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John Sandfield Macdonald, (December 12, 1812 – June 1, 1872) was the joint premier of the
Province of Canada The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British North America, British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham ...
from 1862 to 1864. He was also the first
premier of Ontario The premier of Ontario (french: premier ministre de l'Ontario) is the head of government of Ontario. Under the Westminster system, the premier governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Legislative Assembly of On ...
from 1867 to 1871, one of the four founding provinces created at
Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
in 1867. He served as both premier and attorney general of Ontario from July 16, 1867, to December 20, 1871. He was referred to by his middle name, Sandfield, and often signed his correspondence and documents as ''J. Sandfield Macdonald''.


Early life and legal career

Born in 1812 in Glengarry County, Upper Canada, John Sandfield was the first of five children for Alexander and Nancy Macdonald, who were Roman Catholic Highland Scots. His mother died when he was eight. Independent in mind, Macdonald twice tried to set out from home when he was eleven. Leaving school at 16, he became a clerk at several general stores, before deciding to enter the legal profession, eventually articling under Archibald McLean. When McLean was later elevated to the Court of King's Bench for Upper Canada, Macdonald became his assistant, which allowed him to meet Allan MacNab, Thomas Talbot and William Henry Draper (with whom he would resume his articling). Draper and McLean were leaders in the
Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...
political group. Macdonald was later appointed as Queen's messenger, charged with carrying dispatches between the
Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada The following is a list of lieutenant governors of Ontario and the lieutenant governors of the former colony of Upper Canada. The office of Lieutenant Governor of Ontario was created in 1867, when the Province of Ontario was created upon Confed ...
and the British Minister in Washington. In 1840, while he was on one of his missions from the Lieutenant-Governor (the
Earl of Durham Earl of Durham is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1833 for the Whig politician and colonial official John Lambton, 1st Baron Durham. Known as "Radical Jack", he played a leading role in the passing of the Gre ...
) to the British Minister at Washington he met Marie Christine Waggaman, daughter of
George Augustus Waggaman George Augustus Waggaman (1782March 31, 1843) was a United States Senator from Louisiana. Born in Caroline County, Maryland, he completed preparatory studies under private tutors, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in Caroline County in 1811 ...
, a former Whig senator from
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
. They were married in 1840 and raised three children.


Province of Canada politics

In 1841, Macdonald was approached by two local conservative political figures, Alexander Fraser and John McGillivray, to stand for election for the Glengarry riding in the new Legislative Assembly of the
Province of Canada The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British North America, British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham ...
. With their support, he easily won election and entered Parliament, ostensibly in support of Draper. However, Macdonald at this point did not have firm political views, and once in Parliament, he gradually shifted towards the Reform group and away from Draper. In the first session of the Parliament, he supported the union of the Province of Canada and the government of
Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
, Lord Sydenham, but for the rest of the first Parliament, he consistently voted in support of
Robert Baldwin Robert Baldwin (May 12, 1804 – December 9, 1858) was an Upper Canada, Upper Canadian lawyer and politician who with his political partner Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine of Lower Canada, led the first responsible government ministry in the Province ...
, the leader of the Reformers of Canada West. A Reformer and advocate of
responsible government Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments (the equivalent of the executive bran ...
, Macdonald served in all eight Assemblies of the
Province of Canada The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British North America, British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham ...
prior to Confederation. He also served in several pre-confederation administrations, including a period as co-premier of the Province of Canada from 1862 to 1864. It was this time when Macdonald suffered a
collapsed lung A pneumothorax is an abnormal collection of air in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp, one-sided chest pain and shortness of breath. In a minority of cases, a one-way valve ...
from chronic
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
. Macdonald was initially an opponent of
confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
, but came to accept it and became an ally of Sir
John A. Macdonald Sir John Alexander Macdonald (January 10 or 11, 1815 – June 6, 1891) was the first prime minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, he had a political career that sp ...
(no relation). John A. Macdonald helped manoeuvre Sandfield Macdonald into the position of first Premier of Ontario.


Premier and Attorney-General of Ontario

Macdonald was elected for the provincial riding of Cornwall in the first general election of 1867 for the new province of Ontario. He was re-elected in the election of 1871. In addition to serving as Premier, he also occupied the post of Attorney General of Ontario.Legislative Assembly of Ontario: John Sandfield Macdonald.
/ref> Macdonald instituted several notable achievements, in addition to setting up the initial machinery of government for the new Province: :* An Act modelled on the US
Homestead Acts The Homestead Acts were several laws in the United States by which an applicant could acquire ownership of government land or the public domain, typically called a homestead. In all, more than of public land, or nearly 10 percent of th ...
provided for virtually free land for homesteaders on surveyed
crown land Crown land (sometimes spelled crownland), also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. ...
s of Muskoka, Haliburton and north
Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...
, and further Acts encouraged the northern extension of railways into those areas. :* The District of Muskoka was created to aid in the colonization effort, from townships withdrawn from
Simcoe County Simcoe County is located in the central portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. The county is just north of the Greater Toronto Area, stretching from the shores of Lake Simcoe in the east to Georgian Bay in the west. Simcoe County forms part of the ...
,
Victoria County Victoria County is the name of several locations: In Australia: *Victoria County, Western Australia * County of Victoria, South Australia In Canada: * Victoria County, New Brunswick * Municipality of the County of Victoria and the eponymous histo ...
and the District of Nipissing. :* Education aid was concentrated into the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...
, at the expense of the denominational colleges. :* The election laws were reformed in 1868 to establish a single date for elections to be held (as opposed to a range of dates), and to broaden the franchise. His government was moderate and initially a coalition of liberals and
conservatives Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
(described in contemporary accounts as a "Patent Combination" government), but suffered from defections by more radical Reformers. This group joined with the
Clear Grits Clear Grits were reformers in the Canada West district of the Province of United Canada, a British colony that is now the Province of Ontario, Canada. Their name is said to have been given by David Christie, who said that only those were wanted ...
to form the opposition
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...
led by
Edward Blake Dominick Edward Blake (October 13, 1833 – March 1, 1912), known as Edward Blake, was the second premier of Ontario, from 1871 to 1872 and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 1880 to 1887. He is one of only three federal permanent Li ...
and
Oliver Mowat Sir Oliver Mowat (July 22, 1820 – April 19, 1903) was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and Ontario Liberal Party leader. He served for nearly 24 years as the third premier of Ontario. He was the eighth lieutenant governor of Ontario and one of ...
. In December 1871, Macdonald's government was defeated by Edward Blake's Liberals. Macdonald resigned, and died several months later. In the early years of confederation, politicians were allowed to serve simultaneously in the House of Commons and in a provincial legislature. From 1867 to 1872, Macdonald was also a
Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
MP in the
House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The House of Common ...
.


Family

Macdonald's brothers,
Donald Alexander Macdonald Donald Alexander Macdonald (February 17, 1817 – June 10, 1896) was a Canadian politician. Born in 1817 in St. Raphael's, Upper Canada, Donald Alexander Macdonald studied at St Raphael's College under the first Catholic Bishop of Ontar ...
and
Alexander Francis Macdonald Alexander Francis Macdonald (1818 – April 12, 1913) was a politician and railway contractor. The son of Alexander Macdonald, he was educated in Cornwall, Ontario, Cornwall and at St Raphael's College. He settled in Cornwall. Macdonald was p ...
, were also politicians, and served as federal Members of Parliament. Donald, who served as an MP the longest of the three brothers, was in the House of Commons concurrently with both Sandfield and Alexander, although Sandfield and Alexander did not serve concurrently with each other.


Legacy

Sandfield Macdonald would be the last
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
Premier of Ontario for 132 years; not until
Dalton McGuinty Dalton James Patrick McGuinty Jr. (born July 19, 1955) is a former Canadian politician who served as the 24th premier of Ontario from 2003 to 2013. He was the first Liberal leader to win two majority governments since Mitchell Hepburn nea ...
became premier in 2003 would another Roman Catholic assume the office. After Macdonald's tenure,
sectarian Sectarianism is a political or cultural conflict between two groups which are often related to the form of government which they live under. Prejudice, discrimination, or hatred can arise in these conflicts, depending on the political status quo ...
tensions in the province rose, and the Conservative Party increasingly became identified with the
Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It also ...
and sectarian Protestantism. Even though most of the party's leaders were not sectarian themselves (with a few notable exceptions), Orange Ontarians became a core constituency of the party that leaders were loath to neglect. Catholics, meanwhile, increasingly voted for the Liberal Party. While the Liberals could never be called a Catholic party, the Catholic vote became as important a constituency to the Liberals as the Orange vote became to the Conservatives. Nineteenth century religious tensions aside, Macdonald's election as Ontario's first Premier makes his Catholicity an important historic symbol. Similarly the election of John Thompson, Canada's first Roman Catholic Prime Minister only twenty five years after Confederation, was indicative of the ambitions of Roman Catholics to be full and equal participants in the newly created country. Macdonald is buried in historic St. Andrews Cemetery in St. Andrews West,
South Stormont South Stormont is a township in eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. It is located southeast of Ottawa. South Stormont borders on, but does not include, the city of Cornwall. Communities The towns ...
, Ontario. The gravesite is marked by a bronze plaque, the first under an
Ontario Heritage Trust The Ontario Heritage Trust (french: link=no, Fiducie du patrimoine ontarien) is a non-profit agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture. It is responsible for protecting, preserving and promoting the built, natural and cultural herita ...
program to honour Ontario premiers at their burial sites, similar to a national program to mark the graves of prime ministers. The
Macdonald Block Complex The Macdonald Block Complex is a set of office buildings in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that houses 12 cabinet ministers, 15 Ontario government ministries (as of 2016) and the largest concentration of Ontario public servants. Its address is 900 Ba ...
, a major set of four office towers which house ministries of the Ontario government, is named after Macdonald. A statue of Macdonald stands in front of the east side of the
Ontario Legislative Building The Ontario Legislative Building (french: L'édifice de l'Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is a structure in central Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It houses the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and the viceregal suite of the Lieutenant Governor ...
in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
. The monument, unveiled in 1909, was sculpted by
Walter Allward Walter Seymour Allward, (18 November 1874 – 24 April 1955) was a Canadian monumental sculptor best known for the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. Featuring expressive classical figures within modern compositions, Allward's monuments evoke them ...
. He was portrayed by
Aidan Devine Aidan Devine is an English–Canadian film actor. He was born in England and immigrated with his family to Canada at the age of 15. He studied at Dawson College's Dome Theatre in Montreal, Quebec and began his acting career in Montreal. He woul ...
in the 2011
CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...
film '' John A.: Birth of a Country''.


Archives

There is a John Sandfield Macdonald
fonds In archival science, a fonds is a group of documents that share the same origin and that have occurred naturally as an outgrowth of the daily workings of an agency, individual, or organization. An example of a fonds could be the writings of a poe ...
at
Library and Archives Canada Library and Archives Canada (LAC; french: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is th ...
. The archival reference number is R3034. There is also a John Sandfield Macdonald collection at the Archives of Ontario.


References


External links

*
Ontario Plaques – John Sandfield Macdonald
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonald, John Sandfield 1812 births 1872 deaths Liberal Party of Canada MPs Premiers of Ontario Premiers of the Province of Canada Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from Canada West Leaders of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario Attorneys General of Ontario Lawyers in Ontario Canadian King's Counsel People from Cornwall, Ontario Canadian people of Scottish descent Canadian Roman Catholics Attorneys-General of the Province of Canada