A violent political riot in Bytown that left one dead and helped determine the future site of Canada's capital.
Key Facts
- Date
- Monday, September 17, 1849
- Wounded
- 30 people
- Killed
- 1 (David Borthwick) person
- Lord Elgin's visit delayed until
- July 1853
- Bytown renamed Ottawa
- 1855
- Ottawa became capital of Canada
- 1867
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Rebellion Losses Bill, signed by Governor-General Lord Elgin in April 1849, compensated Lower Canadians for losses during the Rebellions of 1837–38, outraging Tory Loyalists who saw it as rewarding rebels. Following subsequent riots in Montreal that burned the Parliament Buildings, Elgin announced a visit to Bytown as a potential new capital, deepening the political divide between Tories who opposed his visit and Reformers who wished to honor it.
On September 17, 1849, rival Tory and Reformer factions clashed at a meeting in the North Ward Market in Bytown. The confrontation escalated from sticks and stones to firearms, wounding 30 people and killing one man, David Borthwick. Two days later, the factions faced off again on the Sappers Bridge over the Rideau Canal, armed with cannons, muskets, and pistols, before the military intervened to prevent further violence.
Lord Elgin postponed his visit to Bytown until July 1853, when he received a warm reception. He ultimately selected Bytown as the site of Canada's capital; the town was renamed Ottawa in 1855 and formally became the capital of Canada in 1867.
Political Outcome
One person killed, 30 wounded; Lord Elgin delayed his visit but eventually chose Bytown (Ottawa) as Canada's permanent capital.
Montreal served as the peregrinating capital of the Province of Canada
Bytown (renamed Ottawa) designated as the permanent capital, formalized in 1867