Back جون ماكدونالد Arabic جون ماكدونالد (محامى) ARZ John Macdonald Aymara Con Aleksandr Makdonald Azerbaijani Джон Мак-Дональд Byelorussian John Alexander Macdonald Czech John A. Macdonald Welsh John Macdonald German Τζον Μακντόναλντ Greek John A. Macdonald Esperanto
Sir John A. Macdonald | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Macdonald, c. 1875 | |
| 1st Prime Minister of Canada | |
| In office October 17, 1878 – June 6, 1891 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Governors General | |
| Preceded by | Alexander Mackenzie |
| Succeeded by | John Abbott |
| In office July 1, 1867 – November 5, 1873 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Governors General |
|
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Alexander Mackenzie |
| Leader of the Conservative Party | |
| In office July 1, 1867 – June 6, 1891 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | John Abbott |
| Member of the House of Commons of Canada | |
| In office 1867 – June 6, 1891 | |
| Joint-Premier of the Province of Canada | |
| In office May 30, 1864 – June 30, 1867 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Preceded by | John Sandfield Macdonald |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| In office August 6, 1858 – May 24, 1862 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Preceded by | George Brown |
| Succeeded by | John Sandfield Macdonald |
| In office May 24, 1856 – August 2, 1858 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Preceded by | Allan MacNab |
| Succeeded by | George Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Alexander Mcdonald[a] January 10 or 11, 1815[b] Glasgow, Scotland |
| Died | June 6, 1891 (aged 76) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Resting place | Cataraqui Cemetery |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Other political affiliations |
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| Spouses | |
| Children | 3, including Hugh John Macdonald |
| Education | Apprenticeship |
| Profession |
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| Signature |  |
| Nicknames |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Province of Upper Canada |
| Branch/service | Loyalist militia |
| Years of service | 1837-1838 |
| Rank | Private Ensign |
| Unit | Commercial Bank Guard 3rd Frontenac Militia Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Upper Canada Rebellion |
Cabinet offices held
Leadership offices held
Parliamentary offices held
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| This article is part of a series on |
| Conservatism in Canada |
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Sir John Alexander Macdonald[a] GCB PC QC (January 10 or 11, 1815[b] – June 6, 1891) was the first prime minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 until his death in 1891. He was the dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, and had a political career that spanned almost half a century.
Macdonald was born in Scotland; when he was a boy his family immigrated to Kingston in the Province of Upper Canada (today in eastern Ontario). As a lawyer, he was involved in several high-profile cases and quickly became prominent in Kingston, which elected him in 1844 to the legislature of the Province of Canada. By 1857, he had become premier under the colony's unstable political system. In 1864, when no party proved capable of governing for long, Macdonald agreed to a proposal from his political rival, George Brown, that the parties unite in a Great Coalition to seek federation and political reform. Macdonald was the leading figure in the subsequent discussions and conferences, which resulted in the British North America Act and the establishment of Canada as a nation on July 1, 1867.
Macdonald was the first prime minister of the new nation, and served 19 years; only William Lyon Mackenzie King has served longer. In his first term, Macdonald established the North-West Mounted Police and expanded Canada by annexing the North-Western Territory, Rupert's Land, British Columbia, and Prince Edward Island. In 1873, he resigned from office over a scandal in which his party took bribes from businessmen seeking the contract to build the Canadian Pacific Railway. However, he was re-elected in 1878. Macdonald's greatest achievements were building and guiding a successful national government for the new Dominion, using patronage to forge a strong Conservative Party, promoting the protective tariff of the National Policy, and completing the railway. He fought to block provincial efforts to take power back from the national government in Ottawa. He approved the execution of Métis leader Louis Riel for treason in 1885 which alienated many francophones from his Conservative Party. He continued as prime minister until his death in 1891. He remains the oldest prime minister in Canadian history.
In the 21st century, Macdonald has come under criticism for his role in the Chinese Head Tax and federal policies towards Indigenous peoples, including his actions during the North-West Rebellion that resulted in Riel's execution, and the development of the residential school system designed to assimilate Indigenous children. Macdonald, however, remains respected for his key role in the formation of Canada. Historical rankings in surveys of experts in Canadian political history have consistently placed Macdonald as one of the highest-rated prime ministers in Canadian history.
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