La session ardente: Fureur et violences au Parlement en 1849

Type of resource
Author/collaborator
Title
La session ardente: Fureur et violences au Parlement en 1849
Abstract
The author remarks that the 1849 parliamentary session, held in Montreal, remains famous in our political annals because of the rioting in April and May and the burning of the Parliament building by the Tories of English Montreal. He also points out that this session also marked a turning point in the political history of United Canada. It ushered in the era of responsible government, sealed the final break between Louis-Joseph Papineau and Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine, and heralded the formation of the political parties that would emerge from their competing visions of the country. The author notes that several important issues were debated in Parliament in 1849: language, education, the economy. Yet history has focused on the infamous Rebellion Losses Bill as the spark that ignited the Montreal riots by English Montrealers. In his popular 1874 novel "Jean Rivard, économiste", Antoine Gérin-Lajoie (1824-1882) left an account of the Montreal riots and the burning of the Parliament, events that he witnessed at close hand. The present author situates these events and individuals within the context of the period.
Publication
Les Cahiers des Dix
Volume
No. 62
Pages
93-122
Date
2008
Language
fr
URL
Citation
Gallichan, Gilles. “La session ardente: Fureur et violences au Parlement en 1849.” Les Cahiers des Dix No. 62 (2008): 93–122. https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/cdd/2008-n62-cdd3423/038122ar.pdf.
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