The Colonne de la liberté (French for "Column of Liberty") was a symbol of the Patriote movement erected in Saint-Charles,

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada () was a British colonization of the Americas, British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence established in 1791 and abolished in 1841. It covered the southern portion o ...

(present-day

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

), on October 23, 1837. Its name is identical to the column that marked the history of the French Revolution. In 1982, because of the Comité des Patriotes and the Quebec

Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to: * Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania) * Ministry of Culture (Algeria) * Ministry of Culture (Argentina) * Minister for the Arts (Australia) * Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)Ministry o ...

, a replica was raised on its presumed original location and still stands today. On October 23 and 24, 1837, people of Lower Canada gathered around it for the

Assembly of the Six Counties The Assembly of the Six Counties () was an assembly of Patriote leaders and approximately 6,000 followers held in Saint-Charles, Lower Canada (present-day Quebec) on October 23 and October 23, 1837, despite the June 15 Proclamation of the g ...

with the structure bearing the inscription "À Papineau ses compatriotes reconnaissants" (To Papineau his thankful compatriots), referring to Patriote leader

Louis-Joseph Papineau Louis-Joseph Papineau (; October 7, 1786 – September 23, 1871), born in Montreal, Province of Quebec (1763–1791), Quebec, was a politician, lawyer, and the landlord of the ''seigneurie de la Petite-Nation''. He was the leader of the reform ...

. During the

Lower Canada Rebellion The Lower Canada Rebellion (), commonly referred to as the Patriots' Rebellion () in French, is the name given to the armed conflict in 1837–38 between rebels and the colonial government of Lower Canada (now southern Quebec). Together wit ...

of 1837, on November 30, Colonels

George Augustus Wetherall General Sir George Augustus Wetherall, (1788 – 8 April 1868) was a senior British Army officer. Military career As the son of General Sir Frederick Wetherall, George Augustus Wetherall was educated in the senior department of the Royal Mili ...

and Bartholomew Gugy and their troops unearthed the column after the victory at the Battle of Saint-Charles and brought it to

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

as a

war trophy __NOTOC__ A war trophy is an item taken during warfare by an invading force. Common war trophies include flags, weapons, vehicles, and art. History In ancient Greece and ancient Rome, military victories were commemorated with a display of capt ...

, along with a number of prisoners.

References

See also