The Lower Canada Rebellion (French: rébellion du Bas-Canada), commonly referred to as the Patriots' Rebellion (Rébellion des patriotes) in French, is the name given to the armed conflict in 1837–38 between rebels and the colonial government of Lower Canada (now southern Quebec).

The rebellion had been preceded by nearly three decades of efforts at political reform in Lower Canada,[2] led from the early 1800s by James Stuart and Louis-Joseph Papineau, who formed the Parti patriote and sought accountability from the elected general assembly and the appointed governor of the colony.

[3] The appointed legislative council was dominated by a small group of businessmen known as the Château Clique, the equivalent of the Family Compact in Upper Canada.

[3] Activists in Lower Canada began to work for reform of the economic disfranchisement of the French-speaking majority and working-class English-speaking citizens.

French speakers felt that English-speakers were disproportionately represented in the lucrative fields of banking, timber, and transportation.

[3] At the same time, some among the English-speaking business elite advocated a union of Upper and Lower Canada to ensure competitiveness with the increasingly-large and powerful economy of the United States, while some rebels were inspired by the success of the American War of Independence.

In 1811, James Stuart became leader of the Parti canadien in the assembly and in 1815, reformer Louis-Joseph Papineau was elected as speaker.

The elected assembly had little power since its decisions could be vetoed by either the legislative council and the governor, appointed by the British government.

[5] Reformers in England had Dalhousie reassigned to India, but the legislative council and the assembly were still unable to reach a compromise.

That created a huge tension in the population against the British government, especially when the army shot three people in a crowd during a Montreal by-election in 1832 and nobody was arrested.

[5][6] After hearing about the 99 grievances submitted by Robert Gourlay, Papineau wrote the "Ninety-two Resolutions" while he was secretly co-ordinating with Upper Canada.

The period of calm did not last long because a month later, Papineau found Gosford's secret instructions, which said that the British never planned on accepting the resolutions.

A moderate reformer, John Neilson, had quit the party in 1830 and joined the Constitutional Association four years later.

Papineau's anticlerical position alienated reformers in the Catholic Church, and his support for secular, rather than religious, schools resulted in opposition by the powerful Bishop, Jean-Jacques Lartigue, who called on all Catholics to reject the reform movement and to support the authorities, forcing many to choose between their religion and their political convictions.

After the Russell Resolutions were announced, the Patriotes used their newspapers to organize popular gatherings to inform people about their positions.

They encouraged people to boycott British produce and illegally import goods from the United States.

Papineau attended most gatherings in the summer of 1837, to ensure that people would pressure the government only by political measures, such as the boycott of British produce.

Gosford hired loyal people and tried to gain the Patriotes' trust by appointing seven French-Canadian members to the Legislative Assembly.

In September and October 1837, a group of more radical Patriotes tried to intimidate the colonial government by going out into the street and rioting near the homes of certain loyalists.

At the end of October, the largest of the Patriotes' gatherings took place in Saint-Charles, led by Wolfred Nelson.

Wolfred Nelson made a speech immediately afterwards, saying that he disagreed with Papineau and thought that it was time to fight.

[5] The first armed conflict occurred in 1837 when the 26 members of the Patriotes who had been charged with illegal activities chose to resist their arrest by the authorities under the direction of John Colborne.

The victory significantly improved the morale of the Patriotes, who knew that this event meant that government troops would soon intervene.

[3] When news of the arrest of the Patriote leaders reached Upper Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie launched an armed rebellion in December 1837.

[7] In February 1838, rebel leaders who had escaped across the border into the United States raided Lower Canada.

[7] Two major armed conflicts occurred when groups of Lower Canadian Patriotes, led by Robert Nelson, crossed the Canada–U.S.

The Canadiens had a narrow majority in the new province, but with continued emigration of English-speakers to Canada West, that dominance was short lived.

Eight years after the Union, the coalition between Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine and Robert Baldwin achieved elected responsible government in the Province of Canada.

The instability of this new regime (see Joint Premiers of the Province of Canada) eventually led to the formation of the Great Coalition.

I don't think one can even begin to understand French Canada until the size and scope of its wounds in those troubles is realized...Some of the effects of that rebellion are still stamped on our national character and still eating at us.