Skip to main content

Primary sourceDocument1886

The Queen vs. Louis Riel: Report of the Trial at Regina

Louis Riel · 1886

The official printed report of Louis Riel's 1885 treason trial at Regina, including his testimony and speeches, plus the later appeals.

This is the official trial report recording Riel's own testimony and speeches at his 1885 treason trial.

Ask Louis Riel about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
The Queen vs. Louis Riel: Report of the Trial at Regina
The Queen vs. Louis Riel: Report of the Trial at Regina, 1886. Scanned book, Internet Archive.

About this source

What it is

This is a printed report of the trial of Louis Riel, who was accused and convicted of high treason. It records the proceedings at Regina, as well as the later appeal to the Court of Queen's Bench in Manitoba and the appeal to the Privy Council in England. It was published in 1886 and is now available as a digitised scan from the Internet Archive.

Why it matters

This report preserves Riel's own words from his trial, including his testimony and speeches, making it one of the most direct records of how he explained and defended his actions. It shows how the Canadian government and courts dealt with the leader of the North-West Resistance, and it remains a key source for understanding the legal and political arguments around his case.

Look closer

  • Why might a government want a detailed, official printed record of this trial?
  • What can Riel's own testimony tell us that a summary written by someone else cannot?
  • What might be left out of an official trial report?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Louis Riel on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Louis Riel sources

Meet the AI Louis Riel →
Scan of a printed broadside titled 'Declaration of the People of Rupert's Land and the North West', a dense page of text with a heading, signed at the bottom by John Bruce, President, and Louis Riel, Secretary.Document

Primary source

Declaration of the People of Rupert's Land and the North-West

Louis Riel · 8 December 1869

Black and white group photograph of about fourteen men arranged in three rows against a painted backdrop. Seated in front, a bearded man in a dark coat; in the middle row, a man with a mustache and a central figure in a light suit; standing behind, men in hats and dark or light clothing.Photograph

Primary source

Councillors of the Provisional Government of the Métis Nation

Unknown, possibly Joseph Langevin · 1870

Black and white photograph of a crowded courtroom. A bearded man in a dark suit stands at a railing facing rows of seated men in suits and hats, with spectators in the gallery behind. Wooden furniture and a tall paneled door are visible.Photograph

Primary source

Louis Riel Addressing the Jury During His Trial for Treason

Oliver B. Buell · 1885

Black-and-white photograph of a military camp by a river. A tall white canvas tent stands at left, and a man in a wide-brimmed hat and dark clothing stands in the foreground. Several other men are scattered across the grassy field and by the water, with bare trees and a low treeline behind them.Photograph

Primary source

Louis Riel, a Prisoner, in the Camp of Major-General F.D. Middleton at Batoche

James Peters · 16 May 1885

Document

Primary source

Poem Written to His Jailer

Louis Riel · 27 October 1885

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Louis Riel now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions