Why re-enact the Patriote Rebellions of 1837-38
A statement from the Patriote and British re-enactors
The re-enacting of troubling and still politically sensitive events, like the Patriote Rebellions, should not be done without serious consideration. Who are you? Our group is made up of students, workers, and retirees; Anglophones and Francophones; men and women from both the city and country. W
hether we are wearing a blue tuque or redcoat, it is important to keep in mind that today, in the 21st century, we are all Quebecers. We are first and foremost modern citizens who are passionate about history and have decided to take this interest to the next level. As fellow citizens, we deserve as much respect as we show towards all those we meet during our events. Are you part of a political party? Do you work for the government? The answer to both questions is, “No”. Our group is not at all attached to any political movement or party, whether it is sovereignist, federalist or professing any other ideology. In this sense, we are non-partisan; politics do not interest as re-enactors. Why choose to re-enact the Patriotes? We chose to re-enact this period for many reasons: 1) to better understand our national history by living it; 2) to share this history with the public; and 3) to hold re-enactments in Quebec and promote this thrilling hobby, which unfortunately has been much maligned in the media since 2009’s “Plains of Abraham Affair”. Should we really be re-enacting our national defeats? As opposed to memory, history cannot be selective; it exists whole. We cannot only keep the parts that interest us. When a historian writes about the Patriotes, he writes about both the great moments and tragic periods. It is the same for us. Choosing to re-enact a particular period or war means that we re-enact the victories and defeats. A re-enactment isn’t a show, a celebration or a glorification of events. Re-enacting the Patriote rebellions is simply an original way to commemorate a fundamental part of our history. Moreover, those of us that re-enact the British forces are not to be held responsible for the exactions perpetrated by the British Army in 1837-38. Just because we re-enact battles that verge on massacres doesn’t mean we approve of what happened 170 years ago. Is all of your equipment/Are all your manoeuvres and actions historically accurate? One of our group’s aims is to reproduce historical fact as faithfully as possible. Many of the modern images we have of the Patriotes emerged in the late nineteenth century, about fifty years after the events in question. This is the case with the most famous drawing, that of the old Patriote, which was drawn in 18__. In order to be accurate, one often has to defy stereotypes. To inform our choices over clothing, battles and our various activities, we rely on the work of historians and, most importantly, on period documents (memoirs, officer reports, etc), as well as sketches and drawings that have survived from the era. Obviously, we draw from sources from both the Patriote and Loyalist sides. Thank you for your interest in our group, the hobby of historical re-enacting and, most notably, the fascinating history of the Patriote Rebellions of 1837-38.
