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John A. Macdonald
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Hot darn, that biography of John A. Macdonald was riveting! Now that's a phrase you probably never thought you'd utter but almost certainly will if you read Private Demons: The Tragic Personal Life of John A. Macdonald, author Patricia Phenix's outstanding, unprecedented biography of Canadian founding father John A. Macdonald. No, really. More Kitty Kelley than Antonia Fraser in her approach to her subject, Phenix displays here a prowess not hinted at in her last work Eatonians: the Story of the Family Behind the Family. The author admits straight-up that for this biography of Macdonald her intent was to expose the man behind the legacy in a tell-all fashion.
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John A. Macdonald was Canada's first prime minister, and was knighted for his efforts in bringing about Confederation. His role in creating Canada, and the realization of his dream to build a transcontinental railway, have fixed his place as a nation-builder in Canadian history.
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John A. Macdonald (1815-1891), who became Canada's first prime minister at Confederation, began the study of law in 1830 under George Mackenzie, a prominent Kingston lawyer. Three years later he came to Hallowell (now Picton) to manage the law practice of his cousin, Lowther P. Macpherson, who was in ill-health. During his stay here, Macdonald became the first secretary of the Prince Edward Young Men's Society in 1834 and servd as secretary of the Prince Edward District School Board. The latter position constituted his earliest experience in the field of public administration. Macdonald returned to Kingston in the summer of 1835 where he set up his own law practice.
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Born in Glasgow, Scotland, John A. Macdonald emigrated to Canada with his parents when he was five years old. He articled with a Kingston lawyer at the age of fifteen; by nineteen, Macdonald had his own legal practice. His introductions to politics came in 1843 when he served as a city alderman. The following year, he was elected Conservative representative for Kingston in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, first with Etienne-Paschal Tache and then with George-Etienne Cartier.
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John A. Macdonald was born in Scotland, then emigrated to Canada as a young boy. After practicing law in Kingston, Ontario, Macdonald went into politics and during the 1860s championed the confederation of the Canadian provinces. He was instrumental in securing passage of the British North America Act, and is considered the primary organizer of the Dominion of Canada, serving as its first Prime Minister.
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John A. Macdonald was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1815. When their family business failed, the Macdonald family moved to Canada, in 1820. His mother made sure he received a good education, and when he was ten, he was moved to boarding school in Kingston.
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John A. Macdonald