Patriote movement

The Patriote movement was a political movement that existed in Lower Canada (present-day Quebec) 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. It was inspired by the American Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, as well as the political philosophy of classical liberalism. Among its leading figures were François Blanchet, Pierre-Stanislas Bédard, John Neilson, Jean-Thomas Taschereau, James Stuart, Louis Bourdages, Denis-Benjamin Viger, Daniel Tracey, Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan, Andrew Stuart, Wolfred Nelson, Robert Nelson, Thomas Storrow Brown, François Jalbert and Louis-Joseph Papineau. Its ideals were conveyed through the newspapers the "Montreal Vindicator", "Le Canadien", and "La Minerve".

The movement demanded democratic reforms, notably responsible government for Lower Canada, and presented the Ninety-Two Resolutions to Great Britain to obtain them. Those were in great part denied by the Russell Resolutions, which resulted in a radicalization of the Patriotes and their moving closer to demands of outright independence and a Lower Canada republic. Many of its followers ended up taking part in an armed insurrection known as the Lower Canada Rebellion which was put down by the British army and its volunteer militia.

See also

*Québécois
*Declaration of Independence of Lower Canada
*Upper Canada Rebellion
*History of Quebec
*Timeline of Quebec history
*Quebec independence movement
*February 15, 1839