| Hero, traitor, martyr, madman, founder of Manitoba, Louis David Riel (1844-1885) has been described as all these. The Métis' traditional way of life had been destroyed by the disappearance of the buffalo. By 1884 they were desperate. Led by Riel, they drew up a "Revolutionary Bill of Rights" which claimed their right to possession of their farms and made other demands which the government refused to meet. The North-West Rebellion began with a battle at Duck Lake on March 26 and ended at Batoche on May 15 when Riel and his forces surrendered, vastly out-numbered by government troops. Louis Riel was hanged for treason on November 16, 1885. This portrait was reproduced and sold by Montréal's La Presse newspaper following his execution. The paper claimed to have sold more than 50,000 copies at 10 cents apiece within six days of his death. Print
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