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John A. Macdonald
Historical figureCanada1815-1891

John A. Macdonald

1st Prime Minister of Canada (1867-1873, 1878-1891) · Father of Confederation

Scottish-born Conservative who drove Canadian Confederation, became the first prime minister, built the Pacific railway and high tariffs, and pursued harsh assimilation policies toward Indigenous peoples.

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Profile on 12 axes11 of 12 documented
ECONOMYSTATESOCIETYWORLDOwnershipMarketsWelfareAuthoritySecurityStructureMoralityReligionTechnologyCultureTradeForeign
Where they stood

John A. Macdonald, axis by axis

  1. 01Ownership+15
    PublicPrivate
  2. 02Markets0
    PlannedFree

    He mixed private business with railways built using state money and high protective tariffs, which puts him in the middle.

  3. 03Welfare+45
    SharedSelf-reliant

    Modern welfare debates did not exist then. He scores toward self-reliance because of the limited government of the 19th century.

  4. 04Authority+10
    DemocraticStrong leader
  5. 05Security+45
    LibertyOrder
  6. 06Structure+65
    LocalCentral
  7. 07Morality+50
    ProgressiveTraditional
  8. 08Religion+30
    SecularReligious
  9. 09TechnologyNo clear record
    EmbraceCaution

    No known view on technology in today's sense, and the century is too early to judge, so this is left empty.

  10. 10Culture+75
    MulticulturalNational identity

    He sought to assimilate Indigenous peoples, limited Chinese immigration on racial grounds and stressed a British identity for Canada.

  11. 11Trade+65
    GlobalProtected
  12. 12Foreign policy+20
    CooperationStrength

One axis has no clear record, so matching leaves it out.

Who was John A. Macdonald?

The future prime minister came into the world in Glasgow in 1815. His family moved to Upper Canada when he was a boy. He became a lawyer in Kingston and won a seat in 1844, soon emerging as a Conservative leader in the old Province of Canada. He did more than anyone to shape Confederation, and in 1867 he became the first prime minister of the new country. The Pacific Scandal forced him out in 1873, but he won power back in 1878 and held it until he died in 1891. Under him, Canada went from four provinces to seven and took in the huge North-West.

Political views

  • He wanted power concentrated in the national government. At first he even preferred a single legislative union to a loose federation.Source: biographi.ca
  • Early in his career he resisted wider voting rights and the plan to sell off the clergy reserves, standing up for the British tie and old institutions.Source: biographi.ca
  • In 1858 he supported tariffs that gave Canadian industry 'incidental protection', a forerunner of the National Policy.Source: biographi.ca
  • His National Policy set high tariffs to shield Canadian factories from foreign rivals.Source: biographi.ca
  • His government funded the Canadian Pacific Railway with heavy public support, joining British Columbia to the east.Source: biographi.ca
  • He made the Senate an appointed chamber, meant to speak for the property-owning classes.Source: biographi.ca
  • He put down the North-West Rebellion of 1885, and the Métis leader Louis Riel was executed by hanging soon after.Source: biographi.ca
  • He widened the residential school system for First Nations children. On racial grounds he also tried to limit Chinese immigration.Source: biographi.ca

Legacy

Macdonald is widely seen as the chief builder of the Canadian federation. He stretched it from one ocean to the other and built its main national bodies, and for generations he appeared on banknotes, statues and street signs. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography states that his policies on residential schools had appalling results for Indigenous peoples. The BBC notes he has been accused of letting famine and disease strike Indigenous communities. A national report in 2015 called the school system cultural genocide. Starting in 2018, several statues of him were taken down or pulled down. Others argue that his work in building the country should be remembered together with this harm.

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John A. Macdonald: questions

Which party did John A. Macdonald lead?

He led the Liberal-Conservative Party, a forerunner of today's Conservative Party of Canada. He headed it from 1867 to his death in 1891.

Why are Macdonald's statues being removed?

Many honor him as the founder of the modern country. His government also grew the residential school system for Indigenous children and tried to restrict Chinese immigration. Those acts led to statue removals and a wider argument about his memory.

Who was the first prime minister of Canada?

John A. Macdonald, who took office in 1867. He lost power in 1873 after the Pacific Scandal, then returned in 1878 and served until he died.

Sources