Artifact #3: John A. Macdonald's Speech At The Halifax Dinner (Sept. 26, 1864)

Citation:

"Federation of the Provinces: Speech of the Hon. J. A. Macdonald at the Halifax Dinner." The Daily British Whig, September 26, 1864. PrimaryDocuments.ca. https://primarydocuments.ca/federation-of-the-provinces-speech-of-the-hon-j-a-macdonald-at-the-halifax-dinner-the-daily-british-whig-26-september-1864/.

Label:

This significant speech was delivered by John A. Macdonald on September 26, 1864, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and was then published in The Daily British Whig newspaper. In his speech, Macdonald advocates for uniting the British colonies into one nation, and stresses the need for a strong centralized government that is capable of addressing the needs of the growing population. He also highlights the economic and security benefits that Confederation would bring, such as building the Intercolonial Railway to connect the colonies, and how it would provide an extra measure of defense against threats such as the United States.

Macdonald’s arguments in this speech show some of the key motivating factors for Confederation. He believed that a unified government would strengthen the colonies’ ability to protect themselves and foster economic growth. He also believed that a railway was necessary to better unite the colonies. Macdonald was considered the chief architect of Confederation, and later went on to draft the British North America Act, laying the foundation for Canada’s federal government. Macdonald went on to serve as Canada’s first prime minister. His vision for the new nation shows the significant ideas that drove Confederation.

Bibliography:

"Sir John A. Macdonald." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Last modified November 28, 2017. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-john-alexander-macdonald.