George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax

The Right Honourable The Earl of Halifax KG PC
Portrait by Joshua Reynolds, 1764
Secretary of State for the Northern Department
In office 22 January 1771 – 8 June 1771
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	Lord North
Preceded by	The Earl of Sandwich
Succeeded by	The Earl of Suffolk
In office 14 October 1762 – 9 September 1763
Monarch	George III
Preceded by	George Grenville
Succeeded by	The Earl of Sandwich
Lord Privy Seal
In office 26 February 1770 – 22 January 1771
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	Lord North
Preceded by	The Earl of Bristol
Succeeded by	The Earl of Suffolk
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
In office 3 April 1761 – 27 April 1763
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	Duke of Newcastle Earl of Bute
Preceded by	The Duke of Bedford
Succeeded by	The Earl of Northumberland
President of the Board of Trade
In office 1 November 1748 – 21 March 1761
Monarch	George II
Prime Minister	Henry Pelham Duke of Newcastle Duke of Devonshire Duke of Newcastle
Preceded by	The Lord Monson
Succeeded by	The Lord Sandys
Personal details
Born	(1716-10-06)6 October 1716
Died	8 June 1771(1771-06-08) (aged 54)
Nationality	British
Political party	Tory
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge

George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, KG, PC (6 October 1716 – 8 June 1771) was a British statesman of the Georgian era. Due to his success in extending commerce in the Americas, he became known as the "father of the colonies".^[1] President of the Board of Trade from 1748 to 1761, he aided the foundation of Nova Scotia, 1749, the capital Halifax being named after him. When Canada was ceded to the King of Great Britain by the King of France, following the Treaty of Paris of 1763, he restricted its boundaries and renamed it "Province of Quebec".^[2]