Biographies

A

Abbott, John (1821 – 1893)
Canadian academic, lawyer and politician; prime minister from 1891 to 1892. An energetic man, he was appointed to the Senate in 1887, serving in Cabinet, and also briefly acted as Mayor of Montreal from 1887 to 1888. In his brief term as prime minister, he pushed for public service and Criminal Code reforms, as well as a reciprocity treaty with the U.S. He resigned in 1892 due to ill heath and died in Montreal the following year.

Aberdeen and Temair, Sir John Campbell Hamilton Gordon, seventh Earl of (1847-1934)
Governor general of Canada 1893 to 1898. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He and his wife, Lady Aberdeen, were known for their social justice crusades during their time in Canada,and for his favouritism of British and Canadian Liberals.

Allan, Sir Hugh (1810-1882)
Shipping magnate, railway promoter and financier. Born in Scotland, he immigrated to Montreal in 1826. He rose quickly and within 10 years was a partner in a merchandising firm. From there, he built the Montreal Ocean Steamship Company and expanded into railway building. In 1872, he was accused of buying a government contract to build a railway to the Pacific after it came to light that he had contributed $350,000 to the campaign of the Conservative Party. This led to the Pacific Scandal and the fall of Sir John A. Macdonald’s government. Allan had other business interests as well, including communications, manufacturing and mining. He was knighted in 1871.

Amherst, William Pitt, second Earl of Arakan (1773-1857)
Briefly governor general of Canada in 1835. He was the son of Lieutenant-General William Amherst and heir to Lord Jeffery Amherst and served in several international posts before his appointment to Canada. He resigned upon the fall of the British government.

Amherst, Jeffery, first Baron (1717-1797)
British commander-in-chief in North America during the Seven Year’s War and the conquest of New France. He did not participate in General James Wolfe’s siege and capture of Québec, but planned and executed the defeat of remaining French forces in New France in 1760, culminating in the capture of Montreal. He was knighted in 1761, and made Baron Amherst in 1776.

Annand, William (1808-1887)
Nova Scotia premier from 1867 to 1875. A reformer, he was first elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in 1836. He was also the owner of the Novascotian and Morning Chronicle newspapers. He was one of the leaders of the anti-Confederation movement in the province, although his failure to make a strong stand ultimately made Joseph Howe leader of this group.

Archibald, Sir Adams George (1814 – 1892)
Canadian lawyer, Justice of the Peace, judge and politician. First lieutenant-governor of Manitoba in 1870; also served as lieutenant-governor of the North-West Territories and Nova Scotia. He was particularly instrumental in reducing tensions involving the Métis people during the Red River Rebellions, and ensured that they would have a say in any governing process in the province. 

B

Baldwin, Robert (1804-1858)
Leader of two reform governments from 1842 to 1843 and from 1848 to 1850, he was a key figure in winning responsible government in Canada. He was appointed an executive councillor in 1836 by Upper Canada Lieutenant-Governor Francis Bond Head, but resigned when Head refused to consult them. He was neutral during the 1837 rebellion, and played a leading role in government afterward. He and Louis Lafontaine formed two governments and, in 1849, secured his place in history by formally gaining responsible government, which was later confirmed when Governor General Lord Elgin passed the Rebellion Losses Bill. He was the son of William Warren Baldwin.

Baldwin, William Warren (1775-1844)
Canadian doctor, lawyer and politician. Born in Ireland, he came to Upper Canada in 1799 and settled at York. A successful lawyer, he rose to prominence as an agitator for responsible government, demanding that the principles of the British constitution be applied to Canada. His son also rose to prominence as a reformer.

Bagot, Sir Charles (1781-1842)
British statesman and governor general of British North America from 1841 to 1843. He entered politics in 1807 and served in a number of government posts in Britain and abroad. In 1817, he negotiated the disarmament of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain (the Rush-Bogot Agreement). As governor, Bagot worked with Robert Baldwin and Louis Lafontaine to make steps toward responsible government. 

Bathurst, Henry, third Earl (1762-1834)
British statesman; secretary of state for war and the colonies from 1812 to 1827. He entered parliament in 1783 and succeeded to the earldom in 1794. He held a number of posts in government, and favoured the abolition of the slave trade and restrictions against Catholics in British politics. He opposed the Reform Bill of 1832, however, which gave the right to vote to many in the lower classes. He was also one of the original members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Bédard, Elzéar (1779-1849)
First Mayor of Québec from 1833 to 1834. Son of Pierre Stanislas Bédard, he was at first interested in becoming a priest but ultimately entered law instead. He helped re-launch the newspaper Le Canadien in 1831. An active supporter of the Parti Patriote, he was considered a moderate. In 1836, he was nominated as a judge of the Court of Kings Bench, but was suspended by the governor in 1838. He defended his case in Britain, was re-nominated in 1840 and continued as a judge until 1848.

Bédard, Pierre Stanislas (1762-1829)
Leader of the Parti Canadien. He trained as a lawyer and was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada in 1792. In 1806, he helped found Le Canadien, a newspaper that was highly critical of the governor and the Château Clique. In 1810, he was arrested for sedition and held without trial. After he was released, he was appointed a judge of the Court of King’s Bench and served there from 1812 until his death.

Bedford, John Russell, first Earl (1792-1878)
British statesman and liberal reformer, twice prime minister. He entered parliament in 1813; his most significant successes as a reformer were gaining equal rights for Catholics in politics and pushing through the Reform Bill of 1832, which extended the right to vote to many men in the lower classes. In 1835, he became home secretary, and from 1839 to 1841 was secretary of state for war and the colonies. He was prime minister from 1846 to 1852, and again from 1865 to 1866.

Belcher, Jonathan (1710 – 1776)
British lawyer, chief justice and politician. Nova Scotia’s lieutenant-governor from 1760 to 1763. He was responsible for repealing the unlawful expulsion of Acadians in 1762, although he frequently clashed with the mercantile class of Halifax. He rejected an act allowing a government-sponsored monopoly in Indian trade that government leaders who were also merchants might directly benefit from. His power was eventually undermined and he was forced to leave office.

Bennett, Richard Bedford, Viscount (1870-1947)
Canadian lawyer, businessman and politician, prime minister from 1930 to 1935. A successful businessman, Bennett entered federal politics in 1911. He became leader of the Conservative Party in 1927. He was elected on a platform that promised aggressive action against the Great Depression. He failed to produce anything of substance, however, until shortly before the election in 1935. In that year, he announced his own “New Deal” of social and financial support legislation modeled on the American program of the same name, but failed to convince voters he was sincere and lost the election. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council subsequently struck down his New Deal legislation. He left politics and Canada in 1938, and was created a viscount in 1941.

Berger, Thomas (1933 – )
Canadian lawyer, judge and politician who headed the Berger Commission in the mid-1970s to examine the effects that building a pipeline through the Mackenzie Valley in the North West Territories could cause on land occupied by Aboriginals. He also strongly argued in the early 1980s that Aboriginal rights should be included in the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which they were. 

Big Bear (1825 – 1888)
Aboriginal chief who lead many Cree lodges on the Prairies during the 1870s. He refused to sign Numbered Treaty Six in 1876, as he believed that the influx of European settlers was helping to wipe out the buffalo and destroy the Cree way of life.  He was forced to sign in December 1882 by the virtual extinction of the buffalo, which left his people without their main source of food. His followers were involved in the North West Rebellion in 1885, and though he strove for peace, he was forced to surrender and was found guilty of treason during a subsequent trial. He served two years in prison and died a year after his release due to illness.

Black, John (1764-after 1819)
Represented the County of Québec in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada from 1796-1800. Born in Scotland, he arrived in Quebec in 1786 and entered the shipbuilding business. From 1794 to 1795, he acted as an agent provocateur for the British authorities. He was captured by a French corsair in 1798, escaped, and returned to Britain to inform the government of French military preparations. He returned to Canada in 1896 and was elected to the Assembly. He gave up his seat for Jonathon Sewell in 1800. The date of his death is uncertain.

Blake, Edward (1833-1912)
Canadian politician and lawyer; premier of Ontario from 1871 to 1872. A successful lawyer early in life, Blake entered politics in 1867. He held seats in the Ontario legislature and the House of Commons from 1867 to 1872 (still possible at the time), at which time he retired from provincial politics. In Alexander Mackenzie’s government, he was a minister without portfolio from 1873 to 1874, minister of justice from 1875 to 1877 and president of the Privy Council from 1877 to 1878. He became leader of the Liberal Party in 1880, but lost the elections of 1882 and 1887. He retired from politics in 1891, and was the only Liberal leader who never became prime minister.

Borden, Robert (1854 – 1937)
Canadian lawyer and politician; prime minister from 1911 to 1920. As Canada’s Conservative wartime leader during World War I, he strived to attain greater Canadian independence from Britain. He imposed a controversial conscription bill in 1917 that made military service mandatory. This sharply divided English and French Canadian relations, and he joined forces with the Liberal party to create a Union government in 1917. He also imposed the Wartime Elections Act during the same year, which deprived Canadians of Germanic descent and other ethnic groups the right to vote. However, women received federal voting rights during his rule. He resigned from politics due to failing health in 1920. 

Bowell, Sir Mackenzie (1823-1917)
Canadian politician, newspaper owner and Orangeman; prime minister of Canada from 1894 to 1896. Born in England, he immigrated to Canada in 1832. He entered Parliament in 1867 and held several ministry positions before becoming a senator in 1892, which hindered his ability to lead when he was prime minister. In 1896, his Cabinet forced him to resign and from 1870 to 1878 he was Grandmaster of Orange Order of British North America. 

Brant, Joseph (1742/43? – 1807)
Mohawk statesman, Loyalist and war chief. Acted as a translator and interpreter for Sir William Johnson, and helped the Missionaries teach Christianity to the Mohawk peoples. He fought as a war chief during the American Revolution. He then worked to form a confederacy of Aboriginal nations to prevent English expansion westward south of the Great Lakes during the decade immediately following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. He failed due to various jealousies and politics within Aboriginal nations at the time, and because both the Americans and British either opposed or betrayed him. 

Brown, George (1818-1880)
Father of Confederation, newspaper owner and reformer. Born in Scotland, he moved with his family to New York in 1837 and then to Toronto in 1843. He launched the newspaper the Banner in 1843 and the Globe in 1844. Using his newspaper, he helped win responsible government in 1848 and, ten years later, he briefly formed a government with Antoine-Aimé Dorion. In 1864, he became part of the Great Coalition seeking a federal union of the British North American provinces. He was appointed as a senator in 1874, but was shot by a formed Globe employee in 1880 and died shortly after from his injuries..

Byng of Vimy, Julian Hedworth George, Viscount (1862 –1935)
British aristocrat, cavalry officer and police chief; Canadian governor general from 1921 to 1926. Byng commanded the Canadian Army Corps on the western front during World War I starting in May 1916 and directed the successful attack on Vimy Ridge in 1917.  He became the first governor general of Canada approved with consultation from the federal government. He was notoriously known for his role in the Byng-King affair of 1926. Byng’s wife, Evelyn, donated the Lady Byng Trophy to the National Hockey League in 1925 for best sportsmanlike conduct and overall excellence.


C

Calder, Frank Arthur (1915 – )
Canadian politician and businessman. The first Aboriginal member of any Canadian legislature, he was elected to the British Columbia Legislature in 1949. He also became the first Aboriginal Cabinet minister in 1972. Despite his political achievements, he courted much controversy throughout his career. He was forced out of his federal cabinet post in 1973 over his attempt to sue the B.C. government over unsettled Aboriginal land claims in that province (see the Calder Case). He was also partially in favor of the federal government’s White Paper on Aboriginal affairs in 1969, which, along with wanting to do away with the reserve system, often put him at odds with many other First Nations leaders. He became an officer of the Order of Canada in 1988.

Campbell, Kim (1947 – )
Canadian academic and politician; prime minister from June to November 1993. Before becoming Canada’s first woman prime minister, she held vital Cabinet posts, including Minister of Justice from 1991 to 1993 and Minister of National Defence in 1993. She became prime minister when Progressive Conservative leader Brian Mulroney stepped down in June 1993. Campbell bore the brunt of voter dissatisfaction over the sagging economy and unpopular Mulroney-era policies and led the party to a defeat which left the party with only two seats in October 1993.

Carleton, Guy, Lord Dorchester (1724-1808)
British military officer; governor of Quebec 1768 to 1778 and 1785 to 1795. He served under General Wolfe at the capture of Québec, he later became governor of the province after British merchants agitated for the removal of his predecessor, Sir James Murray. Like Murray, he was sympathetic to the French Canadians and supported their efforts to restore French civil law and remove barriers to Catholics serving in government posts. He defended Quebec successfully during the American Revolution, and helped to settle the Loyalists in the province of Quebec after the war, but was unsuccessful in opposing the division of Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada as provided by the Constitutional Act, 1791.

Carnarvon, Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, 4th Earl of (1831-1890)
British politician; secretary of state for the colonies from 1866 to 1867 and 1874 to 1878. He supervised the drafting of the British North America Act in 1866 and guided it through British parliament. As colonial secretary for a second time, he tried unsuccessfully to create a similar federation in South Africa. 

Cartier, Sir George-Étienne (1814-1873)
Father of Confederation and one of the most influential and important men in Canadian history; twice co-premier of the province of Canada. A political radical in Lower Canada in his early life, he fought as a rebel in 1837. He was active in politics and, by the 1850s, was the leader of the Bleus in Canada East. He formed two governments with John A. Macdonald from 1857 to 1858 and 1858 to 1862, in which he was co-premier. A strong proponent of Confederation, he ensured that French Canadians accepted the union and continued as Macdonald’s key minister after 1867. He often acted as prime minister when Macdonald was ill. 

Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, second Viscount (1769-1822)
British politician; secretary of state for war and the colonies from 1805 to 1806 and 1807 to 1809. He was also foreign secretary from 1812 to 1822, in which he oversaw the signing of the Rush-Bagot Agreement to disarm the Great lakes and Lake Champlain. He was a key figure in the Napoleonic wars and in the Congress of Vienna afterward. He became second Marquess of Londonderry in 1821, but committed suicide the next year.

Champlain, Samuel de (c.1570-1635)
French explorer, founder of Québec and first governor of New France. He travelled to North America several times between 1603 and 1608, and founded a settlement at Québec in 1608. Although this became the centre of the French fur trade, Champlain hoped to make a strong colony in New France. He was first appointed governor at Québec in 1612, and again in 1625. Québec was evacuated after its capture by British privateers. When he returned in 1633, he was again made governor and died there two years later.

Charles II (Britain) (1630-1685)
King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1660 until 1685. Civil war broke out in England in 1642 between supporters of Parliament (often called “Puritans” for their strict religious beliefs, or “Roundheads”) and supporters of the King. By 1646, he was forced to flee to France; his father remained and was executed three years later. In 1651, he returned to Scotland to raise an army and attempt to regain his throne, but was defeated. He was only able to return again in 1660 after the death of the Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell. This period, known as the “Restoration,” was characterized by liberalization. Charles became known as “The Merry Monarch.”

Charles III (Spain) (1716-1788)
King of Spain from 1759 to 1788 and king of Naples and Sicily 1735 to 1759. Charles was at first neutral in the Seven Year’s War, but became a French Ally in 1761. France and Spain lost the war two years later and, by the Treaty of Paris, 1763, Spain lost Florida though it received Louisiana from France as compensation. During the American Revolution, he supported the Americans and regained Florida and Minorca.

Chrétien, Jean (1934 – )
Canadian lawyer and politician; prime minister from 1993 to 2004. He served 27 years in Parliament in 12 different ministerial positions. He was Minister of Constitutional Relations during the early ‘80s, and was responsible for the drafting of the 1982 Constitution Act. Chrétien won three Liberal electoral mandates thanks in part to a divided opposition and despite social program cuts and government scandals. He led the federalist forces against Québec separation in the narrowly-won 1995 referendum.

Christie, William Joseph (1824 – 1899)
Canadian businessman, Justice of the Peace, chairman and Hudson’s Bay Company officer. Indian commissioner during the negotiations of Numbered Treaties Four and Six. During negotiations, many Saskatchewan-based Aboriginals resented him for having ties to the Hudson’s Bay Company as chief trader and chief factor during the 1850s and ‘60s, even though he had retired from the Company by that time. He also worked on securing further adhesions to these treaties with other Aboriginal bands, and chaired the Saskatchewan Board of Health in the 1870s, which was meant to prevent smallpox from spreading among Aboriginal bands. 

Clark, Joe (1939 – )
Canadian academic, journalist and politician; prime minister from June 1979 to March 1980. After winning Progressive Conservative party leadership in 1976, he briefly became Canada’s youngest prime minister at the age of 39. He immediately introduced a federal budget featuring social program cuts and tax increases. This was defeated in a non-confidence motion in parliament and a new federal election was called. Clark lost the election and eventually lost his party’s leadership to Brian Mulroney in 1983. However, in 1991, he became Minister of Constitutional Affairs, where he was responsible for drafting the Charlottetown Accord and gaining its approval from provincial premiers. He was party leader again from 1998 and 2003, at which time he stepped down.

Colbert, Jean-Baptiste (1619-1683)
Leading Minister of French king Louis XIV. Born a commoner, he rose to be comptroller general in 1665. In 1669, he was made secretary of state for naval affairs and made strong efforts to promote mercantilism by protecting and promoting French commerce and colonies. The king’s extravagant spending and wars forced him to raise taxation, and was unpopular by the time he died.

Colborne, Sir John, first Baron Seaton (1778-1863)
British soldier, lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada from 1829 to 1836. As governor, his favouritism of British immigrants and the controversial use of public funds ultimately contributed the Upper Canada rebellion in 1837. In 1836, he was made commander of British forces in the Canadas and defeated the 1837 and 1838 rebellions in Lower Canada.

Cornwallis, Lieutenant Colonel Edward (1712 or 13 to 1776)
British soldier and governor of Nova Scotia 1749 to 1752. He arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749 with 2,500 settlers and founded the town of Chebucto (later Halifax). His chief challenge was protecting the colony from Mi’kmaq raids and the threat of the French from Louisbourg.

Craig, Sir James Henry (1748-1812)
Captain-general and governor-in-chief of Upper and Lower Canada from 1807 to 1811. Craig greatly strengthened French Canadian nationalism with his vigorous efforts to suppress political reform that would give more power to the elected Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. He also suggested measures to assimilate French Canadians. . In 1810, he arrested the leaders of the Parti canadien and held them without trial.

Crowfoot (1830? – 1890)
Aboriginal chief, initially known for being an ally of the Canadian government and was given a prominent role in negotiating Numbered Treaty Seven on behalf of the Plains Indians in 1877. As leader of the Blackfoot people, he was respected by and maintained good relations with fur traders, and made peace with neighbouring Cree tribes. He adopted a Cree, Poundmaker, and was glad to see the North West Mounted Police into the region in 1874 and wipe out the whiskey trade. However, he became disillusioned with the federal government in 1881, when his tribe moved onto poorly maintained and poverty-stricken reserves. 


D

Dalhousie, George Ramsay, ninth Earl of (1770-1838)
Governor of Nova Scotia from 1816 to 1820, and governor-in-chief of British North America from 1820 to 1828. A soldier until the end of the battle of Waterloo, Dalhousie was an authoritarian governor and, as such, he was frequently at odds with French Canadian politicians. One of his most notable actions during his time in Nova Scotia was the founding of Dalhousie College in Halifax in 1818, which later became Dalhousie University. 

Diefenbaker, John (1895 – 1979)
Canadian lawyer and politician; prime minister from 1957 to 1963. Despite being a Progressive Conservative, his government was responsible for introducing a series of radical social reforms. His government gave Aboriginal people the right to vote for the first time, and he appointed the first Native person to the Senate.  Diefenbaker also named the first woman to Cabinet. However, high unemployment and a devalued dollar gradually eroded his popularity, and he was defeated by Lester Pearson. Robert Stanfield replaced him as party leader in 1967, but he continued to serve as an MP until his death.

Dorchester, Guy Carleton, first Baron (1724-1808)
See Carleton, Guy.

Douglas, Sir James (1803 – 1877)
Canadian fur trader and politician.  Vancouver Island’s governor between 1851 and 1863, and British Columbia’s governor from 1858 to 1864. During the 1840s, he was in charge of trade for the Hudson’s Bay Company and moved company headquarters from Fort Vancouver to Fort Victoria on Vancouver Island. He oversaw the Douglas Treaties during the early 1850s, in which the colony purchased land from the Aboriginals on Vancouver Island for settlement and industrial use. Notably, he was of mixed Scottish and West Indian descent, and was married to a Métis descendent.

Durham, John George Lambton, first Earl of (1792-1840)
British politician and diplomat; briefly governor general and high commissioner to North America in 1838. Known as “Radical Jack” for his strong liberal views, Durham was selected as governor with a mandate to investigate the 1837 rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada. He did not remain in Canada for long, resigning just four months after arriving. In his Report on the Affairs in British North America, he made a number of controversial recommendations. Chief among these was reuniting the Canadas to speed up French Canadian assimilation , and introducing representative government.


E

Elgin, James Bruce, eighth Earl of (1811-1863)
Governor general of Canada from 1847 to 1854. Elgin and Earl Grey, the colonial secretary, believed that granting responsible government to Canada was the best way to solve the political problems there. The first responsible government in British North America was formed in Nova Scotia in 1847, soon followed by Canada. He passed the Rebellion Losses Bill in 1849, despite the fact that he did not approve of it. He also negotiated the Reciprocity Treaty of 1854 with the United States.


F


G

Galt, Sir Alexander Tilloch (1817-1893)
Politician; Father of Confederation. Born in London, he emigrated to Canada in 1835. He became a prominent railway executive and entered politics as a reformer in 1849, representing Sherbrooke from 1849 to 1850, and 1853 to 1867. Galt was a key figure in Confederation from the late 1850s onward, and participated in the Québec and London conferences. He retired from Parliament in 1871, but continued to be active in politics. From 1880 to 1883, he was the first Canadian high commissioner in London, promoting investment in Canadian immigration. 

Galt, John (1779-1839)
Scottish novelist and founder of the Canada Company. Asked to help people in Upper Canada who sought compensation for losses in the War of 1812, he had the idea of promoting British settlement in Canada through a land speculation company. The company was founded in 1825, and he came to Canada in 1826. Due to difficulties with the directors of the company, he was fired in 1829 and returned to England. He was father of Sir 

George III (Britain) (1738-1820)
King of Great Britain from 1760 to 1820. George III is best remembered as the king at the time of the American Revolution and for his bouts of madness, which may have been caused by a hereditary disease. Critics blamed him for the loss of America, although he was not directly involved in the causes of the revolution. He was also accused of attempting to increase the power of the monarchy. His madness first appeared in 1788-1789, recurred in 1801 and became permanent in 1810. His son and heir, George IV, reigned as regent until his death.

Germain, George Sackville, first Viscount (1716-1785)
British secretary of state for the colonies from 1775 to 1782. An army officer in his early life, he was disgraced at the Battle of Minden in 1758. He worked hard to return to favour, and was ultimately successful in rising to the position of colonial secretary. He strongly opposed the American Revolution and believed that the British would ultimately win. A series of misunderstandings of the situation there and his quarrelsomeness, however, contributed to the loss of the war. He took the name Germain in 1770 under the terms of a will and was made a viscount when he resigned from office in 1782.

Gladstone, James (1887 – 1971)
Aboriginal and Canadian political activist and politician. He was a member of Alberta’s Blood nation who spent a great deal of his life agitating for greater participation between the Aboriginal people and the Canadian government. He also stood for the Aboriginals’ right to better education and fought for greater respect when it came to treaty rights. Gladstone was president of the Indian Association of Alberta (IAA), and led three delegations to Ottawa to discuss changes to the Indian Act. In February 1958, he became the first Aboriginal named to Canada’s Senate.

Glenelg, Charles Grant, Baron (1778-1866)
British politician; secretary of state for war and the colonies 1835 to 1839. Glenelg held a number of political posts prior to becoming colonial secretary. He was in office during the Upper and Lower Canada rebellions of 1837 and 1838, and was severely criticized for his indecisive policy. He resigned under pressure of cabinet colleagues in 1839.

Gordon, Arthur Hamilton (1829-1912)
British politician and colonial administrator, lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick from 1861 to 1866. The youngest son of George Hamilton Gordon, fourth Earl of Aberdeen (later prime minister), he served as his father’s private secretary and also held a seat in parliament for three years. In his office in New Brunswick, he promoted Maritime Union as a way to provide a stronger defence against the United States and to reduce the costs of administration. He was disappointed when Confederation replaced Maritime Union on the agenda at the Charlottetown and Québec Conferences, but supported Confederation despite this. After he left New Brunswick, he held a number of other colonial posts. 

Gosford, Archibald Acheson, second Earl of (1776-1849)
British politician; governor in chief of British North America from 1835 to 1837. A moderate with a preference for conciliation, Gosford was selected appointed governor of British North America (excepting Newfoundland) with a mandate to inquire into political problems in Lower Canada. His policy of “conciliation without concession” toward Louis Joseph Papineau and other French Canadian nationalists alienated the British inhabitants of the province without winning the French extremists. It did, however, divide the nationalist movement into moderates and extremists, which reduced support for the rebellions. He resigned on the eve of the rebellion of 1837. He later opposed the Act of Union, 1840. 

Grenville, William Wyndham Grenville, Baron (1759-1834)
British politician. Grenville had a number of ministerial posts prior to becoming secretary of the Home Department from 1789 to 1791, and in this role played a part in passing the Constitutional Act, 1791. After this, he was foreign secretary until 1801. He supported giving broader rights to Roman Catholics and as head of a coalition government passed the act abolishing the slave trade in 1807. 

Grey, Sir Edward, first Viscount (1862-1933)
British politician; secretary of foreign affairs from 1892 to 1895 and 1905 to 1916. Grey was the main figure behind the completion of the Triple Entente of France, Britain and Russia in 1907. He was criticized for conducting diplomacy in secret, and some have argued that had Germany known of Britain’s intention to go to war in defence of France, World War I might not have happened. He was made a viscount in 1916.

Grey, Henry, third Earl (1802-1894)
British politician; secretary of state for the colonies from 1846 to 1852. Grey entered politics in 1826 and served in a number of positions, including secretary at war (1835 to 1839) before becoming colonial secretary. He was a strong supported of parliamentary reform and Catholic emancipation. His nephew, Albert Henry George Grey, was governor general of Canada from 1904 to 1911.


H

Haldimand, Sir Frederick (1718-1791)
British soldier and colonial administrator; governor of Quebec from 1778 to 1786. The American revolutionary war was fought while he was in office in Quebec, and as a result much of his work was directed to keeping the political situation there stable. In addition, he sent raiding parties to the American frontier. After the war, he was responsible for settling the Loyalists. He was sympathetic with the province’s French Canadians .

Harper, Elijah (1949 – )
Aboriginal and Canadian politician. He entered Manitoba politics in 1981 and joined that province’s Cabinet in 1986 as Minister without portfolio for Native Affairs. The following year, he became Minister of Northern Affairs for the province. He is most well known, however, for stalling discussion on the Meech Lake Accord in 1990 in the Manitoba legislature, which helped to cause the accord’s failure. He opposed the accord on the grounds that it would take away power from the Aboriginals and that it perpetuated a myth that only the English and French founded Canada. 

Harvey, Sir John (1778-1852)
British soldier who fought in the War of 1812; later, he was a colonial administrator as the lieutenant-governor of Prince Edward Island from 1836 to 1841, Newfoundland from 1841 to 1846 and Nova Scotia from 1846 to 1852. As governor of Prince Edward Island, he was a conciliator between absentee landlords and the farmers, and also resolved the difficulties in the government of New Brunswick. He also negotiated a treaty over the Maine border , which prevented war, but also led to his dismissal. He was quickly appointed to a new position, however, and is known as one of the most successful governors of his time.

Head, Sir Francis Bond (1793-1875)
British soldier, author and colonial administrator; lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada from 1835 to 1839. When he took his post as governor, he selected several moderate reformers to the Executive Council. When he did not consult them, however, they resigned. After this, the relationship was increasingly hostile. In the election that followed, Head became personally involved in the campaign. The result was a victory at the polls, but also ultimate contributed to the extremism that led the 1837 rebellion. In 1836, he made moves to end the tradition of British gift giving to those Aboriginals covered in the Niagara Treaty. He also tried and failed to set up an Aboriginal colony on Manitoulin Island in present northern Ontario.

Hillsborough, Wills Hill, Earl of (1718-1793)
(first Marquess of Downshire after 1779)
British politician; secretary of state for the colonies from 1768 to 1772. Besides being colonial secretary, Hillsborough held a number of other high government offices. He was secretary of state for the American Department during the Revolution, during which he was opposed to making concessions to the colonists. As a result of the poor outcome of the war, he was highly unpopular.

Hopson, Peregrine Thomas (? – 1759)
British military officer and governor of Louisburg, Cape Breton Island and Nova Scotia. Hopson strongly believed that the British North American colonies of the 1750s could be protected against the French by building strong relationships with the Acadians and Aboriginals. He signed a short-lived peace and friendship treaty with a small band of Mi'kmaq in 1752. He was forced to leave British North America and relinquish all of his posts by 1758 due to poor health. He died the following year.

Howe, Joseph (1804-1873)
Nova Scotian newspaper owner and politician; premier from 1860 to 1863, lieutenant-governor in 1873. A reformer, Howe was frequently at odds with the governors of the day. Because of his work, however, Nova Scotia was the first colony to get responsible government in 1848. He was a strong opponent of Confederation and travelled to London to oppose it. After it was successfully passed and he realized that it could not be reversed, he accepted a position in the federal Cabinet.


I


J

Johnson, Sir William (1715? – 1774)
British superintendent of Indian Affairs circa the 1750s and 1760s. He represented the British during with the Niagara Treaty of 1764 with Aboriginals and was involved with other negotiations meant to smooth over Aboriginal and British relations around that time. He also led Aboriginals in skirmishes against the British during the Seven Years War. 


K

Kempt, Lieutenant-General Sir James (1764-1854)
British soldier and colonial administrator; lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia from 1820 to 1828 and Lower Canada from 1828 to 1830. In Lower Canada, he was able to reduce the tensions that had arisen between Louis-Joseph Papineau and Governor Dalhousie.

King, William Lyon Mackenzie (1874 – 1950)
Canadian labour consultant and politician; prime minister from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. He was Canada’s longest-serving prime minister, spending more than 21 years in the position, and was the maternal grandson of William Lyon Mackenzie, leader of the 1837 Rebellion in Upper Canada. He held many Cabinet posts in Wilfrid Laurier’s government, including Labour Minister in 1908.  He was also a social reformer, introducing old-age pensions in 1927, unemployment insurance in 1940 and family allowance in 1944. He held off on pushing a controversial conscription bill into the legislature until late 1944. This was to avoid angering voters in Québec, who were stoutly against forced military service. See also the King-Byng affair. 


L

Lafontaine, Louis-Hippolyte (1807-1864)
(also La Fontaine)
Canadian politician; prime minister of the province of Canada from 1848 to 1851. Lafontaine entered politics in Lower Canada in 1830 as a supporter of Louis-Joseph Papineau, but opposed the violence of the 1837 rebellion. He was arrested in 1838 but was quickly released and became an advocate of moderate reform. In 1848, Lord Elgin asked him to form the first responsible government in the province. His ministry passed the Rebellion Losses Bill and the Amnesty Act, 1849 to forgive the rebels of the 1837 and 1838 rebellions. He retired from politics in 1851 and was created a baronet in 1854.

Laird, David (1833 – 1914) 
Canadian editor and politician. Appointed lieutenant-governor of the North-West Territories in 1881, and Indian commissioner in Winnipeg in 1898. He was responsible for negotiating Numbered Treaties Seven and Eight in 1877 and 1899 with the Plains Indians, and was an advisor to the Department of Indian Affairs in Ottawa between 1909 and his death in 1914. He was known for his contacts with various Aboriginal chiefs and was respected by them for his tradition of honouring promises made with them. 

Langevin, Sir Hector-Louis (1826 – 1906)
Canadian journalist, lawyer and politician. Considered a Father of Confederation, as he represented Québec’s interests at the Charlottetown and Québec conferences in the 1860s. He was secretary of state and secretary of Indian affairs under Sir John A. Macdonald’s rule from 1867 to 1869. He was named Minister of Public Works in 1869, and became leader of the Québec wing of the Conservative Party in 1873. He retired from politics in 1896. 

Laurier, Sir Wilfred (1841-1919)
Canadian politician; prime minister from 1896 to 1911. Laurier began his career as a lawyer in 1864 and entered politics in 1871 in the Quebec legislature. He was later elected to Parliament in 1874, and remained there until his death. He became leader of the Liberal Party in 1887, and, in 1896, became prime minister. He was a skillful and practical prime minister, careful to seek compromise and avoid conflict. He misread public opinion, however, when he promoted reciprocity in 1911 and lost the election that year. He remained in Parliament as leader of opposition and he supported Canada’s participation in World War I, although he opposed the government imposition of conscription in 1817. This divided the Canadian government, but contributed to his popularity in Quebec.

Lawrence, Charles (1709-1760)
British soldier, lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia from 1853 to 1856, governor of Nova Scotia from 1756. Lawrence was a successful soldier involved in a number of actions against the French in North America. He is most remembered for the deportation of the Acadians in 1755. After this, he was responsible for settling the colony with British subjects.

Liverpool, Robert Banks Jenkins, second Earl of (1770-1828)
British politician; secretary of state for war and the colonies from 1809 to 1812, prime minister of Britain from 1812 to 1827. Liverpool was a conservative politician who opposed parliamentary reform and sometimes suppressed dissent with severe measures such as the suspension of habeas corpus. His actions divided the country and contributed to his own poor health.

Louis XIII (France) (1601 – 1643)
Louis XIII became King of France as a nine-year-old upon his father’s assassination. He was responsible for expanding the borders of New France by encouraging settlement westward along the St. Lawrence River from Québec City to Montreal. Louis XIII was also an absolutist who, with the help of Cardinal Richelieu, worked to strengthen the powers of the French Crown at the expense of the aristocracy.  His five-year-old son, Louis XIV, became King of France upon his death.

Louis XIV (France) (1638-1715)
King of France from 1643 to 1715. A young child when he became king, Louis XIV did not take full control of government until 1661. Louis XIV centralized the monarchy to the extent that the nobility of the country were dependant upon him. He also reformed the country’s finances through his chief minister, Jean Baptiste Colbert. This work was undermined by a succession of wars. A great patron of the arts, he was known as the Sun King for the splendour of his court.

Lytton, Edward George Earle Lytton, Bulwer-Lytton, first Baron (1803-1873)
British author and politician; secretary of state for the colonies from 1858 to 1866. Lytton was a sensitive and romantic writer who wrote many novels and political essays. His works were very popular, which helped his political career. He spoke in favour of the Reform Bill of 1832, which extended the right to vote to many men in the lower classes.


M

Macdonald, Sir Hugh John (1850-1929)
Canadian politician and son of John A. Macdonald; premier of Manitoba. Beginning his career as a lawyer, Hugh Macdonald entered politics in Manitoba in 1891. In 1896, he was briefly minister of the interior in Sir Charles Tupper’s government. In 1899, he was elected premier of Manitoba, but resigned shortly afterward to run in the federal election. He retired after he lost.

Macdonald, Sir John Alexander (1815-1891)
Father of Confederation; several times co-premier of the province of Canada, prime minister after Confederation from 1867 to 1873 and 1878 to 1891. Macdonald began his career as a lawyer and entered politics as an alderman in Kingston in 1843. He rose quickly, and, by 1856, was co-premier of the province of Canada. In 1864, he joined the Great Coalition, which was to seek a federal union of the British North American provinces. In 1867, Confederation was enacted and he became Canada’s first prime minister. His administration fell as a result of the Pacific Scandal, but he returned to power five years later and remained prime minister until his death. Macdonald was a shrewd politician, constructing policies as suited the times and using patronage liberally to reward and gain allies, but he was also deeply committed to the unity and prosperity of Canada.

McDougall, William (1822 –1905)
Canadian politician and Minister of Public Works. Named first lieutenant-governor of Manitoba in 1869; however, a group of Métis physically blocked his arrival, preventing him from ever entering the province. Sir Adams George Archibald would take his place the following year. The Métis severely distrusted McDougall’s because, upon being named Minister of Public Works in 1867, he introduced resolutions in Parliament that led to the buying of Rupert’s Land – including the Red River Settlement – in 1868. 

McKee, Thomas (1770? – 1814)
Canadian army and militia officer, Indian Department official and politician who may have been three-quarters Shawnee. Became Superintendent of Indian Affairs in 1797. Throughout the 1790s, he encouraged and even sometimes participated in Aboriginal attacks on American forts. Later, he was responsible for negotiating the surrender of Aboriginal land for the Crown. By 1805 or 1806, he had joined the British militia, and eventually rose to the rank of major – a rank he held through the War of 1812. While he was often congratulated early during this war for his efforts, his problems with alcohol helped to eventually brand him as incompetent. He was removed from the field, and died in 1814 en route to Montreal.

Mackenzie, Alexander (1822-1892)
Canadian politician and newspaper editor; prime minister from 1873 to 1878. Born in Scotland, Mackenzie immigrated to Canada in 1842. He worked for a time as a stonemason and building contractor, and became an editor of a Reform newspaper in the 1850s. He entered politics in 1861 as a member of the Legislative Assembly of the province of Canada. He became prime minister after the Pacific Scandal brought down the Conservative government led by Sir John A. Macdonald. His failure to win a second term has been blamed by some on his lack of imagination and leadership in the House of Commons, although he did create the Supreme Court and office of the Auditor General.

Mackenzie, William Lyon (1795-1861)
Canadian newspaper owner and politician; leader of the Upper Canada rebellion in 1837. Mackenzie was born in Scotland and came to Canada in 1820. In 1824, he founded the newspaper the Colonial Advocate, which he used to criticize the Family Compact. He was first elected to the House of Assembly in 1828, but lost his seat in 1836 during an election in which Lieutenant-Governor Sir Francis Bond Head actively campaigned. This convinced Mackenzie that armed revolt might be the only remaining course of action. The rebellion of 1837 was quickly crushed, however, and he was forced into exile in the United States until he was pardoned in 1849. 

Mansfield, William Murray, first Earl of (1705-1793)
British politician and jurist. Mansfield entered law in 1730 and, by 1742, was solicitor general. In 1754, he was appointed attorney general, and, in 1756, became chief justice of the King’s Bench. He is regarded as one of the most able chief justices to have held the office and had a major influence on case law. His 1774 judgment ruled that the Royal Proclamation, 1763, was effectively the constitution of the province of Quebec. 

Marriott, James (1730-1803)
British jurist, politician and author; advocate general of England. Marriott began his career as the protégé, agent and pamphleteer of the Duke of Newcastle. He was appointed the King’s Advocate in 1764 and served as such until he was knighted in 1768. He served twice in British Parliament (from 1781 to 1784 and 1796 to 1802), during which he supported the war against the American colonists.

Masère, Francis (1731-1824)
British lawyer and office holder; attorney general of Quebec from1766 to 1769. Born in London, he was called to the bar in 1758. He was opposed to calling an elected assembly in Quebec and was drawn into controversies on the side of British merchants over various issues. His 1768 report on possible solutions to the debate over common and civil law in Quebec and his anti-Catholic prejudices made him an unpopular man. He returned to England in 1869, but continued to write about Quebec.

Meighen, Arthur (1874 – 1960)
Canadian investment broker, teacher and politician, prime minister from 1920 to 1921 and June to September 1926. He served in Robert Borden’s Cabinet and became prime minister following Borden’s retirement in 1920. However, his support for unpopular policies such as high tariffs and military conscription during World War I, plus his disdain for worker’s strikes, hed to his defeat the following year to William Lyon Mackenzie King. He returned to power for a scant three months in 1926 during the King-Byng affair. He resigned from parliament in 1927, though he would become a member of the Senate in 1932.  He would return briefly as Conservative party leader from 1941 to 1942. 

Metcalfe, Charles Theophilus, first Baron (1785-1846)
British colonial administrator; governor general of the province of Canada from 1843 to 1845. After serving in a number of other colonial posts, Metcalfe arrived in Canada in 1843 with instructions to make no move toward responsible government. This provoked the resignation of the ministry of the day, which was headed by Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine. The elections that followed produced a conservative administration, which he worked with until he left office due to illness.

Milnes, Sir Robert Shore (1754-1837)
British soldier and colonial administrator; lieutenant-governor of Lower Canada from 1799 to 1808. He served briefly as governor of Martinique in 1795. He left Lower Canada due to ill health in 1805, but remained lieutenant-governor until 1808. He was created a Baronet of the United Kingdom in 1801. 

Montcalm, Louis-Joseph de, Marquis de Montcalm (1712 – 1759)
General James Wolfe’s adversary during battle on the Plains of Abraham in September 1759. Like his English counterpart, Montcalm was born into the aristocracy and joined the military at a young age. Also like Wolfe, he died during this battle. He was often bitterly at odds with Pierre Vaudreuil, the governor general of New France, as Vaudreuil was born in the colony and was not part of the French aristocracy. This contributed to leadership rifts when Montcalm was promoted to lieutenant-general in October 1758.

Morris, Alexander (1826 – 1889)
Canadian politician and law clerk. Appointed Manitoba’s chief justice in 1872, he was the province’s lieutenant-governor from 1873 to 1877. Also was lieutenant-governor of the North-West Territories from 1872 to 1876. He presided over the negotiations of Numbered Treaties Three to Six, and in 1880 wrote a book about the treaties in general. Notably, he failed to secure any land for the Métis on the Prairies, which contributed to the unrest behind the Northwest Rebellion in 1885.

Mulroney, Brian (1939 – )
Canadian lawyer and politician; prime minister from 1984 to 1993. His Progressive Conservative government won two electoral mandates despite having unpopular economic policies.  With fairly weak opposition, he introduced Canadians to the much-maligned Goods and Services Tax (GST), the 1988 Free Trade Agreement with the United States (FTA) and its follow-up, the 1992 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). He was also the main force behind the failed Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords in 1987 and 1992. He stepped down as prime minister and retired from politics in 1993.

Murray, Sir George (1772-1846)
British soldier and politician, secretary of state for the colonies from 1828 to 1830. After a long and distinguished career in the army (serving during the Napoleonic wars), Murray was appointed as lieutenant general of Upper Canada. He arrived in 1814, but left soon afterward to rejoin the army, which was about to fight the battle of Waterloo. He did not arrive in time to fight, however, and, by 1823, he had entered politics. In 1828, he was appointed colonial secretary and supported the reform bill that extended the right to vote to many lower class men. He had mixed success in Parliament, losing his seat several times, but was in public office until six months before his death.

Murray, James (1721 or 1722-1794)
British soldier and colonial administrator; governor of the province of Quebec 1864 to 1866. Murray served under Wolfe at the capture of Quebec in 1759 and occupied the city as military governor until the conclusion of the Seven Year’s War in 1763. In 1764 he was appointed the first civil governor of the province of Quebec. In this post he favoured the French Canadian inhabitants over newly arrived British merchants. The merchants petitioned for his removal, which led to his recall. He was vindicated but did not return to Quebec. His recommendations to retain French civil law in the province and to open government positions to Catholics were adopted in the Quebec Act, 1774.


N

Neilson, John (1776-1848)
Québec newspaper owner and politician. Born in Scotland, Neilson came to Canada in 1791 and soon became owner of the bilingual newspaper La Gazette de Québec/The Québec Gazette. He was in the House of Assembly from 1818 to 1833 and 1841 to 1844. He was a strong supporter of French Canadian rights, and campaigned against several efforts to join Upper and Lower Canada in a union. His views were not as radical as those of Louis-Joseph Papineau, however, and he did not participate in the 1837 and 1838 Lower Canada rebellions. He was in the Legislative Council from 1844 until his death.


O


P

Papineau, Louis-Joseph (1786-1871)
Quebec seigneur and politician; leader of 1837 and 1838 Lower Canada rebellions. Papineau entered politics in 1809 and was at first a moderate seeking to change the power structure of the day, which was dominated by the friends and allies of the governor (the Château Clique). Gradually his views became more radical, and, by the late 1820s, he was using tactics of boycott and obstruction in the House of Assembly to try to force change. The Assembly put forward the Ninety-Two Resolutions of 1834, calling for sweeping changes in government. British authorities rejected these resolutions, which set the stage for the 1837 and 1838 rebellions. Papineau was a key figure in these rebellions, and when they were crushed he was forced into exile. He returned under an amnesty in 1844 and reentered politics in 1848. After this, however, his influence was much reduced, although he did help to found the Parti rouge. His views were often contradictory and sometimes self-serving, supporting for example the seigneurial system while claiming to be a liberal and a republican, but he is still seen as one of the leading figures of Quebec history.

Pearson, Lester (1897 – 1972)
Canadian academic, diplomat and politician; prime minister from 1963 to 1968. In 1952, he was named president of the UN’s general assembly, and introduced the concept of peacekeepers – comprised mostly of Canadian troops – into the 1956 Suez Canal crisis. His work on this front earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. His conciliatory style of governing as prime minister in the mid-‘60s contributed to a government constantly embroiled in scandals and budget fiascos. However, his Liberal government’s legacy included universal health care, a new Canadian flag, the Canadian Pension Plan (CPP), and a new immigration act. He retired from politics in 1968. 

Pontiac (1720? – 1769)
Aboriginal chief of the Ottawa nation who led an indigenous uprising against the British at Fort Detroit in 1763. He also lead an alliance of First Nations that killed or took captive 46 solders at Point Pelée in current day southwestern Ontario. In 1765, he signed a peace treaty with the British on the understanding that the treaty would not take further land in Indian Territory. Some Aboriginals then turned against him, and forced him into a life of exile until his assassination at the hands of another Native. 

Philipps, Richard (1661-1750)
British soldier and colonial administrator, governor of Nova Scotia (including Acadia) from 1717 to 1749. In 1729 to 1730, Philipps allowed the Acadians to take a modified oath in which they did not have to pledge loyalty but simply neutrality. He spent little time in Nova Scotia.

Portland, William Cavendish Bentinck, third Duke of, (1738-1809)
British politician; home secretary from 1794 to 1801, prime minister in 1783 and from 1807 to 1809. During the Napoleonic wars, he was responsible for the suspension of habeas corpus and other measures designed to calm the nervous British public. Portland’s second term as prime minister was marred by difficulties between ministers in his cabinet. He suffered an apoplectic seizure in 1809 and died soon afterward.

Poundmaker (1842? – 1886) 
Aboriginal chief. As a leader of the Cree people on the Prairies, he resisted signing Numbered Treaty Six in 1876, though he eventually accepted its conditions. During the 1885 North West Rebellion, his followers ransacked the village of Battleford in present day Saskatchewan. Even though Poundmaker personally did not fight, he was found guilty of treason at a subsequent trial. He sentenced to three years in jail, but only served one year. He suffered from serious illness during this time and died within a few weeks of winning his freedom. 


Q


R

Richelieu, Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal (1585-1642)
French cleric and politician; prime minister from 1624 until his death. Richelieu entered the seminary in 1602 and in 1606 was ordained a priest and appointed bishop of Luçon. During the next 18 years, he manoeuvred his rise to Cardinal and chief minister of Louis XIII. As chief minister, he destroyed the power of the Huguenots, the Protestant minority in France, reformed the army and navy, and worked to make France the most powerful nation in Europe. As a believer in mercantilism, this included advancing French interests overseas by promoting the growth of colonies such as New France. He also advanced royal absolutism, which ultimately centralized power in the hands of Louis XIV. The cost of his wars, however, made him unpopular.

Riel, Louis (1844-1885)
Leader of the Métis, founder of Manitoba, politician. Educated for the priesthood and for law, Riel rose to prominence in 1869 when the Canadian government was moving to annex the Northwest (previously called Rupert’s Land). 1869 Riel was chosen as leader of the Métis resistance, which ultimately led to the creation of the province of Manitoba in 1870. He was forced into exile fro a number of years, and although he was twice elected to Parliament, was expelled from the House of Commons thanks to a motion introduced by Orange leader Mackenzie Bowell. He was granted an amnesty in 1875 on the condition he leave Canada for five years, but spent time in  a Quebec asylum for several months soon afterward. In 1878, he moved to the United States and became a teacher in 1883. , Two years later, Métis living in what is now Saskatchewan asked him to represent them in their land claims with the federal government. He returned to the West and violence soon broke out. This time, the government suppressed the rebellion forcefully. Riel was tied for treason, found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging, despite concerns about his sanity. This judgment divided the nation along religious and cultural lines, and continues to be controversial to this day.

Ripon, George Frederick Samuel Robinson, second Marquis of (1827-1909)
British politician and colonial administrator. A lifelong supporter of liberalism and known for charitable works, Ripon held many posts during his career. Among his most prominent posts was his appointment as governor general and viceroy of India from 1880 to 1884, during which he introduced many reforms popular with Indians. He was secretary of state for war from 1859 to 1861 and 1863 to 1866, and secretary of state for the colonies from 1892 to 1895.

Robinson, William Benjamin (1797 – 1873)
Canadian politician. Sat in the merged Upper and Lower Canadian legislature from 1841 to 1857, and was responsible for a variety of Aboriginal treaties negotiated with the Canadian colonial government, beginning in 1843. However, he is probably most known for his treaties in the 1850s and 1860s concerning lands on Lake Huron and Lake Superior. He helped the government obtain this land so mining companies could come into the region and begin mineral extraction peacefully without any fear of armed conflict or retaliation from the Aboriginals – which had happened in 1848 with an incident involving the Québec Mining Company.  

Ross, John (1818-1871)
Canadian lawyer and politician. Ross served in a number of posts under Robert Baldwin, George-Étienne Cartier and John A. Macdonald. Ross was a supporter of reform, and, after responsible government was won, joined Cartier and Alexander Tilloch Galt to London to lobby for a federal union of the British North American provinces. He became a senator in 1867.

Russell, John Russell, first Earl (1792-1878)
British politician; twice prime minister from 1846 to 1852 and 1865 to 1866. Russell entered politics in 1826 and served in a number of ministerial posts before and after becoming prime minister. He was colonial secretary from 1839 to 1841, coinciding with the Act of Union, 1840, and briefly in 1855. During his first term as prime minister, he approved the granting of responsible government in British North America. He was known as a liberal and a strong supporter of reform to extend the vote to more men of the British lower classes.


S

St-Laurent, Louis (1882 – 1973)
Canadian lawyer and politician; prime minister from 1948 to 1957. He oversaw the entry of Newfoundland into Confederation in 1949, and improved old-age pensions and extended health insurance. He played a decisive role in contributing Canadian forces to the United Nations mission during the Korean War (1950 to 1953) and the Suez Canal crisis in 1956. While Canada enjoyed a period of immense prosperity under his leadership, St-Laurent was discredited in 1956 when his party tried to pass legislation forcing the construction of a natural gas pipeline from Alberta to central Canada. American businessmen were to be involved in building the pipeline, and opposition critics charged that St-Laurent had caved in to U.S. interests.  

Selkirk, Thomas Douglas, Fifth Earl of Selkirk (1771 – 1820)
British aristocrat and colonizer. Selkirk purchased land in what is now lower Manitoba (then dubbed Assiniboia) in 1811, and created the agriculturally-based Red River Colony the following year. The colony only lasted until 1815 due to conflicts with local Métis and the North West Company. The creation of Selkirk’s colony would have repercussions into 1860s and ‘70s, when the land eventually reverted back to the Canadian government, not the Métis, which contributed to the unrest behind the Northwest Rebellion in 1885.

Sewell, Jonathan (1766-1839)
Lower Canadian jurist and politician; chief justice of Lower Canada from 1808 to 1838. The son of a Loyalist, Sewell opposed the views of the Parti patriote. He favoured the policies of assimilation in the province, including, among other things, Anglicization of the education system and eliminating the French civil code. 

Simcoe, John Graves (1752-1806)
British soldier and colonial administrator; first lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada from 1791 to 1796. Simcoe came to North America as part of the British forces fighting the American revolutionary army. He was wounded and returned home, but, in 1791, was returned to Canada. His chief responsibility was settling the Loyalist refugees. In 1793, he founded York, later to become Toronto.

Sydenham, Thomson, Charles Edward Poulett, Baron (1799-1841)
British politician and colonial administrator; governor general of British North America from 1839 to 1841. He was a colonial reformer and favoured liberalized but permanent imperial ties for the colonies. Appointed in the wake of the 1837 and 1838 rebellions and Lord Durham’s Report on the Affairs in British North America, he executed the union of the Canadas in 1840. Although he did not implement responsible government, he tried to compose an Executive Council of sitting members of the elected Assembly.

Sydney, Thomas Townshend, first Baron Sydney, first Viscount Sydney (1733-1800)
British politician. Sydney served in ministerial posts between 1782 and 1789, notably as secretary of state for war and secretary of state for the home office. He opposed the American war.

Shelburne, William Petty Fitzmaurice, second Earl of (1737-1805)
British politician, prime minister from 1782 to 1783. Shelburne held a number of posts before becoming prime minister, notably secretary of state for the home office from 1782 to 1783. Always opposed to the American revolutionary war, he concluded the Treaty of Paris, 1783, granting America independence. He was a reformer and a liberal, yet also one of the most unpopular politicians of his day.


T

Talon, Jean (1625 or 1626-1694)
French colonial administrator, intendant of New France from 1665 to 1668 and 1669 to 1672. Talon began his career in military administration and was soon recognized as intelligent and talented. His chief responsibility in New France was to establish a stable administration, system of justice and economy. He was granted sweeping powers that made him more influential than his nominal superiors, the bishop and the governor. Under his administration, the province consolidated and grew.

Tecumseh (1768? – 1813)
Shawnee war chief. Like Joseph Brant, he tried and failed to forge alliances with Aboriginal nations in order to protect against U.S. encroachment into Indian Territory. He was present at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, one of the battles that led to the Jay Treaty. He allied himself with the British during the War of 1812, but was killed during the battle of Moraviantown in October 1813 after the British retreated. His death put a virtual end to Aboriginal resistance to the Americans south of the Great Lakes. 

Thompson, John (1845 – 1894)
Canadian politician; Canadian prime minister from 1892 to 1894. He was asked to become a member of John A. Macdonald’s Cabinet in 1885 and spent most of his time as Justice Minister. There, he represented Canada in negotiations with the U.S. and Britain over fishing rights and copyright issues. He was also responsible for overhauling the Criminal Code during John Abbott’s tenure during the early 1890’s. As prime minister, Thompson oversaw the Bering Sea sealing dispute with the U.S. and setting the North West Territories schooling issue. He died suddenly of a heart attack in England, and is the only prime minister to have died in office.

Trudeau, Pierre Elliot (1919-2000)
Canadian politician and writer; prime minister from 1968 to 1979 and 1980 to 1984. A sharp critic of Quebec nationalism, he entered federal politics in 1965 and became minister of justice in 1967. In that post, he made a number of changes to liberalize laws on abortion, homosexuality and public lotteries. He was elected the following year during a surge in his popularity that was called “Trudeaumania.” He was prime minister during the October Crisis, the Quebec referendum on sovereignty-association in 1980, and the patriation of the Constitution in 1982. After retirement in 1984, he intervened on several occasions to help defeat efforts to amend the Constitution.

Tupper, Charles (1821 – 1915)
Canadian diplomat and politician; prime minister from May to August 1896. He is Canada’s shortest serving prime minister with only two months and a week in the position. He was appointed party leader by the Governor General, and automatically became prime minister after Mackenzie Bowell was forced to resign in April 1896. However, he had to call an election because the ruling Conservative party’s five-year term was finished. The public voted against him after years of Tory rule and scandal. Prior to this, he had held many Cabinet positions, and, in 1885, was named Canadian High Commissioner to Britain. He resigned as party leader in 1901.

Turner, John (1929 –  )
Canadian businessman, lawyer and politician; prime minister from June to September 1984. From 1965 to 1975, he held major portfolios in Lester Pearson’s and Pierre Trudeau’s governments, and won the Liberal party leadership when Trudeau retired in 1984. He automatically became Prime Minister and immediately called a general election, but voters turned against him upon finding out that he and Trudeau had made a series of last-minute patronage appointments. He lost to the Progressive Conservatives and lobbied unsuccessfully against that party’s free trade agenda while acting as opposition leader.  He retired from politics in 1990.


U


V

Vaudreuil, Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil de Cavagnial, Marquis de (1698-1778)
French soldier; last governor general of New France from 1755 to 1760. Born at Québec, he chose colonial service. He rose to governor of Trois-Rivières by 1733, serving there until 1742, then assuming the governorship in Louisiana from 1742 to 1753. During the Seven Years War, he had significant differences of opinion on the conduct of the war with General Montcalm, which had a negative affect on French military efforts. After French forces failed to recapture Québec in 1760, he was forced to surrender Montreal later that year.

Queen Victoria (1819 – 1901)
British monarch. Queen Victoria ascended to the throne while barely 18 in 1837, and stayed until her death 63 years later – the longest reign in British history. Her reign coincided with a long period of imperialism and expansionism in the British North American colonies. She was a highly secluded Queen following the death of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861, yet remains one of the most celebrated and visible rulers in Canadian history. 


W

Wedderburn, Alexander, first Earl of Rosslyn (1733-1805)
British politician and jurist. Born in Scotland, Wedderburn moved to England in 1757. He rose to be Lord Chief-Justice of the Common Pleas, and later, Lord Chancellor, under the title of Lord Loughborough, Earl of Rosslyn. 

Wolfe, James (1727 or 1728-1759)
British army officer, commander of the British forces at the defeat of Québec in 1759. Born to a military family, he joined the army at 14. He was popular, but had an explosive temper, which put him at odds with his fellow officers.


X


Y


Z


Biographies page 28 of 28