From Stadacona to the REM · Drawing 15 of 43
The Patriotes Gather
October 1837
In October 1837, people gathered at Saint-Charles, in Lower Canada. The Patriotes wanted the representatives elected by the people to have more power. This meeting is called the Assembly of the Six Counties.
Look together
What tells you the people are listening?
An idea to try
Pick a decision to make together, such as what game to play. Let everyone suggest an idea. Choose one person to share the group’s ideas. How can that person make sure everyone is heard?
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
Lower Canada had an elected assembly, but the governor and appointed councils held much of the power. In 1834 the assembly adopted the Patriote Party’s 92 Resolutions. Among other reforms, the party wanted elected representatives to have more control over public spending. The British Parliament rejected the demands in 1837. On October 23 and 24, people from six counties gathered at Saint-Charles in the Richelieu valley.
The political crisis led to armed rebellions in 1837 and 1838, which British authorities put down. The Act of Union then combined Upper and Lower Canada into the Province of Canada. In 1848 the province put responsible government into practice. The government had to retain the support of the elected assembly.
Sources and illustration notes (3)
A speaker stands on a wooden platform, and a child looks up to listen. The people are imagined. The stone house and autumn leaves evoke the village and the season of the gathering.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Parks Canada — Louis-Joseph PapineauThe 92 Resolutions, the British response and the October 23 and 24, 1837 meeting at Saint-Charles.
- Québec National Assembly Library — Lower Canada, 1791–1838 (in French)Lower Canada’s political institutions and the demands for reform.
- Canadian Museum of History — The Road to Responsible GovernmentThe rebellions, the Act of Union and responsible government in 1848.
Page prepared on November 7, 2026. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.
This drawing is from the book Québec’s Great Moments to Colour
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