Editing Louis Riel (section)

===Thomas Scott's execution===
Despite the progress on the political front, the Canadian party continued to plot against the provisional government. They attempted to recruit supporters to overthrow Riel. However, they suffered a setback on 17 February, when forty-eight men, including Boulton and [[Thomas Scott (Orangeman)|Thomas Scott]], were arrested near Fort Garry.<ref name=Thomas-1982/>

[[Image:ShootingThomasScott.jpg|thumb|This fictionalized depiction of Scott's execution in the ''Canadian Illustrated News'' was "conceived in the context of heightened partisanship" and "helped inflame anti-Métis sentiment".<ref name=Dick>{{Cite journal |last= Dick |first= Lyle |title=Nationalism and Visual Media in Canada: The Case of Thomas Scott's Execution |journal=Manitoba History |volume =48 |issue=Autumn/Winter |pages=2–18 |url=http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/48/nationalism.shtml|date=2004–2005}}</ref>]]
Boulton was tried by a tribunal headed by [[Ambroise-Dydime Lépine]] and sentenced to death for his interference with the provisional government.<ref>{{harvnb|Salhany|2020|p=25}}</ref><ref name=Belanger-Scott>{{cite encyclopedia | last=Bélanger |first= Claude | publisher=Marianopolis College |encyclopedia=The Quebec History Encyclopedia | year =2007 |url =http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/QuebecHistory/readings/ThemurderofThomasScott.html |title=The 'Murder' of Thomas Scott}}</ref> He was pardoned, but Scott interpreted this as weakness by the Métis, who he regarded with open contempt.<ref name=Thomas-1982/> After Scott repeatedly quarreled with his guards, they insisted that he be tried for insubordination. At his court martial he was found guilty and was sentenced to death. Riel was repeatedly entreated to commute the sentence, but responded, "I have done three good things since I have commenced: I have spared Boulton's life at your instance, I pardoned Gaddy, and now I shall shoot Scott."<ref>{{harvnb|Boulton|1985|page =51}}</ref>

Scott was soon executed by a Métis firing squad on 4 March.<ref name="Bumsted 2000 p. 3">{{harvnb|Bumsted|2000|page=3}}</ref> Riel's motivations have been the cause of much speculation, but his justification was that he felt it necessary to demonstrate to the Canadians that the Métis must be taken seriously. Protestant Canada did take notice, swore revenge, and set up a "[[Canada First]]" movement to mobilize their anger.<ref>{{harvnb|Anastakis|2015|page=27}}</ref><ref name=Dick/> Riel biographer Lewis H. Thomas noted that "as people then and later have said, it was Riel's one great political blunder".<ref name=Thomas-1982/>