Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Louis Riel: Hero or Madman? Part 2
When the new lieutenant governor came, Riel was to wait for him to maintain the peace in the area. The Wolseley Expedition was sent to help maintain law and order.
It became known that some of the soldiers planned to lynch Riel for allowing Scott's death. Riel took the threat seriously and went into hiding. He eventually moved to Minnesota, though bounty hunters followed him there also.
Riel was unhappy away from his home and decided to run for a seat in the House of Commons. He ended up winning but could not take his seat because he feared for his life. He was twice kicked out of the House but kept getting re-elected. Finally, Prime Minister Mackenzie granted Riel amnesty if he stayed out of Canada for five years.
During this time Riel began to suffer a mental breakdown. He had delusions that he was the divinely chosen leader of his people. Some suggest now that he suffered from a form of megalomania. When he began to have violent outbursts, he was confined for a time in mental asylums.
After a slow recovery, Riel was released in 1878. He moved to Montana and married. He and his wife settled and had two children. Riel supported his family by teaching school at a Jesuit mission. He even became a United States citizen.
