Posted by Jonah on September 24, 2101 at 23:00:11:

In Reply to: Louis Riel's secretary posted by Renee Many Eagles on September 24, 2101 at 21:49:15:

Hi. I don't have much time to type this, I hope I don't make too many errors! :-) It's all I found in a quick search. There could be more, I'll have to search for William Henry Jackson I guess (assuming that's the one you're inquiring about...) From Robert Stockman's Baha'i Faith in America vol. 1 1892-1900, p. 90-91:

>...Born William Heny Jackson to parents of Englizsh ancestry in Toronto, Ontario, on 13 May 1861, Jackson attended University College (now the UNiv. of Toronto) where he majored in the classics. After 3 years of study he was forced to leave school for lack of money. In 1879 he moved with his brother, sister, and parents to the frontier town of Prince Albert, in central SK., He quiclky became the spokesman for the farmers settling there, who had many grievances with the Cdn. govt. Soon, gowever, Jackson came to believe that the arlier inhabitants of the area, the Metis -- half-Indian and half-french people who lived through a mixture of farming, hunting, and trapping -- had even greater grievances.

In 1884 Louis Riel, the charsimatic leader of the Metis, returned from his exile in the US. Jackson persuaded the farmers to support Riel, which they did until Riel rejected Roman catholicism, declared himself a prophet, and formented a revolt against the Cdn. govt. Jackson broke with his people and beacme Riel's secretary. He converted from Methodism to Catholicism, was baptized "Joseph," and then joined Riel's religion. The govt. sent in troops, woh caught Riel ounprepared and crushed his rebellion in a few weeks; Riel was hanged. Jackson was put on trial and found insane; no sane Protestant, after all ,would covert to Catholicism. He was confined in the provincial lunatic asylum, where he relieved his boredom by reading Hery George's Progress and Poverty -- th ebook that launched the Single Tax movement. After a few months he escaped...

-Jonah

this topic is closed - post at bahai-library.com/forum