Jean-Baptiste Rouillard

Jean-Baptiste Rouillard (19 May 1842 – 27 October 1908) was a Canadian journalist, administrator and soldier.

Biography

Jean-Baptiste Rouillard was born on 19 May 1842 to Olivier Rouillard and Catherine Scipion Lalancette in Quebec City. He was baptized on the same day.

In 1862 Rouillard enrolled in the Union army in Swanton. He was part of the 10th Vermont Infantry Regiment. He was promoted corporal on 5 May 1864 and wounded on 19 October 1864. He was promoted to brigadier on the same day. He served until the end of the war (3 June 1865).

The creation of this large media enterprise seems to be motivated by political rather than financial purposes. Within four years, Rouillard created eight newspaper available in around 20 counties, meaning, to a quarter of Quebec's voters. Rouillard believed that Quebec should unite under one party, leading him to support Honoré Mercier and the Parti national, with a pro-conservative pause between 2 March 1889 and November 1891 due to dissatisfaction with the Parti national. During his tenure, he wrote Dix ans de colonisation. Hardships, including these political ones, caused him to move to the United States in 1893 with his family. In 1893 Rouillard made a conference in its support. He believed it would "consolidate Latin influence on the continent" and "emancipate" French descendants. He also supported the publishing of a large French-Canadian newspaper in Washington. He later became responsible for copper and gold mines.

Legacy A commemorative plaque was placed at the "salle Rouillard".