John A. Macdonald

Sir John Alexander Macdonald GCB PC QC (11 January 1815 - 6 June 1891)Sir John Alexander Macdonald - Westminster Abbey - Retrieved 30 July 2024 was the first Prime Minister of Canada. He served from 1867-1873, and again from 1878-1891. 
His time in office saw the expansion of Canada from the Atlantic to Pacific coasts; the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway; the creation of Canada's first spy service, the Western Frontier Constabulary, its first federal police force, the Dominion Police, and the famed North-West Mounted Police; and he began the slow transformation of the Canadian Militia into an organised force. Macdonald was the dominant force behind the British North America Act and Canadian Confederation. 
While Macdonald supported suffrage for women and the Aboriginal people of Canada, he disagreed with extending the vote to people of Chinese descent because of what he perceived as irreconcilable cultural differences. Modern criticism has been raised over his role in designing and passing restrictive legislation pertaining to the Indigenous population of Canada, the implementation of the Residential School system, as well as his role in ending the Red River and North-West Rebellions. Macdonald was named the eighth greatest Canadian in 2004.Tommy Douglas crowned 'Greatest Canadian' - 29 November 2004 - CBC - Retrieved 12 November 2024 
==Legacy==
===Memorials and Monuments===
====Gravesite====
Macdonald's gravesite in Cataraqui Cemetery, Kingston, Ontario, was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.Former Prime Ministers and Their Grave Sites - The Right Honourable Sir John A. Macdonald - Parks CanadaSir John A. Macdonald Gravesite - Canada's Historic Places - Retrieved 29 August 2020 On 1 July 2020, two plaques at the site were vandalised.Police investigate vandalism at Sir John A. Macdonald's gravesite - Meghan Balogh - 6 July 2020 - The Kingston Whig-Standard
====Sir John A. Macdonald Statue====
=====19th Century=====
Following Macdonald's death, the Hamilton Board of Trade opted to erect a memorial to the former Prime Minister. English sculptor George Edward Wade was selected for the project. The statue was shipped from London, placed, and covered prior to the unveiling. 
Prime Minister Sir John Thompson unveiled the statue on 1 November 1893, to the sounds of the crowd cheering and the 13th Battalion band playing "Hail to the Chief".
=====20th Century=====
The statue was moved in 1907 to its current location in Gore Park, where it remains to this day.Sir John A. Macdonald Statue - Local History & Archives - Hamilton Public Library - Retrieved 30 August 2020
=====21st Century=====
Hamilton members of the Sir John A. Macdonald started a petition drive asking the city not to remove the monument in 2018, citing the statue's historic value as the first statue of Macdonald in Canada, and the first statue in Gore Park. There were fears the statue would be removed to accommodate construction of Hamilton's new Light Rail Transit system.Hamiltonians urge city to keep Sir John A. Macdonald statue at Gore Park - Kevin Werner - 9 November 2018 - Hamilton News - Retrieved 30 August 2020
The statue was toppled on 14 August 2021.Sir John A. Macdonald statue toppled in Hamilton park after hundreds attend rally, march - Muriel Draaisma & Jessica Ng - 14 August 2021 - CBC News - Retrieved 15 August 2021Sir John A. Macdonald statue toppled during rally in Hamilton - Bryann Aguilar - 14 August 2021 - CTV News - Retrieved 15 August 2021Police release images of suspects after Sir John A. Macdonald statue torn down in Hamilton - Phil Tsekouras - 15 August 2021 - CP24 - Retrieved 15 August 2021
====Macdonald Monument====
The Macdonald Monument was opened on 6 June 1895, and was located at Place du Canada, in Montreal, Quebec. It was also sculpted by Wade.Monument à sir John A. Macdonald - Art Public Montréal
On 29 August 2020, the statue was toppled and subsequently decapitated by protesters affiliated with the Coalition for BIPOC Liberation, at the culmination of a protest around defunding of the police.Protesters in Montreal topple John A. Macdonald statue; demand police defunding - 29 August 2020 - National Post
====Bellevue House====
Macdonald's residence from 1848 to 1849, Bellevue House, is a National Historic Site of Canada.Bellevue House National Historic Site - Parks Canada - Retrieved 26 October 2020
==Quotes==
See John A. Macdonald/Quotes.
==Bibliography==
*Correspondence of Sir John Macdonald (1921), correspondence collected by Joseph PopeCorrespondence of Sir John Macdonald - Internet Archive
==Links==
*John A. Macdonald on Wikipedia
* Sir John A. Macdonald on the Canadian Encyclopedia
*Sir John Macdonald on Encyclopædia Britannica
==References==
==Navigation==
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