[1] It was formed around 1847 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.
Because of their anti-clerical beliefs, the Red Party was condemned by the Catholic Church, contributing to their lack of electoral success.
[2] The party did form government as part of a coalition with the Clear Grits and Liberals from Canada West on some occasions before confederation, but never held a majority in their section of the province.
The reformist rouges did not believe that the 1840 Act of Union had truly granted a responsible government to former Upper and Lower Canada.
Some elements of the party advocated for full sovereignty, or joining with the United States, for the French-speaking part of Canada.