Fathers of Confederation

ARTICLE CONTENTS:  |  Suggested Reading  |  Links to Other Sites
No one has adequately defined a Father of CONFEDERATION. Some definitions include the delegates from the RED RIVER COLONY who created Manitoba in 1870, and those who came to Ottawa to bring in NEWFOUNDLAND in 1949. The conventional meaning includes all who represented colonies of BRITISH NORTH AMERICA at the CHARLOTTETOWN CONFERENCE and the QUÉBEC CONFERENCE (1864), or the LONDON CONFERENCE (1866-67). Today, the term has expanded to include those individuals instrumental in bringing Canada's newest territory, NUNAVUT, into Confederation in 1999.

Those who participated in the original conferences in the 1860s were:

Charlottetown Conference

Province of Canada delegates were: George BROWN, Alexander CAMPBELL, George-Étienne CARTIER, Alexander GALT, Hector LANGEVIN, John A. MACDONALD, William MCDOUGALL, Thomas D'Arcy McGee; NB: E.B. CHANDLER, J.H. GRAY, J.M. Johnson, W.H. Steeves, Samuel L. TILLEY; NS: Adams G. ARCHIBALD, R.B. Dickey, W.A. HENRY, Jonathan McCully, Charles TUPPER; PEI: George COLES, A.A. Macdonald, Edward PALMER, W.H. POPE, A.H. Hamilton.

Québec Conference

Those named above were joined by, for Canada, J.C. CHAPAIS, James COCKBURN, Oliver MOWAT, Sir Étienne P. TACHÉ; for NB, Charles FISHER, Peter MITCHELL; for PEI, T.H. Haviland, Edward WHELAN; and for Nfld, F.B.T. CARTER, Ambrose Shea.

London Conference

Some of the above did not attend, and there were 3 new delegates: for Canada, W.P. Howland; for NS, J.W. Ritchie; and for NB, R.D. Wilmot.

Fathers of Confederation
George Brown, newspaperman and politician
George Brown, newspaperman and politician
George Brown's reformers described themselves as "no dirt, clear grit all the way through" (Courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-26415).

Author P.B. WAITE


Suggested Reading
P.B. Waite, The Life and Times of Confederation, 1864-1867 (1962); G.P. Browne, ed, Documents on the Confederation of British North America (1969); Coucill, I. Canada's Prime Ministers, Governors General and Fathers of Confederation (1999); Peacock, S, Unusual Heroes: Canada's Prime Ministers and Fathers of Confederation (2003).


Links to Other Sites
Canadian Illustrated News
Articles and pictures from the "Canadian Illustrated News", a periodical published in Montreal from 1869 to 1883. Interesting insights into Canadian life and politics. From Library and Archives Canada.

Celebrating Dominion Day 1867-1917
Browse the "Images Canada" collection for historical photos of Canadians celebrating "Dominion Day."

Keys to History
Search this "Keys to History" website for fascinating online exhibits about notable people, places, and events in Canadian history. From Montréal's McCord Museum.

Youth's Corner
Play these interactive games and puzzles to show what you know about being Canadian and Canadian heritage. From Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Ardgowan National Historic Site
The Ardgowan National Historic Site in Prince Edward Island was once the home of William Henry Pope, one of the Fathers of Confederation. A Parks Canada website.

Bellevue House National Historic Site
This Parks Canada site in Kingston, Ontario is the former home of Sir John A. Macdonald, Prime Minister of Canada (1867-73, 1878-91). Check out the detailed overview of the life and political career of Sir John A. Macdonald.

Fathers of Confederation
Biographies of the Fathers of Confederation are part of the "Canadian Confederation" website from Library and Archives Canada. Includes historical photographs and other archival resources.

Sir John A. Macdonald
A biography of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister and one of the Fathers of Confederation. Includes photographs and other archival resources. Part of the “Canadian Confederation” website from Library and Archives Canada.

Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site of Canada
Learn about the life and political career of Sir George-Étienne Cartier, one of the Fathers of Confederation. Also features learning activities for students and their teachers. A Parks Canada website.

Founders’ Hall
Created by the Capital Commission of Prince Edward Island, Founders’ Hall tells the story of Canada from the meetings of 1864 in Charlottetown to present day. Their website is a great information source about the prinicipal players and issues related to Canadian Confederation.

Sir John A. Macdonald
This site is devoted to the life and political career of Sir John A. Macdonald. Features a splendid virtual exhibition of digitized documents, pictures, and other unique records from Library and Archives Canada.

Facebook: Canada's History Magazine
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