Louis-Antoine Dessaulles
Louis-Antoine Dessaulles was a significant figure in 19th-century Canadian politics and literature, born in 1819 in Quebec. His political career was deeply influenced by his family's legacy, with several relatives holding government positions. Dessaulles was a radical thinker known for his anticlerical stance and advocacy for the annexation of Canada to the United States, while also opposing American slavery, which he viewed as undermining republican values. He served on the legislative council for Rougement, Quebec, from 1856 to 1863, and played a key role as president of the Institut Canadien in 1862, a notable cultural institution promoting education through public lectures and courses.
Dessaulles's literary contributions, especially his essay "La Grande guerre ecclésiastique," critiqued various aspects of clerical life and censorship, making it one of his most contentious works. His involvement in politics and literature culminated in the publication of "Discours sur l'Institut canadien" in 1863, celebrating the institute's achievements. Following his controversial writings, he chose to exile himself to France, where he lived until his death in 1895. Dessaulles's legacy reflects a complex interplay of political activism and literary expression in the context of 19th-century Canada.
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Subject Terms
Louis-Antoine Dessaulles
Writer
- Born: January 31, 1819
- Birthplace: Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
- Died: August 5, 1895
Biography
Louis Antoine Dessaulles was born in 1819 in Quebec, Canada. Politics dominated Dessaulles’s entire life. His father, his uncle, and his brother held government positions, and his uncle had a major influence on Dessaulles’s political ideas. Dessaulles married Zepherine Thompson in 1850, and the couple had a daughter, Caroline.
Dessaulles was as a radical thinker, known for his anticlericalism, his support for the annexation of Canada to the United States, and his opposition to American slavery, which he called “the practical negation of Republican institutions.” He served as an elected member of the legislative council for Rougement, Quebec, from 1856 to 1863, and was a prominent member and president of the Institut Canadien in 1862. The Institut Canadien was a literary and artistic association that provided open education through courses and public lectures.
Dessaulles’s literary career can be attributed to his heavy involvement in Canadian politics. One of his best-known publications was Discours sur l’Institut canadien in 1863, written to celebrate the eighteenth anniversary of the institute. La Grande guerre ecclésiastique is Dessaulles’s most anticlerical and controversial essay because he criticizes every aspect of clerical life: the attitudes towards parishioners, censorship, and the imposition of superiority. Three years after this publication was released, Dessaulles exiled himself to France, where he remained until his death in 1895.