William Lyon Mackenzie

Lore & Background

Raised in Dundee, Scotland, Mackenzie emigrated to York, Upper Canada, in 1820. He published his first newspaper, the Colonial Advocate in 1824, and was elected a York County representative to the Legislative Assembly in 1827. York became the city of Toronto in 1834 and Mackenzie was elected its first mayor; he declined the Reformers' nomination to run in the 1835 municipal election. He lost his re-election for the Legislative Assembly in 1836; this convinced him that reforms to the Upper Canadian political system could only happen if citizens initiated an armed conflict. In 1837, he rallied farmers in the area surrounding Toronto and convinced Reform leaders to support the Upper Canada Rebellion. Rebel leaders chose Mackenzie to be their military commander, but were defeated by government troops at the Battle of Montgomery's Tavern. After briefly taking shelter in the Sharp family barn in Glen Morris, Ontario, Mackenzie fled to the United States and rallied US support to invade Upper Canada and overthrow the province's government. This violated the Neutrality Act, which prohibits invading a foreign country (with which the United States is not at war) from American territory. Mackenzie was arrested and sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment. He was jailed for more than ten months before he was pardoned by the American president Martin Van Buren. After his release, Mackenzie lived in several cities in New York State and tried to publish newspapers, but these ventures failed. He discovered documents that outlined corrupt financial transactions and government appointments by New York State government officials. He published these documents in two books. The parliament of the newly created Province of Canada, formed from the merger of Upper and Lower Canada, granted Mackenzie amnesty in 1849 and he returned to Canada. He represented the constituency of Haldimand County in the province's legislature from 1851 to 1858. His health deteriorated in 1861 and he died on August 28.

Reader's Guide

William Lyon Mackenzie was a Scottish-born journalist and politician who became a central figure in the Upper Canada Rebellion. After emigrating to York in 1820, he founded the *Colonial Advocate* in 1824, a newspaper that harshly criticized the Family Compact, the entrenched elite governing Upper Canada. Elected to the Legislative Assembly for York County in 1827, he aligned with the Reformers. When York became Toronto in 1834, he served as its first mayor but declined to run for re-election the following year. After losing his legislative seat in 1836, he became convinced that only armed conflict could achieve political reform. In 1837, he rallied farmers and convinced Reform leaders to support an uprising; he was chosen as the rebels’ military commander but was defeated at the Battle of Montgomery’s Tavern. Fleeing to the United States, he attempted to rally American support for an invasion of Upper Canada as part of the Patriot War, a violation of the Neutrality Act. He was arrested, sentenced to eighteen months in prison, and jailed for over ten months before being pardoned by President Martin Van Buren. After his release, he lived in New York State, where he published documents exposing corruption among state officials. Granted amnesty by the newly formed Province of Canada in 1849, he returned and represented Haldimand County in the provincial legislature from 1851 to 1858. Although popular for his critiques, he failed to implement most of his policy objectives. He is remembered as one of the most recognizable Reformers of the early 19th century, and his daughter Isabel Grace Mackenzie was the mother of Canadian prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King.

Did You Know?

• Mackenzie was the first mayor of Toronto in 1834.
• He led the rebels in the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837.
• His daughter Isabel Grace Mackenzie was the mother of Canadian prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King.
• He was pardoned by U.S. President Martin Van Buren after being jailed for violating the Neutrality Act.