View source for Daniel Tracey

{{Short description|Lower Canada doctor, journalist and politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}

{{More footnotes needed|date=December 2021}}[[File:Daniel Tracey Pierre tombale.JPG|thumb|Tracey's grave in Montreal]]
'''Daniel Tracey''' (September 1, 1794 &ndash; July 18, 1832) born in [[Roscrea]], [[County Tipperary|Tipperary County]], [[Ireland]], was a doctor, journalist and politician in [[Lower Canada]] (now [[Quebec]]).

He arrived in the Province of Lower Canada with his younger siblings in 1825. Though he had trained (and probably practised) as a doctor in Dublin he was never registered to practise in Lower Canada.

==The Vindicator==

In 1828, he began publishing ''the Irish Vindicator and Canada General Advertiser'', known simply as ''the Irish Vindicator''. Based in [[Montreal]] the newspaper aimed at the immigrant Irish community soon took a dissenting view of the non-elected but powerful, autocratic [[Family Compact]], known in Lower Canada as the [[Château Clique]] and advocated the enrichment of the democratic rights for the majority of its citizens, most of whom were [[Catholics]].<ref>Pentland, HC (1984) Labour and Capital in Canada, 1650-1860, James Lorimer, Toronto P104.</ref> The paper also promoted [[Daniel O’Connell]] and [[Louis-Joseph Papineau]].{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}

Tracey was one of several journalists imprisoned early in 1832 for criticizing the non-elected legislative council that represented the interests of the [[Château Clique]]. Tracey, editor of the ''Vindicator'' and [[Ludger Duvernay]], the editor of the French language ''[[La Minerve]]'' newspaper were arrested for libel and imprisoned together for over a month for writing articles that said that "it is certain that before long all of America must be republican." They were released after much public support and condemnation of the arrests.<ref>[http://www.marxists.org/history/canada/quebec/patriotes-rebellion/introduction.htm Abidor, Mitch - The Patriotes Rebellion]</ref>

==Political career==

In the spring of 1832, he was elected as a member of the [[Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada]]. At the vote counting station supporters of the opponent candidate, Stanley Bagg (supported by the Clique) triggered a violent confrontation. As a result, three of Tracey's supporters were killed and many more were wounded.

==Death==

Despite his rising political stature he died suddenly in July, 1832 becoming a victim of the widespread [[cholera]] outbreak that summer in Montreal. After his death, [[Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan]] took over as editor of the ''Vindicator''.

== External links ==
* {{QuebecMNAbio|tracey-daniel-5585}}
*{{Cite DCB|3175}}
* Daniel Tracey and family of Roscrea Montreal and Albany [http://www.traceyclann.com/files/Daniel%20Tracey%20and%20family%20of%20Roscrea%20Montreal%20and%20Albany.htm link]
* Mullally, Emmett J. Dr Daniel Tracey, a pioneer worker for responsible government in Canada [http://www.cchahistory.ca/journal/CCHA1934-35/Mullally.html]

== References ==
<references/>

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tracey, Daniel}}
[[Category:1794 births]]
[[Category:1832 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century Irish people]]
[[Category:Irish emigrants to pre-Confederation Quebec]]
[[Category:19th-century newspaper publishers (people)]]
[[Category:Canadian newspaper publishers (people)]]
[[Category:Members of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada]]
[[Category:Canadian republicans]]
[[Category:People from County Tipperary]]
[[Category:Politicians from County Tipperary]]
[[Category:Quebec people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:Irish expatriates in Canada]]
[[Category:People from Roscrea]]
[[Category:Immigrants to Lower Canada]]