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Sir John Alexander Macdonald, GCB, KCMG, PC, QC, DCL, LL.D (January 11, 1815 – June 6, 1891) was the first Prime Minister of Canada from July 1, 1867 – November 5, 1873 and October 17, 1878 – June 6, 1891.
John Alexander Macdonald was born on January 11, 1815 in Glasgow, Scotland. His parents were Hugh Macdonald, an unsuccessful merchant and his wife Helen Shaw, who met in Scotland in 1811. After the failure of his father's business ventures, his family emigrated to Kingston, Upper Canada in 1820 along with thousands of others seeking affordable land and promises of new prosperity. Hugh's fortunes were to rise there. John was educated in the area's finest schools.
Macdonald became a lawyer in 1834 and set up his own law practice in Kingston. He earned the esteem of many by his unsuccessful but solid defence of the American raiders who were captured at the Battle of the Windmill (1838, near Prescott, Ontario) in the Rebellions of 1837. In 1843, at the age of 28, he married his cousin Isabella Clark (1811 - 1857). Soon after the wedding, Isabella became terribly sick with a mystery illness. She depended on medication and spent most of her time in bed. They had two children: a son named John, who died when he was 13 months old, and a second son Hugh John, who was raised by the family's neighbours and went on to become premier of the Province of Manitoba. The couple's marriage was ended after 14 years when Isabella died in 1857.
More on [ John A. Macdonald ]
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Canadian Confederation: John A. Macdonald on the Federal System - Excerpts from speeches by Sir John A. Macdonald arguing in favour of Confederation.
City of Kingston's Macdonald Biography - The official site of the City of Kingston, Ontario, devotes a page to its former resident, Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first Prime Minister.
Meta Description: [ Official site of the City of Kingston, Ontario, Canada ]
First Among Equals: Sir John A. MacDonald - Facts, biography, speeches and other information from the National Library of Canada.
Grave Sites of Canadian Prime Ministers - J.A. Macdonald - Final resting place of Sir John A. Macdonald (b. January 11, 1815. d. June 6, 1891) at Cataraqui Cemetery in Kingston, Ontario. Includes photograph of the grave and information on Macdonald.
Meta Description: [ About the National Program for the Grave Sites of Canadian Prime Ministers ]
John A. Macdonald - Charlottetown Conference of 1864 - John A. Macdonald played a key role at Charlottetown Conference of 1864. Video clip of actor playing Macdonald.
Meta Description: [ John A. Macdonald - Charlottetown Conference of 1864 ]
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John A. Macdonald and Confederation - Briefly examines Macdonald's role in Confederation.
Letter from John A. Macdonald - An 1880 hand-written letter by Macdonald to John Beverley Robinson. Held by the Trent University Archives.
Ottawa Statue of Sir John A. Macdonald - Louis-Philippe Hébert's statue of Macdonald in Ottawa is described. Photo also.
Parks Canada: Bellevue House - A former home of John A. Macdonald, who rented the house in 1848 because of his wife's illness.
Meta Description: [ Bellevue House National Historic Site of Canada ]
Sir John A. Macdonald - Photos of Macdonald, his wife and child as well as description of his career,
Sir John A. Macdonald and the North-West Mounted Police - RCMP Centennial Museum's page about the origins of the RCMP and Macdonald's role.
Sir John A. Macdonald Statue - Information on the statue of Canada's first Prime Minister erected in Hamilton after his death.
The Globe and Mail: Inaugeration of the New Dominion - Excerpts from articles that appeared in The Daily Globe in 1867.
The Globe and Mail: Sir John Is Dead - Obituary for John A. Macdonald that appeared in the Globe and Mail.
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