Fathers Of Confederation

We begin today with three photographs of key Fathers of Confederation. John A. Macdonald, a co-premier of the United Canadas who would be the first prime minister of the country, is at top. His rival George Brown is at lower left. Macdonalds' co-premier George-Etienne Cartier is at lower right. Macdonald and Brown despised each other, but recognized the need to work as a team in uniting the colonies into one country.

Delegates would meet to discuss the concept of uniting as one country as the Civil War raged south of the border. 

This is one of the most famous photographs in the country's history- the Fathers of Confederation at the Charlottetown Conference.

The first to join the new country would be Ontario and Quebec (separated from their joint status as the United Canadas and back into two legislatures), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Leaders would go to London to see their efforts approved by the British parliament. In the years that followed, more provinces would be formed, and the country as a whole would be established from sea to sea.

This is the dress coat and travel trunk of Cartier, who was one of the leaders who went to London.

The British North America Act was passed by the British Parliament, and Confederation gave rise to the new country.

One of its strongest leaders would only see a short period of it. This painting of Thomas D'Arcy McGee hangs here. McGee was a personal friend of Macdonald, as well as a member of the government, lawyer, and journalist. As a young man he had been an Irish radical, but after he came to North America, his world view changed.

He saw the value of British style Parliamentary democracy, and became one of its strongest advocates. His former comrades in the Fenian radical movement never forgave him for it, and he was assassinated in 1868.

This is the gun used in the crime.

The first Dominion Day- July 1st, 1867. 

Copies of the proclamation, in English and French, are seen here.