Who was William Lyon Mackenzie?

William Lyon Mackenzie (1795-1861) was a Canadian activist in the early to the middle part of the 19th century. He was a strong advocate of reforms and believed the American Revolution was a possible model for making reforms in the Canadian government. He became a "nuisance" of sorts and went into exile in the United States.

He was jailed in 1839 for the violation of US neutrality acts related to an armed invasion of Canada by US volunteers (the Patriot War, ostensibly to overthrow the British colonial rule). But he was pardoned by President Van Buren and even became a US citizen in 1843.

He was granted amnesty by Canada in 1849, and returned there in 1850, and again served in the legislature. Many of the reforms he worked for had been accomplished. He was a true Canadian patriot.