Canadian History for Kids: Happy Birthday John A. Macdonald!

Sir John A. Macdonald, the first Prime Minister of Canada, was born in Glasgow, Scotland. January 11, 1815. He was truly our founding father! This Canadian History for Kids Beaver Tale shows some quick facts about our Prime Minister’s growth to his position.

Macdonald and his family left Glasgow Scotland in 1820 and emigrated to Kingston, Ontario. By the age of fifteen he was out working for a law firm in Kingston. He had his own legal practice in the town of Picton, Ontario by age of 19.

In 1843, Macdonald entered politics as a city alderman in Kingston, Ontario and by 1844 he was elected Conservative representative for Kingston in the Province of Canada.

In July 1857, Macdonald was appointed to Premier of Canada after coming back from Britain where he was promoting Canadian government projects.

Macdonald worked very hard trying to pull the provinces together to become one large country, and in 1867 it was announced that the Dominion of Canada would come into existence on July 1st. Macdonald was appointed as the new nation’s first Prime Minister. With the birth of the Dominion, Canada East and Canada West became separate provinces, known as Quebec and Ontario. Macdonald was knighted on that very special day, known as Canada Day, 1 July 1867.

And that’s this week Canadian History for Kids Beaver Tale!
 

Other Canadian History for Kids Beaver Tales