View source for Parti canadien

{{Short description|Former political party in colonial Quebec, Canada (1806–1837)}}
{{about|the 1806-1837 political party|the later party of the same name|Parti canadien (1942)|parties of Canada|List of political parties in Canada}}
{{confused|Canadian Party}}
{{more footnotes|date=March 2014}}
{{Infobox political party
| name          = Canadian Party / Patriot Party
| native_name   = 
| logo          = 
| logo_size     = 200px
| leader        = 
| president     = 
| spokesperson  = 
| foundation    = {{Start date|1806}}
| dissolution   = {{End date|1837}}
| merger        = 
| merged        = 
| split         = 
| headquarters  = [[Montreal]], Quebec, Canada
| ideology      = [[Lower Canada|Lower Canada nationalism]]<br>[[Reform movement (pre-Confederation Canada)|Canadian reformism]]<br>[[Classical liberalism]]
| position      = 
| predecessor   = 
| successor     = {{Lang|fr|[[Parti rouge]]}}   
| international = 
| membership    = 
| membership_year = 
| colours       = [[Green]], [[white]], [[red]]
| colorcode     = {{Canadian party colour|QC|Reform}}
| blank1_title  = Policies
| blank1        = 
| seats1_title  = Seats in the [[National Assembly of Quebec|National Assembly]]
| seats1        = 
| website       = 
| flag = Flag of the Patriote movement (Lower Canada).svg{{!}}border
| country       = Canada
| state         = Quebec
| footnotes     = 
}}

[[Image:L'Assemblée des six comtés à Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu, en 1837 by Charles Alexander 1891.tif|thumb|300px|Patriote leader Louis-Joseph Papineau speaks to the crowd at the [[Assembly of the Six Counties]].]]
The '''{{Lang|fr|Parti canadien|italic=no}}''' ({{IPA|fr|paʁti kanadjɛ̃}}) or '''{{Lang|fr|Parti patriote|italic=no}}''' ({{IPA|fr|paʁti patʁiɔt|pron}}) was a primarily francophone [[political party]] in what is now [[Quebec]] founded by members of the [[Classical liberalism|liberal]] [[elite]] of Lower Canada at the beginning of the 19th century. Its members were made up of liberal professionals and small-scale merchants, including [[François Blanchet (physician)|François Blanchet]], [[Pierre-Stanislas Bédard]], [[John Neilson (Canadian politician)|John Neilson]], [[Jean-Thomas Taschereau (1778–1832)|Jean-Thomas Taschereau]], [[James Stuart (Lower Canada statesman)|James Stuart]], [[Louis Bourdages]], [[Denis-Benjamin Viger]], [[Daniel Tracey]], [[Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan]], [[Andrew Stuart (Canadian politician)|Andrew Stuart]] and [[Louis-Joseph Papineau]].

== Creation ==
The British Government established two [[Oligarchy|oligarchic]] governments, or councils, to rule what is today Quebec and Ontario, then called [[Lower Canada|Lower]] and [[Upper Canada]]. Upper Canada was ruled by the [[Family Compact]] and Lower Canada by the [[Chateau Clique]]. Both groups exerted [[Monopoly|monopolistic]], uncontested rule over [[economy|economic]] and [[politics|political]] life. The councils were corrupt in their nature by strengthening their dominance by personal use of funds which eventually led to infrastructural problems around Upper and Lower Canada, including land distribution, poor road conditions, and lack of education funding.

Continuous frustration between the councils and the [[legislature|legislative]] [[Deliberative assembly|assemblies]] over language differences and Lower Canada's discontent for treatment of French problems led to the beginning of the Parti Canadien.
English merchants and politicians in Canada pushed for an assemblage of the Canada's, which would lead to the [[Cultural assimilation|assimilation]] of the French. Louis-Joseph Papineau rallied the people of Lower Canada to sign a petition against the proposition. Papineau later sailed to [[United Kingdom|Britain]] to present the petition to the British Government and to rally for the rights of the people of Lower Canada, only to have the issue heard with little action to follow. Later, the British Parliament passed the Canada Land and Tenures Act which abolished the [[feudalism|feudal]] and [[manorialism|seigneurial]] systems in [[British North America]]. The act left property rights of many land owners in limbo and created much confusion and conflict in Lower Canada where the French Civil Code was in action, and thus infuriating the French people of Lower Canada even more. In July 1830, word of a liberal [[July Revolution|revolution in France]] sparked the youth of Lower Canada as [[liberalism]] was non-existent in Canada at the time. Upper and Lower Canada governments tried and failed to resolve the recent uprising and tension, even further-distancing the French people of Lower Canada from the English of Upper Canada.

== History ==
Under the leadership of [[Pierre-Stanislas Bédard]], the party campaigned for ministerial responsibility and a responsible government in which the members of the [[Legislative Council of Lower Canada]] would be appointed by the [[Legislative Assembly of Quebec|Legislative Assembly's]] majority party. Although the party controlled the assembly in Lower Canada, at that time the council, which held most of the power, was chosen by an appointed [[United Kingdom|British]] governor, whom the {{Lang|fr|Parti canadien|italic=no}} considered to be seriously corrupt and hostile to the interests of the majority of the population.

In 1806, the {{Lang|fr|Parti canadien|italic=no}} imitated its political adversaries, the [[Tory]] [[Château Clique]], in founding a newspaper named ''[[Le Canadien]]''. In 1810, Governor [[James Henry Craig|Craig]] had Bédard and some of his colleagues at the newspaper arrested and imprisoned without trial for a comment published in ''Le Canadien''.

In 1811, [[James Stuart (Lower Canada statesman)|James Stuart]] became leader of the {{Lang|fr|Parti canadien|italic=no}} in the assembly and, in 1815, reformer Louis-Joseph Papineau was elected Assembly Speaker. Papineau's reformist ideas gained in authority and popularity as he led the party in its fight against the union of the Canadas proposal in 1822, until the suspension of the [[Constitutional Act of 1791|Constitutional Act]] in 1837.

== Parti Patriote ==
In 1826, the party took the name of Parti Patriote, reflecting a much stronger sense of [[Quebec nationalism|French-Canadian nationalism]] and a change of strategy. The Patriotes largely favoured agriculture over commercialism and blocked many economic projects led by their adversaries. The party succeeded in delaying development of British capitalism within the colony. However, their positions were often seen as unclear. The party's new strategy was considered too radical even by some of its members, most notably [[John Neilson (Canadian politician)|John Neilson]], who eventually left the party in 1830.

In 1834, Papineau and the Parti Patriote created the [[Ninety-Two Resolutions]]; an extensive list of demands for political reform which was sent to the British government. The British government ignored the resolutions for over three years until in 1837 it countered the Parti Patriote's requests with ten resolutions of its own, called the '''Russel Resolutions''', while rejecting all proposed ninety-two resolutions made by Papineau and his party. These resolutions allowed the colony governor to obtain budgetary estimates without vote of the assembly, which brought about verbal and physical violence, and eventually led to the [[Rebellions of 1837]]. After the rebellions, many patriotes were exiled, hanged, or had their houses set ablaze, which marked the end of the party. However many party members became active members in politics of the new [[Province of Canada]].

== Newspapers ==
* ''[[Le Canadien]]'' (1806–1837)
* ''[[La Minerve]]'' (1826–1837)
* {{ill|The Vindicator (Canada)|lt=The Vindicator|fr|italic=y}} (1828–1837, originally the sole voice of the Irish Montreal community as ''The '''Irish''' Vindicator'' until July 1829<!--see ''[[:fr:The_Vindicator|The Vindicator]]'' on [[French Wikipedia]] for information on the name change and Parti acquisition-->)
* ''Le Libéral '' (1837)
* ''L'Écho du Pays'' (1834)
* {{ill|The Canadian Spectator|wd=Q136543072|s=1|v=sup|italic=y}} (The "English speaking voice" of the Parti amongst [[Anglo]]-Montreal colonists; 1822-1828 <!--see [[:fr:Jocelyn_Waller|Jocelyn Waller]] on French Wikipedia-->)

== References ==

* {{cite DCB |title=Bédard, Pierre-Stanislas |first=Fernand  |last=Ouellet |author-link=Fernand Ouellet |volume=6 |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/bedard_pierre_stanislas_6E.html}}
* {{cite DCB |title=Stuart, Sir James |first=Evelyn |last=Kolish |volume=8 |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/stuart_james_8E.html}}
* {{cite DCB |first=Fernand |last=Ouellet |volume=10 |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/papineau_louis_joseph_10E.html}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |first=Fernande |last=Roy |url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/patriotes |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120802002913/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/patriotes |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 2, 2012 |title=Patriotes |encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]] |publisher=[[Historica Canada]] |edition=online |date=March 4, 2015}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |first=Fernande |last=Roy |url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/parti-canadien |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504002618/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/parti-canadien |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 4, 2012 |title=Parti Canadien |encyclopedia=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]] |publisher=[[Historica Canada]] |edition=online |date=March 4, 2015}}
*The History of Canada OnLine. " [http://canadachannel.ca/HCO/index.php/1._Background_of_Discontent Background of Discontent] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830130218/http://canadachannel.ca/HCO/index.php/1._Background_of_Discontent |date=2011-08-30 }}", in [http://canadachannel.ca/HCO/index.php/History_of_Canada_Online "History of Canada OnLine"], 2012
*Canadian Politics OnLine. " [https://archive.today/20111108090147/http://www.northernblue.ca/cpo/index.php/19._Qu%C3%A9bec Quebec]", in [https://web.archive.org/web/20120313090329/http://www.northernblue.ca/cpo/index.php/Canadian_Politics_Online "Canadian Politics OnLine"], 2012

== See also ==
{{commons|Patriote movement}}
*[[Liberalism]]
*[[Contributions to liberal theory]]
*[[Liberalism worldwide]]
*[[List of liberal parties]]
*[[Liberal democracy]]
* [[Timeline of Quebec history]]
* [[Liberalism in Canada]]
* [[Lower Canada Rebellion]]
* [[List of Canadian political parties]]
* [[Parti rouge]]
* [[Bloc Québécois]]

{{Quebec provincial political parties}}
{{Liberal Party of Canada}}

[[Category:Patriote movement]]
[[Category:Political parties in Lower Canada]]
[[Category:Defunct liberal political parties|Canada 1800s]]