John Alexander Macdonald
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John A. Macdonald was the leader of the Liberal-Conservative (Tory) Party. John A. Macdonald was in favour of Confederation because of his deep interest in economic development. John A. Macdonald wished that English speaking and French speaking Canadians would cooperate. John A. Macdonald worked with his political opponent George Brown and his original political ally George-Étienne Cartier. They worked for a federal union. John A. Macdonald wanted Confederation and even formed the Great Coalition to get our country, Canada, the way it is today.
“...If we wish to be great people, if we wish to form ... a great nationality commanding the respect of the world, able to hold our own against all opponents and to defend those institutions we prize: if we wish to have one system of government, and to establish a commercial union with restricted free trade, between people of the five provinces, belonging as they do, to the same union ... this can only be by a union.” - Said by John A. Macdonald during the parliamentary debates on Confederation.
John A. Macdonald was born in Glasgow, Scotland and emigrated to Canada with his parents when he was 5 years old. He articled with a Kingston lawyer at the age of 15 and by the time he was 19, had his own practice. He was first introduced to politics in 1843 when he served as a city alderman. A year later John A. Macdonald was elected the Conservative representative for Kingston in the Legislative assembly of the province of Canada. Throughout the 1860's John A. Macdonald worked for the Confederation movement. John A. Macdonald played a very important role in Confederation and drafted the British North America Act, which defined the federal system by which the four provinces were united on July 1, 1867.
John A. Macdonald had a very unsteady personal life with many problems. His first wife, Isabella, died in 1856 after having two boys. Only one of these boys lived to be and adult. John A. Macdonald did marry again to Susan Agnes Bernard in 1867 and had a daughter in 1869. Their daughter had hydrocephaly and suffered from physical and mental handicaps. In 1891 John A. Macdonald won his fourth consecutive election but died three months later, still as the prime minister of Canada.
John Alexander Macdonald was a very important figure in Confederation, and had a political career which lasted almost half a century. John A. Macdonald died at the age of 76, on June 6, 1891 in Ottawa. He lived a very important life and contributed greatly to form Canada.
John A. Macdonald was the leader of the Liberal-Conservative (Tory) Party. John A. Macdonald was in favour of Confederation because of his deep interest in economic development. John A. Macdonald wished that English speaking and French speaking Canadians would cooperate. John A. Macdonald worked with his political opponent George Brown and his original political ally George-Étienne Cartier. They worked for a federal union. John A. Macdonald wanted Confederation and even formed the Great Coalition to get our country, Canada, the way it is today.
“...If we wish to be great people, if we wish to form ... a great nationality commanding the respect of the world, able to hold our own against all opponents and to defend those institutions we prize: if we wish to have one system of government, and to establish a commercial union with restricted free trade, between people of the five provinces, belonging as they do, to the same union ... this can only be by a union.” - Said by John A. Macdonald during the parliamentary debates on Confederation.
John A. Macdonald was born in Glasgow, Scotland and emigrated to Canada with his parents when he was 5 years old. He articled with a Kingston lawyer at the age of 15 and by the time he was 19, had his own practice. He was first introduced to politics in 1843 when he served as a city alderman. A year later John A. Macdonald was elected the Conservative representative for Kingston in the Legislative assembly of the province of Canada. Throughout the 1860's John A. Macdonald worked for the Confederation movement. John A. Macdonald played a very important role in Confederation and drafted the British North America Act, which defined the federal system by which the four provinces were united on July 1, 1867.
John A. Macdonald had a very unsteady personal life with many problems. His first wife, Isabella, died in 1856 after having two boys. Only one of these boys lived to be and adult. John A. Macdonald did marry again to Susan Agnes Bernard in 1867 and had a daughter in 1869. Their daughter had hydrocephaly and suffered from physical and mental handicaps. In 1891 John A. Macdonald won his fourth consecutive election but died three months later, still as the prime minister of Canada.
John Alexander Macdonald was a very important figure in Confederation, and had a political career which lasted almost half a century. John A. Macdonald died at the age of 76, on June 6, 1891 in Ottawa. He lived a very important life and contributed greatly to form Canada.
George Brown
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George Brown was the leader of the Reform (Clear Grit) Party in Canada West. George Brown was in favour of Confederation and wanted to expand into Rupert’s Land. Although he was in favour of Confederation he did not want Canada West and Canada East to have to work together as one province to get “Rep by Pop”.
George Brown was the editor of the Toronto Globe newspaper. He believed in the British Parliamentary government deeply and wanted “Rep by Pop” for the separate colonies.
George Brown joined with his political opponents John A. Macdonald and George- Étienne Cartier to form the Great Coalition government in the United Province of Canada. They worked together to form a federal union in British North America.
“... I go heartily for the union, because it will throw down the barriers of trade and give us the control of a market of four millions of people .... I am in favour of a union of the provinces ... because it will make us the third maritime state of the world...” - These words were said by George Brown in the Confederation Debate on February 8, 1865.
Like John A. Macdonald, George Brown also had a very interesting personal life. He was born in Alloa Scotland to Peter Brown and Isabella Mackenzie. He went to school at the Southern Academy in Edinburgh and migrated to the US with his father in 1838. In 1844 George Brown became the editor of the Globe. In 1851 George Brown was elected into the Legislative Assembly as a Reform member from the county of Kent.
In October, 1864, George Brown played a huge part in the Quebec Conference but the following year, in December he resigned from the government. He resigned before Confederation was completed because of his inability to work peacefully with his political enemies in the Great Coalition. After resigning George Brown played little part in parliament. He had a few other jobs before he died from a bullet wound from a discharged employee in 1880. Before his death, George Brown married Anne Nelson in Edinburgh and together they had two sons and three daughters.
George Brown will always be remembered by the people of Canada because of his great significance to Confederation.
George Brown was the leader of the Reform (Clear Grit) Party in Canada West. George Brown was in favour of Confederation and wanted to expand into Rupert’s Land. Although he was in favour of Confederation he did not want Canada West and Canada East to have to work together as one province to get “Rep by Pop”.
George Brown was the editor of the Toronto Globe newspaper. He believed in the British Parliamentary government deeply and wanted “Rep by Pop” for the separate colonies.
George Brown joined with his political opponents John A. Macdonald and George- Étienne Cartier to form the Great Coalition government in the United Province of Canada. They worked together to form a federal union in British North America.
“... I go heartily for the union, because it will throw down the barriers of trade and give us the control of a market of four millions of people .... I am in favour of a union of the provinces ... because it will make us the third maritime state of the world...” - These words were said by George Brown in the Confederation Debate on February 8, 1865.
Like John A. Macdonald, George Brown also had a very interesting personal life. He was born in Alloa Scotland to Peter Brown and Isabella Mackenzie. He went to school at the Southern Academy in Edinburgh and migrated to the US with his father in 1838. In 1844 George Brown became the editor of the Globe. In 1851 George Brown was elected into the Legislative Assembly as a Reform member from the county of Kent.
In October, 1864, George Brown played a huge part in the Quebec Conference but the following year, in December he resigned from the government. He resigned before Confederation was completed because of his inability to work peacefully with his political enemies in the Great Coalition. After resigning George Brown played little part in parliament. He had a few other jobs before he died from a bullet wound from a discharged employee in 1880. Before his death, George Brown married Anne Nelson in Edinburgh and together they had two sons and three daughters.
George Brown will always be remembered by the people of Canada because of his great significance to Confederation.
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