Ludger Duvernay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ludger Duvernay
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Ludger Duvernay, 1832
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| Born | January 22, 1799 Verchères, Quebec
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| Died | November 28, 1852 |
| Occupation | Printer, editor, journalist, member of parliament, civil servant |
Ludger Duvernay (born January 22, 1799 – died November 28, 1852) was an important person in Quebec history. He was a printer, newspaper editor, and journalist. He also served as a member of parliament. Duvernay started several newspapers, including La Minerve. This newspaper supported the Patriote Party and its leader, Louis-Joseph Papineau, during a time of big changes in Lower Canada (which is now Quebec).
Contents
Ludger Duvernay's Life and Work
Standing Up for What's Right
Ludger Duvernay was a brave journalist. In 1832, he was one of several journalists who were put in jail. They were arrested because they wrote articles that criticized the government's Legislative Council. This council was not elected by the people and often made decisions that benefited a small group called the Château Clique.
Duvernay was the editor of La Minerve. Another editor, Daniel Tracey, from The Vindicator newspaper, was also arrested. They were jailed for 40 days because they wrote that "all of America must be republican." Many people supported them, and their arrests were seen as unfair. Duvernay was arrested four times in total for his writings.
A Fight and a New Idea
On April 5, 1836, Duvernay was involved in a duel with Clément-Charles Sabrevois de Bleury. During this duel, Duvernay was shot in his right knee.
Two years earlier, on June 9, 1834, Duvernay founded the Association Saint-Jean-Baptiste. This group is known today as the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste. He chose June 24 as a special day to celebrate Canadien (French-Canadian) history and culture. The society was first called Société Aide-toi et le ciel t'aidera, which means "help yourself and Heaven will help you." Duvernay started this first version on March 8, 1834.
A Politician and an Exile
Duvernay was briefly a member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for the area of Lachenaie in 1837. On November 16, Governor Gosford issued warrants to arrest 26 leaders of the Patriote movement. Duvernay was on this list. However, he was warned that he was about to be arrested and managed to escape to Burlington, Vermont, in time.
He returned to Montreal in 1842. He started publishing La Minerve again, but this time it was more moderate. At first, it supported Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine and later, George-Étienne Cartier.
A Lasting Legacy
In 1922, June 24 became a public holiday in Quebec. Since 1977, it has been known as the national holiday of Quebec.
When Ludger Duvernay died in Montreal in 1852, about 10,000 people attended his funeral. He was buried in the Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges.
Ludger Duvernay's Publications
Ludger Duvernay was involved in publishing many newspapers and reviews throughout his life. Here are some of them:
- Gazette des Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, 1817
- L'Ami de la religion et du roi, Trois-Rivières, 1820
- Le Constitutionnel, Trois-Rivières, 1823
- L'Argus, Trois-Rivières, 1826–1828
- Canadian Spectator, Montreal 1822-1829
- La Minerve, Montreal, 1826–1837 and 1842–1899
- Le Guide du cultivateur, ou Nouvel almanac de la température pour chaque jour de l'année, Montreal, 1830–1833
- Le Patriote Canadien, Burlington, Vermont, 1839-1840
- La Revue canadienne, Montreal, 1845–1848
He also wrote an article called "Liste des journaux publiés dans le Bas-Canada depuis 1764" for La Canadienne in Montreal, published on October 22, 1840.
See also
- History of Quebec
- Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society
