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Macdonald Becomes Joint Premier
Sir John A Macdonald became Joint Premier of the United Province of Canada with Sir Étienne-Pashcal Taché. Macdonald represented Canada West, and Taché represented Canda East. Both were Conservative Party leaders. Macdonald was actually deputy Premier in this situation; he had convinced Sir Allan Macnab to resign, having made the decision to do so in alliance with Sir George-Étienne Cartier. They had planned to be Joint Premiers together in the future. -
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Macdonald - Taché Government
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Cartier Becomes Joint Premier with Macdonald
Sir George-Étienne Cartier (Conservative) replaced Sir Étienne-Pashcal Taché as Joint Premier of the United Province of Canada. Cartier represented Canada East while Sir John A Macdonald represented Canada West. -
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Macdonald - Cartier Government
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Ottawa is Chosen as Permanent Capital
Bytown (now known as Ottawa) was given to Sir John A Macdonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier as permanent capital of the United Province of Canada by the Governor General (Sir Edmund Walker Head). Macdonald and Cartier later presented it to the assembly as being the choice of Queen Victoria to prevent dispute. -
Brown has the Assembly Vote on the Capital
George Brown suggested a vote on the "feelings" of the assembly towards the choice of Ottawa as permanent capital. The majority decided that Ottawa was not an ideal capital. Sir John A Macdonald explained that he believed this vote to be against Queen Victoria's decision, which was unacceptable. -
Macdonald Resigns "In Honour of the Queen"
Sir John A Macdonald and his party resigned, saying that they would not parttake in any act of defiance against the Queen. In their opinion, the vote on the choice of Ottawa as permanent capitlal was certainly an act of defiance of this kind. Their real inentions in their resignation, however, were to ruin George Brown's government. If they resigned, the Liberals (Brown's Party) would be asked to form a government. If they visibly couldn't, the Conservatives would come in and take their place. -
Brown and Dorion Become Joint Premiers
Because the Conservatives resigned, the Liberals were asked to form a government. George Brown and Antoine-Aimé Dorion were sworn is as new Joint Premiers, Brown representing Canada West and Dorion representing Canada East. -
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Brown - Dorion Government
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Macdonald and Cartier are Back as Joint Premiers
Sir John A Macdonald and his party came into the assembly to make a pejorative speech about the Liberals, causing the assembly to lose confidence in the government. Consequently, George Brown and Antoine-Aimé Dorion were replaced by Sir John A Macdonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier as Joint Premiers. After this incident, George Brown gravitated away from politics for several years. Sir John Sandfield Macdonald became a leader of the opposition in his place. -
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Macdonald - Cartier Government
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Americans Threaten Invasion of Canada
Though the date is not exact, it was around this time that an American representative told Sir John A Macdonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier that they were planning to overtake some British North-American land. Cartier and Macdonald responded by saying that they were bound to British ideals, one of which being neutrality. They did not wish to meddle in American affairs. -
Canada asks Britain for Military Support
Though this date is not exact, it was around this time that Macdonald and Cartier asked British authorities for military support in response to the threats of an American invasion of the United Province of Canada. They offered to send several thousand troops, but said that the Americans would have many times more. Britain did not want to waste its men defending "an expanse of rock and trees." Macdonald suggested to his party that they form an army by conscription instead. -
Sandfield Macdonald & Sicotte Are Premiers
When Sir John A Macdonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier propose a $1 million militia bill to defend Canada and raise an army by conscription to the assembly, an overwhelming majority votes against them. They are out of office as Joint Premiers; Sir John Sandfield Macdonald (Canada West) and Louis Victor Sicotte (Canada East) (both Liberal) are their replacements. (Sir John Sandfield Macdonald is shown in the image) -
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Sandfield Macdonald - Sicotte Government
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George Brown Gets Married
George Brown took a break from politics after his government was defeated in 1858. He visited some old friends in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he met their sister, Anne Nelson, whom he married shortly after. -
Dorion Becomes Joint Premier
Louis Victor Sicotte (Liberal) was replaced by Antoine-Aimé Dorion as Joint Premier for Canada East. -
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Sandfield Macdonald - Dorion Government
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Brown Proposes Dissolving the Union
Though this date is not exact, it was around this time that George Brown proposed dissolving the Union, going back to just Upper and Lower Canada with thier own seperate governments. He did this in attempt to solve the current government's most major problem; dispute. There was so much disagreement that nothing could get done. Sir John A Macdonald understood this problem too, but disagreed with Brown's idea. -
Macdonald, Cartier, and Brown Discuss Uniting BNA
This date is approximate.
John A Macdonald believed that with a united assembly, they could unite all of British North American into one confederation. It would make them more powerful and harder to invade. He and Cartier convinced Brown to support this idea for one year. To have a united assembly, however, Brown would need to support Macdonald, who would lead this confederation. It took him a while, but Brown decided to comply, despite the negative consequences it would have on his reputation. -
Macdonald-Tache Government Leads Reform Motion
George Brown explained the idea of a British North American union to the assembly. He told them to forget their own party loyalties and join up for the good of the country. The assembly united to become the Liberal-Conservative Party. Sir John A Macdonald and Étienne-Pashcal Taché became Joint Premiers, leading the reform motion. -
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Macdonald - Taché Government
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Charlottetown Conference
This conference was planned originally to discuss a Maritime Union (excluding Newfoundland), but the United Province of Canada was allowed to attend to try to convince them to form a union with them, too. Macdonald, Cartier, and Brown were three of the eight representatives that attended. They discussed how finances and powers of govenment would work at different levels, and promised a railway across the Dominiom. It was decided that a union would be further discussed at the Quebec Conference. -
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Quebec Conference
The purpose of this conference was to further discuss the union of British North America. Representatives from all of the provinces attended this conference. It was decided that the four Maritime provinces would unite with the United Province of Canada to form the Dominion of Canada. The Seventy-Two Resolutions were also made. These outlined the powers of government at different levels and government values and principles, and explained the House of Commons and the Senate, as well as much more. -
Belleau Becomes Joint Premier
Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau replaces Cartier as Joint Premier for Canada East. -
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Macdonald - Belleau Government
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London Conference
The purpose of this conference was to finalize the Seventy-Two Resolutions (BNA Act, or bill), and present them, along with the idea of the Dominion of Canada itselg, to British authorities. The bill was signed by the queen on March 29th, 1867. -
The Dominion of Canada is Created
The Dominion of Canada, a union of what was formerly the Maritime provinces and the United Province of Canada, was declared official, with Sir John A Macdonald as its first Prime Minister.
