Rebellion of 1837-1838 aka Patriot War
In 1837 revolts against Britain took place in Upper and Lower Canada. William Lyon MacKenzie led those in Upper Canada, while Lower Canada had Louis-Joseph Papineau as their leader. Both men favoured an American style of government. The revolts came after many years of unrest and political tension with those who favoured reform against the British governor and his local allies. In Upper Canada the Family Compact was the elite class who benefited from British rule, while in Lower Canada it was the Chateau Clique. Within communities, rural populations clashed with farmers who tended to support the reformers.
In November of 1837, the revolts broke out when the British government decided to arrest French-Canadian reformers and their allies (the Patriotes). When they fled, troops were sent after them – and the first battle of the revolt was fought at St. Denis on the 23rd. November. The government forces were defeated and forced back. The next battles were at St. Charles and St. Eustache, where the reformers were defeated and Papineau forced to flee to the U.S.A.
Discover service records, pension files, and war archives for your ancestors.
Find Your Ancestor’s Military Records on Fold3
Bataille de Saint-Eustache, 14 décembre 1837 lors de la rébellion des Patriotes à Saint-Eustache, ville du Québec qui se situe au confluent de la rivière du Chêne et de la rivière des Mille-ÃŽles, dans la MRC de Deux-Montagnes et les Basses-Laurentides à 30 km à l’ouest de Montréal au Canada. Date 1840 by Lord Charles Beauclerk (1813—1842)
The revolt then spread to Upper Canada, and on 5 December 1837, Mackenzie and about 800 of his followers were stopped at Montgomery’s Tavern on Yonge Street by local militia. Mackenzie and his men dispersed. A few days later, another uprising occured in Brantford at Dr. Dunscombe’s. The rebels were once again defeated, and MacKenzie fled to the U.S.A.
In the months following, the rebels made several attempts to take Canada, and engaged in several minor skirmishes, but without success. MacKenzie and Papineau returned to Canada but many of their followers were hung or deported to Australia.
After exploring military records, search billions of additional records on Ancestry, including census records, immigration records, vital records, family trees, and historical documents that can help tell the rest of your ancestor's story.
Start your Ancestry free trialChoose from Overview ~ Muster Rolls ~ Battles ~ Biographies ~ Canada, Militia and Defence Forces Lists, 1832, 1863-1939