Henri Bourassa

Canadian politician

Born: September 1, 1868 · Died: August 31, 1952

Famous Persons

Who was Henri Bourassa?

Joseph-Napoléon-Henri Bourassa (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃ʁi buʁasa]; September 1, 1868 – August 31, 1952) was a French Canadian political leader and publisher. Bourassa was an ideological father of French-Canadian nationalism. Born in Montreal, Quebec, to Napoléon Bourassa and Azélie Papineau (Bourassa), Henri Bourassa was a grandson of the pro-democracy reformist politician Louis-Joseph Papineau. In 1899, Bourassa was outspoken against the British government's request for Canada to send a militia to fight for Britain in the Second Boer War. Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier's compromise was to send a volunteer force, but the seeds were sown for future conscription protests during the World Wars of the next half-century. Bourassa unsuccessfully challenged the proposal to build warships to help protect the empire. He led the opposition to conscription during World War I and argued that Canada's interests were not at stake.

Maxime Raymond, André Laurendeau and Henri Bourassa (right) in 1944

Historical significance

He opposed Catholic bishops who defended military support of Britain and its allies. Bourassa was also a defining force in forging French Canada's attitude to the Canadian Confederation of 1867.

Sources and further reading

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MLA

“Henri Bourassa.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/henri-bourassa/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

APA

Henri Bourassa. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/henri-bourassa/

Chicago

“Henri Bourassa.” thisDay. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/henri-bourassa/.

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