armed conflict between the rebels of Lower Canada and the British colonial power of that province...
of 1837–1838. His father was Joseph Papineau
Joseph Papineau
Joseph Papineau was a notary, seigneur and political figure in Lower Canada.Joseph Papineau was the father of Louis-Joseph Papineau who had the great distinction of being a fiery player in the history of the French dominated British colony called Lower Canada...
, also a famous politician in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. Louis Joseph Papineau was the oldest of eight children.
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
Papineau was elected SpeakerSpeaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
The Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada was the lower house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The legislative assembly was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791...
on January 21, 1815. The same year, he replaced Pierre-Stanislas Bédard
Pierre-Stanislas Bédard
Pierre-Stanislas Bédard was a lawyer, judge, journalist and political figure in Lower Canada.He was born in Charlesbourg in 1762, descended from French ancestors who had first arrived in New France before 1660. He studied at the Petit Séminaire de Québec, articled in law and was called to the bar...
as leader of the Parti canadien
Parti canadien
The Parti canadien or Parti patriote was a political party in what is now Quebec founded by members of the liberal elite of Lower Canada at the beginning of the 19th century...
. Under his leadership, the party worked for the reform of Lower Canada's political institutions and strongly opposed the abuses of the appointed Legislative Council.
In 1820, he refused a position on the Legislative Council offered by governor Dalhousie.
Childhood and education
As a child, Papineau was described as an excellent reader, a passionate student, and a well-cultured young man. His arrival at the Seminary of Quebec in 1802 was highly anticipated, and his reputation there preceded him. Upon graduation, he began an apprenticeship under his father with the goal of becoming a blacksmith, but this was quickly abandoned when the young Papineau turned to law, joining his cousin Denis-Benjamin VigerDenis-Benjamin Viger
Denis-Benjamin Viger was a 19th century Lower Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, and Patriote movement member.Viger was part of the militia in the early 19th century and then a captain in the War of 1812...
. Denis-Benjamin Vigier "was for a time the assembly's agent in London and became one of Papineau's prominent supporters and close friends; but after the rebellion he was to follow Lafontaine."
Papineau's later childhood was mainly spent on the seigniory of la Petite Nation located on the Ottawa river, which was purchased by his father in 1801 from the Quebec Seminary. During his time spent at the seigniory of La petite Nation, Papineau was sent to study at the College of Montreal in which he rebelled and was forced to leave college. He was then sent to study at the Seminary of Quebec, where he completed his secondary studies.
In 1808 Papineau was elected member of parliament for Kent (now Chambly, Quebec) before being admitted to the Bar of Lower Canada in 1810. Later, he served as a militia officer in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. He married Julie Bruneau, in Quebec City on April 29, 1818.
In 1822, he was sent to London with John Neilson
John Neilson
John Neilson was a Scots-Quebecer editor of the newspaper La Gazette de Québec/The Quebec Gazette and a politician.- Biography :...
to present a petition of 60,000 signatures against the Union project. While in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, he was replaced by Joseph-Rémi Vallières as Speaker.
In 1826, he was chosen leader of The Patriotes, a reformed and more radical Parti Canadien. In 1831, he sponsored a law which granted full equivalent political rights to Jews, 27 years before anywhere else in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. The events that lead to Jews receiving full citizenship rights in Lower Canada in advance of other nations or territories in the British Dominion were due to the involvement of one Ezekiel Hart, a Jew who had proved his dedication to the burgeoning Canadian identity by having raised money to support troops in the Lower Canada to help in defence against United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
invasion from the south.
Louis-Joseph was part of the committee that wrote the Ninety-Two Resolutions
Ninety-Two Resolutions
The Ninety-Two Resolutions were drafted by Louis-Joseph Papineau and other members of the Parti patriote of Lower Canada in 1834. The resolutions were a long series of demands for political reforms in the British-governed colony....
passed by the Legislative Assembly on February 21, 1834. The resolutions called for an elected Legislative Council and an Executive Council responsible before the house of the people's representatives.
Leader of the Patriotes
After the arrival of the Russell Resolutions in Lower Canada on March 6, 1837, he led the movement of protest and participated in numerous popular assemblies. He led the committee that organized the boycott of essentially all British imports to Lower Canada. On November 15, he created the Conseil des patriotes with Edmund Bailey O'CallaghanEdmund Bailey O'Callaghan
Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan, was a doctor and journalist.Born in Mallow, County Cork, Ireland, he studied medicine in Paris and immigrated to Lower Canada in 1823 where he became involved in the political reform movement of the Parti patriote...
. He and O'Callaghan fled Montreal for Saint-Denis-sur-Richelieu on November 16, after governor Lord Gosford ordered their arrest and that of 25 other Patriot leaders. Papineau and O'Callaghan went to the home of Wolfred Nelson
Wolfred Nelson
Wolfred Nelson, was from 1854 to 1856 the mayor of Montreal, Quebec.- Biography :Nelson was born in Montreal the son of William Nelson, an immigrant to Colonial America from Newsham, North Yorkshire, England...
. He crossed the United States border on November 25.
In exile
Arriving in the United States, he stayed at his friend judge Reuben Hyde Walworth's family house in SaratogaSaratoga, New York
Saratoga is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,141 at the 2000 census. It is also the commonly used, but not official, name for the neighboring and much more populous city, Saratoga Springs. The major village in the town of Saratoga is Schuylerville which is...
. He arranged for his wife and his children to join him there. For some time, he attempted to gain the support of American President Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the eighth President of the United States . Before his presidency, he was the eighth Vice President and the tenth Secretary of State, under Andrew Jackson ....
using all the diplomatic influence that he and American supporters could provide. When the United States declared themselves neutral in the conflict between Britain and its Canadian colonies, he turned to Europe for support.
On February 8, 1839, he parted to leave New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he hoped to get France involved. In May, he published the Histoire de l'insurrection du Canada (History of the insurrection in Canada) in the magazine Progrès. Despite meeting with influential politicians such as Lamartine
Alphonse de Lamartine
Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine was a French writer, poet and politician who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic.-Career:...
and Lamennais
Hughes Felicité Robert de Lamennais
Hugues-Félicité Robert de Lamennais , was a French priest, and philosophical and political writer.-Youth:Félicité de Lamennais was born at Saint-Malo on June 19, 1782, the son of a wealthy merchant...
, the France of Louis-Philippe
Louis-Philippe of France
Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the...
also remained neutral. After his wife left in 1843 "he spent a large part of his leisure in the main archival repositories in Paris, where he copied documents relating French rule in Canada".
His role in the 1837 rebellions
Rebellions of 1837
The Rebellions of 1837 were a pair of Canadian armed uprisings that occurred in 1837 and 1838 in response to frustrations in political reform. A key shared goal was the allowance of responsible government, which was eventually achieved in the incident's aftermath.-Rebellions:The rebellions started...
against British rule forced him into exile until 1845. In 1845, three years after he had been granted amnesty he finally decided to return to what in 1845 was called The Province of Canada
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
but he visited Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
before getting to The Province of Canada. He only returned to Montreal after he had been granted amnesty by the colonial government as well.
Return to politics
Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the...
in the riding of Saint-Maurice
Saint-Maurice
Saint-Maurice is the name or part of the name of numerous places in French speaking countries. It refers to the legendary Saint Maurice.- Canada :...
. In severe disagreement with the emerging French Canadian Liberal Party, he became an independent Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
. A convinced republican
Republicanism
Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, where the head of state is appointed by means other than heredity, often elections. The exact meaning of republicanism varies depending on the cultural and historical context...
after a long exile in the United States and France, Papineau supported the Montreal Annexation Manifesto
Montreal Annexation Manifesto
The Montreal Annexation Manifesto was a political document dated September 14, 1849 and signed in Montreal, Quebec, calling for Canada's annexation by the United States....
that called for Canada to join the United States of America. At the time, it was a logical move for Papineau and his followers. The United States was an ally of France, French was the second language of America, and
the assimilation of the Louisiana Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
s to American English culture had not occurred yet. This became a reality only after the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Louis-Joseph Papineau, along with John Molson Jr., the son of John Molson
John Molson
John Molson was an English-speaking Quebecer who was a major brewer and entrepreneur in Canada, starting the Molson Brewing Company.-Birth and early life:...
, and Horatio Gates
Horatio Gates (businessman)
Horatio Gates was a Canadian businessman, office holder, justice of the peace, and politician. He was the third president of the Bank of Montreal.-References:...
, served as the first Vice-Presidents of the Montreal Mechanics' Institute
Mechanics' Institutes
Historically, Mechanics' Institutes were educational establishments formed to provide adult education, particularly in technical subjects, to working men...
. He participated in the creation of the Parti rouge
Parti rouge
The Parti rouge was formed in the Province of Quebec, around 1848 by radical French-Canadians inspired by the ideas of Louis-Joseph Papineau, the Institut canadien de Montréal, and the reformist movement led by the Parti patriote of the 1830s.The party was a successor to the Parti patriote...
. He was defeated in 1851, but elected in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in 1852. He did not present himself again in the elections of 1854. He retired from public life and reappeared only once to hold a conference at the Institut canadien de Montréal
Institut canadien de Montréal
The Institut canadien de Montréal was founded on 17 December 1844, by a group of 200 young liberal professionals in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Institute was a public library and debating room for the literary and scientific society, which would later come into conflict with the Roman Catholic...
in December 1867. He died at his manor in Montebello, Quebec
Montebello, Quebec
Montebello is a municipality located in the Papineau Regional County Municipality of Western Quebec . As of the 2001 census, there were 1,039 permanent residents. The village has a total area of , and is located at the eastern edge of Canada's National Capital Region.The village is world famous for...
near the modern Château Montebello
Château Montebello
The Fairmont Le Château Montebello or simply Château Montebello is a hotel and resort complex in Montebello, Quebec, Canada. The setting for the retreat is of forested wildlife sanctuary and 70 lakes on the shore of the Ottawa River, between Ottawa and Montreal.-Construction:In the late 1920s,...
on September 25, 1871.
Papineau's manor house in Montebello and his house in Montreal have both been designated as National Historic Sites of Canada.
See also
- Quebec nationalismQuebec nationalismQuebec nationalism is a nationalist movement in the Canadian province of Quebec .-1534–1774:Canada was first a french colony. Jacques Cartier claimed it for France in 1534, and permanent French settlement began in 1608. It was part of New France, which constituted all French colonies in North America...
- History of QuebecHistory of QuebecQuebec has played a special role in Canadian history; it is the site where French settlers founded the colony of Canada in the 17th and 18th centuries.-Paleoindian Era :...
- Timeline of Quebec historyTimeline of Quebec historyThis article presents a detailed timeline of Quebec history. Events taking place outside Quebec, for example in English Canada, the United States, Britain or France, may be included when they are considered to have had a significant impact on Quebec's history....
- Denis-Benjamin PapineauDenis-Benjamin PapineauDenis-Benjamin Papineau was joint premier of the Province of Canada for Canada East from 1846 to 1848. His joint premiers for Canada West during this period were William Henry Draper and Henry Sherwood....
External links
- The Ninety-Two Resolutions of 1834
- Les 92 Résolutions (PDF in French)
- Unofficial English translation of the Political Testament of Louis-Joseph Papineau
- Ancestry of Louis-Joseph Papineau (in French).
- Historica’s Heritage Minute video docudrama about “Hart and Papineau.” (Adobe Flash Player.)Adobe Flash PlayerThe Adobe Flash Player is software for viewing multimedia, Rich Internet Applications and streaming video and audio, on a computer web browser or on supported mobile devices. Flash Player runs SWF files that can be created by the Adobe Flash authoring tool, by Adobe Flex or by a number of other...