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John A. Macdonald

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University of Toronto Press, 1998 - Biography & Autobiography - 1154 pages

The Dictionary of Canadian Biography calls this work 'probably the greatest Canadian biography yet published in English.' Donald Creighton's two-volume account of Canada's first Prime Minister was originally published in the 1950s as 'John A. Macdonald: The Young Lion' (1952) and 'John A. Macdonald: The Old Chieftain' (1955). Each of the volumes won a Governor General's Literary Award. Creighton's rare combination of rigorous scholarship, magnificent literary style, and romantic and heroic vision gives this work extraordinary power and wide appeal.

Sir John A. Macdonald's flamboyant personality dominated Canadian public life from the years preceding Confederation to the end of the nineteenth century, and the political structures and national policies which developed under his leadership continue to shape public issues today. Creighton's first volume takes Macdonald from his childhood and early years as a young lawyer in Kingston, Ontario, through his swift rise in political life to positions of influence, to the great achievement of uniting the colonies of British North America in Confederation. The second volume traces Macdonald's often tumultuous subsequent career in the context of a growing and often recalcitrant nation. He was Prime Minister from 1867 to 1873 and then again from 1878 until his death in June, 1891. The spectacular and evocative epilogues with which Creighton concludes each volume are widely recognized as having a place among the great passages of literary prose.

P. B. Waite's introduction to this new one-volume republication provides an illuminating account of the impact that Creighton and his biography of Macdonald had on a whole generation of historians and readers.

  

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Selected pages

Contents

Chapter
1
The Immigrant Macdonalds 18151830 I
3
The Lawyers Apprentice 18301837
21
First Public Appearances 18371839
46
The New Conservative Candidate 18391844
69
Minister of the Crown 18441847
100
The Twilight of the Tory Party 18471849
125
Years of Recovery 18491851
147
The Humiliation of George Brown 18581861
273
Impasse 18611864
315
British North America in Conference JuneDecember 1864
354
Checkmate January 1865April 1866
391
Triumph April 1866March 1867
431
EpilogueThe First of July 1867
466
A Note on Authorities
482
Notes
485

The LiberalConservative Coalition 18511854
174
The Victory of the ProgressiveConservatives 18541856
208
Double Shuffle 18561858
238
Index
513
Copyright

Common terms and phrases

accepted affairs Agnes Allan American August autumn began Bill Blake British North America Brunswick Cabinet Cameron Campbell Canada West Canadian government Canadian Pacific Railway Cardwell Carnarvon Cartier Clear Grits colleagues Colonial Office Confederation Conservative Council Creighton debate December defence delegates Dominion donald Dufferin early election England favour February federal Fenian French-Canadian Galt George Brown Globe Governor Grand Trunk hope House Hudson's Bay Company Hugh Ibid imperial interest John John Hillyard Cameron July June Kingston leader Legislative legislature Liberal London Lord Macdonald knew Macdonald Papers Mackenzie Macpherson Maritime ment ministers Monck Montreal Montreal Gazette Mowat never north-west Nova Scotia November October Oliver Mowat once Ontario Ottawa Pacific Scandal Parliament party political province Quebec Reform Riel Rose seemed September session Stephen summer Tilley tion told Toronto Tory Treaty Tupper union United Upper Canada vote weeks whole

References from web pages

John A. Macdonald - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Includes political history, titles, honours, references and photograph
en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ John_A._Macdonald

The Prime Ministers – John A. Macdonald First Prime Minister of ...
This lesson is based on viewing the John A. Macdonald biography from The Prime ... Students will study John A. Macdonald’s life story, term/s as prime ...
www.cpac.ca/ pdfs/ pm_Macdonald.pdf

Macdonald, Sir John Alexander
Created Sir John A. Macdonald, Knight Commander of the Bath, he was chosen to take office as first prime minister of Canada on 1 July 1867. ...
www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/ index.cfm?PgNm=TCE& Params=A1ARTA0004867

Hist103: Sir John A. Macdonald: Father of Confederation
Sir John A. Macdonald (b.1815, d.1891) was the first prime minister of Canada . This biographical lecture will explore his background, his political ...
www.lackenbauer.ca/ Hist103/ 1-2_Macdonald.htm

John A. Macdonald Bibliography -
(1883) Life and times of the Right Honourable Sir John A. Macdonald: ... Johnson, jk (1969) Affectionately Yours: The Letters of Sir John A. Macdonald and ...
www.canadachannel.ca/ pm/ index.php/ John_A._Macdonald_Bibliography

Horton Journal of Canadian History
Essay by Pamela Atwell on the life and career of Canada's founding Prime Minister
www.angelfire.com/ ns/ hjch/ atwell.htm

Sir John A. Macdonald (1815-1891) : Library of Congress Citations
Title: Affectionately yours; the letters of Sir John A. Macdonald and his family. Edited and with an introd. by jk Johnson. Published: Toronto, Macmillan of ...
www.mala.bc.ca/ ~mcneil/ cit/ citlcmacjohn1.htm

Sir John A. Macdonald: Biography and Much More from Answers.com
Sir John A. Macdonald , Political Leader Born: 11 January 1815 Birthplace: Glasgow, Scotland Died: 6 June 1891 Best Known As: Prime Minister of Canada.
www.answers.com/ topic/ macdonald-sir-john-alexander

Reference.com/Encyclopedia/John A. Macdonald
Reference.com free online encyclopedia article for John A. Macdonald, powered by Wikipedia.
www.reference.com/ browse/ wiki/ John_A._Macdonald

Sir John A. macdonald - Prime Ministers of Canada
Cover of the book John A. Macdonald by Peter B. Waite. © John Mardon Source: Waite, Peter B. John A. Macdonald. Markham, Ont.: Fitzhenry and Whiteside, ...
www.bitesizecanada.org/ SIR%20JOHN%20A%20MACDONALD.htm

About the author (1998)

P.B. Waite is Professor Emeritus of History at Dalhousie University, a former student of Donald Creighton, and the author of The Man from Halifax: Sir John Thompson .

Bibliographic information

QR code for John A. Macdonald
TitleJohn A. Macdonald
G - Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series
Reprints in Canadian history
AuthorDonald Creighton
ContributorPeter B. Waite
Edition2, illustrated, reprint
PublisherUniversity of Toronto Press, 1998
ISBN0802071643, 9780802071644
Length1154 pages
Subjects ›  › 

Biography & Autobiography / Historical
Biography & Autobiography / Political
History / Canada / General
Political Science / Public Affairs & Administration
  
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