1. Riel Primary Documents
Canadian History 30F
Mr. Unger

2. Document #1 - “Something’s Got to go Soon” Political Cartoon Toronto Newspaper, November 14th, 1885

3. Document #2 - End of the Line – Le Canard Newspaper, Montreal July 18th, 1885

4. Document #3 – Comments on Riel’s Execution by Edward Blake, leader of the Liberal opposition, 1885
"Had there been no neglect there would have been no rebellion. If no rebellion, then no arrest. If no arrest, no trial. If no trial, no condemnation. If no condemnation, then no execution. They therefore who are responsible for the first are responsible for every link in that fatal chain."

5. Document #4 – excerpt from Thomas Flannigan's book Riel and the Rebellion: 1885 reconsidered, published year 2000
I had earlier accepted that the Métis had serious unresolved grievances; The government of Canada never gave a satisfactory response to the complaints; the Riel resorted to violence only after legal means of action it failed; and that he received a trial of questionable validity before being executed by vengeful government. As I sifted the evidence this became less and less convincing to me until I concluded that the opposite was closer to the truth: that the Métis grievances were at least partly of their own making; that the government was on the verge of resolving them when the Rebellion broke out; That Riel's resort to arms could not be explained by the failure of constitutional agitation and that he received a surprisingly fair trial

6. Document #5 – excerpt from Judge Hugh Richardson’s sentencing of Riel, July 31st, 1885
Louis Riel, after a long consideration of your case, in which you have been defended with as great ability as I think counsel could have defended you with, you have been found by a jury who have shown, I might almost say, unexampled patience, guilty of a crime the most pernicious and greatest that man can commit. You have been found guilty of high treason. You have been proved to have let loose the flood gates of repine and bloodshed, you have with such assistance as you had in the Saskatchewan country

7. Document #6 – excerpt from Riel’s trial testimony July 31st, 1885
When I came into the North West in July, the first of July 1884, I found the Indians suffering. I found the half-breeds eating the rotten pork of the Hudson Bay Company and getting sick and weak every day. Although a half breed, and having no pretension to help the whites, I also paid attention to them. I saw they were deprived of responsible government, I saw that they were deprived of their public liberties. I remembered that half-breed meant white and Indian, and while I paid attention to the suffering Indians and the half-breeds I remembered that the greatest part of my heart and blood was white and I have directed my attention to help the Indians, to help the half- breeds and to help the whites to the best of my ability