My Canadian Hero: Sir John A. Macdonald

The Government is very important. Without it, keeping a country in order is close to impossible. This is why I chose Sir John Alexander MacDonald as my Canadian hero. He was the first prime minister of Canada. He did lots of amazing things like: expand Canada by building the Canadian Pacific railway and create the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Sir John Alexander MacDonald is the reason we live in a beautiful country right now.

John A. Macdonald was born in Glasgow, Scotland on January 11, 1815. His parents met in Scotland in 1811. Unfortunately, John's father, Hugh Macdonald was a failing merchant. This is when the family moved to Canada in chance of a better life. John was only five years of age. When they arrived in Canada, he was sent to the finest schools; he could only do this until he was fifteen, but he kept reading on his own. John A. Macdonald had an average life growing up, but it got more interesting later on.

Macdonald worked when he was fifteen, in a law office in Kingston. When he was twenty-one, he became a lawyer. He then became interested in politics. John was elected to the legislature of the province of Canada. John lost the next election, so he left the Conservatives. He helped with the founding of the liberal-conservative party in 1854. The party then came to power. Macdonald was appointed Attorney General. In the next election, he became the joint premier of the province of Canada. John A. Macdonald later became the first prime minister of Canada. His goal as prime minister was to enlarge the country and unify it. In 1873, John A. Macdonald created the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He then started work on the Canadian Pacific railway which expanded Canada. He was prime minister from 1868 to 1873 and again from 1878 to