Sir John Alexander Macdonald was the first prime minister of Canada. He was born on January 11, 1815 and passed away on June 6, 1891. He grew up in Scotland, Glasgow and moved to Kingston, Upper Canada when he was 5. His father was an unsuccessful merchant who operated many general stores. As a child he attended the Midland District Grammar School. He then dropped out when he got an opportunity to work for a law office, he kept this job for 5 years. He later regretted his decision of not finishing school. But, it helped him when he was given the responsibility to take care of his family since his father had passed away. Without finishing school early he wouldn’t be fit to take care of his family. His first job was being a lawyer followed by …show more content…
Mcdonald's family consisted of; Helen Shaw (His mother), Hugh Macdonald (His Father), William Macdonald (his brother), James Shaw Macdonald (his brother) Louisa Jean Macdonald (his sister), and Margaret Williamson (his sister) . His sisters passed away at the age of 71 and 63, and his brothers passed away at the ages of 1 and 79. He then got married to Isabella Clark (his cousin) at the age of 28. Sadly, she died at the age of 46 due to an illness, but not before she gave birth to her two sons. She gave birth to both hers sons while she was sick. Their names were John Alexander who passed away 13 months later and Hugh John who was named after Sir John A Macdonald’s father. Isabella Clark often had head pains and bad coughs, though the reason for her illness was unknown. Sir John A Macdonald carried out the task of being a father to Hugh even without his wife. He remarried 10 years later to Susan Agnes Bernard. Susan was the sister of one of his secretaries, Hewett. Susan gave birth to John’s third child, Margaret Mary Theodora Macdonald. Margaret was born with a deformity (Hydrocephalus) which is known for the swelling of the brain that causes brain damage, which lead to her passing away at an early age (36).
Sir John A. Macdonald was in the Liberal-Conservative Party of Canada from July 1867 to November 1873. He was elected again from October 1878 to June 1891. Without Sir John A. Macdonald we wouldn’t be part of Canada, there wouldn’t be a Canada. He was the one
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This meant the people in the Pacific Province could visit people in the eastern provinces and vice versa. Sir John A. Macdonald was also the reason why we have Hudson Bay. He bought it from the United States for £300,000. That was about ⅓ of the United States at the time!
Now that you know the facts about Sir John A. Macdonald why don’t we talk about his personality. He was a man with much more to him than just being good with politics. He also knew what people had to say about his daughter were nothing except scurrilous lies, he loved her and wouldn’t let anything anyone said get in the way of that. Sir John made it to a leadership position in any group he joined.
Even though Sir John was generally a good person he also had his flaws. He was a careless drinker. The first public outburst due to his careless drinking happened in the spring of 1862. He went to Niagara to give a speech, but he had gotten really drunk before that. The worst time his drinking problem had occurred was during the time of the election and during the Pacific Scandal 1872–1873. Him being an alcoholic also concerned Hewett (Susan’s brother) about getting married to his
Tommy Douglas is known as a prolific politician but considering his contributions that is a huge understatement. He can be seen as a role-model for all generations to come. When Tommy Douglas was asked why he stayed with the NDP (National Democratic Party) when he could have been more successful with a more powerful party he replied “I have watched politicians for the last forty years drop their principles in order to get power only to find that those who paid and controlled the party which they joined prevented them from all the things they really believe in”. To the end of his days Tommy Douglas was true to himself, to ...
Hancock, Pat, and John Mantha. "Canada's twelfth prime minister - Louis Stephen St. Laurent." The kids book of Canadian prime ministers. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 1998. 33. Print.
Many individuals appear to have honourable intentions but often their objectives are flawed. John Strachan lived through and influenced many key events of Canadian history. He was a highly esteemed teacher of wealthy Loyalist children, a pastoral leader during the War of 1812, a supporter of education, a member of the government, he played a prime role in the Rebellions of 1837 and he eventually rose to become the first Bishop of Toronto. John Strachan had a highly Loyalist view towards the governing of Upper Canada; he was especially faithful to the betterment of the Church of England. Strachan was in favour of a purely British Upper Canada or at least one run according to British standards. Although Strachan believed that the best way was the British way, many individuals in Upper Canada disagreed. Strachan's attempts to monopolize all opportunities in favour of the British caused public uproar and debate. His controversial role in government was regarded by some as unnecessary and ungodly since he was a supposed man of God. His manipulation of events were protested but usually accepted; his skills of influencing were uncontested. John Strachan used his powerful status to negatively influence Upper Canadian society. John Strachan's harmful intentions are evident in his supporting of the monopolization of the clergy reserves, controlling of non-British immigration, lobbying strictly for Anglican education in schools, his manipulation of the government and his poor reputation amongst the public.
It takes many generations for any single country to evolve from its earliest state into what would be considered a "developed" nation. The changes that take place within the country are generally attributed to a small number of visionary individuals. Many people can be accredited for contributing to the progression of Canada. John G. Diefenbaker, conceivably the single most influential person in the history of Canada, played a crucial role in the development of the country, to what it is today. Diefenbaker's work resulted in the redefining of Canada's cultural identity, the creation of major bills and policies within government legislation as well as developing a stance on foreign affairs and many policies dealing with global issues.
Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson was a prominent figure in Canada in the 1960s. Pearson was Canada's most significant post WWII prime minister because of his government's many innovations that still benefit Canadians today. He fostered Canadian nationalism, which continues to the present day, promoted equality throughout Canada – equality that now thrives as part of Canada's identity – and he introduced many social services that are still implemented today.
John Diefenbaker was able to accomplish his main goal while he was in the Prime Minister’s chair. He was able to enact the Bill of rights “under which freedom of religion, of speech, of association…freedom from capricious arrest and freedom under the rule of law”. [2] He made it into an official document that would prevent the continuous abuse of the rights of many of the minority groups. He had seen the discrimination with his own eyes during his earlier years with the aboriginals, “[he] was distressed by their conditions, the unbelievable poverty and the injustice done them.”[3]
John A. Macdonald became well known for the way he treated people. He was kind
English, John. Citizen of the World: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Toronto: Vintage Canada, 2007. Print.
John Alexander Macdonald was born in Glasgow, Scotland on January 11, 1815. His family immigrated to Canada (Kingston, Ontario) in 1820, Macdonald was five years old at the time. In 1829 Macdonald ended his schooling, his parents could not afford to send him to university. Macdonald would later say that if he had went to university he would have ended up in literature, not politics. (Waite, John, 7-10)
The post-war time was a period where major changes were occurring. After being involved in two international conflicts, Canada was ready to reestablish their economy. During this time, Canada had started working on ways to become stronger and reputable. It is evident that Canada had matured through the post-war era. Canada’s economic progress left a positive impact on the growth of the country as consumerism became popular, and economic ties with America became stronger. Moreover, the removal of racial and ethical barriers contributed to Canadian social affairs such as the huge wave of immigration and the baby boom. The Canadian government also had become more aware and involved in issues impacting Canadian citizens. Canada as a whole started identifying itself as an independent nation and participating in events that brought a positive reputation amongst them. These economical, social, and legal changes helped Canada mature into the country it is today.
The Confederation act of 1867 without question has had a major influence on the status of contemporary Canada. It has helped shape Canada into one of the worlds most politically and economically powerful countries; a country that is strong, independent, and united. There was a series of events which led to the confederation of Canada, some which are more significant than others. However, I believe that despite the significance of events such as the British encouragement of uniting its North American colonies, the central and key reason for confederation was the fear of potential American (Yankee) inhabitance (whether by persuasion or invasion) of the divided and vast British North American colonies, and the way that the “Fathers of Confederation” were able to take advantage of this situation and persuade reluctant colonies to join Confederation. A strong and united nation could not be easily invaded or bought. These essential factors will be discussed in the paragraphs to come.
Pearson, Lester B. Mike; the Memoirs of the Right Honourable Lester B. Pearson. Vol. 1. Toronto:
Thompson, John Herd, and Mark Paul Richard. "Canadian History in North American Context." In Canadian studies in the new millennium. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008. 37-64.
In the year of 1867 the nation we know as Canada came into being. The Confederation in this year only came about after things had been overcome. Many political and economic pressures were exerted on the colonies and a federal union of the colonies seemed to be the most practical method of dealing with these pressures and conflicts. While Confederation was a solution to many of the problems, it was not a popular one for all the colonies involved. In the Maritime colonies views differed widely on the topic. Some were doubtful, some were pleased, others were annoyed and many were hopeful for a prosperous future.1
William Lyon Mackenzie King was one of the greatest prime ministers in Canada, although he did not give a fascinating speech or had an exciting image and supported few radical policies . King’s opinions were very strong and would not be changed no matter what. No one could influence King and this was shown through his leadership during the Great Depression and the election in 1930.