However, frustration emerged because the assembly was soon restricted to an aesthetical role, a rubber-stamp; the real legislative and executive power was concentrated in the hands of the governor-general, chosen by the British government in London, who often misunderstood or belittled the interests of the people of Lower Canada, which were at times contradictory to those of the British colonial authorities.

On 2 January 1838, Robert Nelson as well as a good number of refugees such as Louis-Joseph Papineau, O'Callaghan, Chartier, Rodier, Malhiot, Côté, Bouthillier, Davignon and Gagnon assembled at Middlebury in Vermont to plan a military invasion of Lower Canada.

The Patriotes present voted in favour of the quick establishment of a provisional government and launched an attack from the safety of the United States.

They soon arrived at a camp situated approximately 1.5 kilometres from the border, and Robert Nelson was given the rank of general of the army and elected president of the Republic of Lower Canada.

The state laid down enjoyed provisions such as the separation of church and state, equal rights for all citizens, abolition of the feudal seigneurial system, abolition of the death penalty, liberty of the press, and most notably the equality of the French and English languages including official bilingualism.

They took this as a lesson in organization and secrecy, noting they could never hope to match the British army in open warfare with their small numbers and resources.

This led to the creation of a guerrilla organization named the Frères chasseurs under the guise of a hunting club, with the goal of overthrowing the governments of Upper and Lower Canada and to establish sovereign, democratic republican institutions in their place.

Montreal, Trois-Rivières, and Quebec City would be successively attacked, drawing upon increasing amounts of manpower and weapons as the population would join them.

Later that year, Nelson met many leaders of the Patriote movement in Swanton, Vermont, and began to plan border skirmishes to draw the United States into a conflict with the British Empire.

Ruined, destitute, and his reputation broken, he refused to return to Lower Canada despite an amnesty and stayed in the United States, forsaking politics until his death in 1873 in Staten Island.

Lower Canada experienced during and after the rebellions great hardships and oppression and exploitation that would last until the Quiet Revolution, including a systematic program of assimilation; the mandatory use of English in all public matters and business; as well as an economic recession.