July 1, 1867

Dear Reader,

I married a woman for the second time, Susan Agnes Bernard. We had a beautiful little child together, Margaret Mary Theodora Macdonald.

The agreement of confederation was brought to British Parliament. They passed the British North America Act, and the Dominion of Canada was created. The individual provinces of Quebec and Ontario make up the Province of Canada. I have been asked to form the first government and be this country's first prime minister. I have attached the image of this country's first flag.

Happy Canada to you, let this be a day of celebration, all the hard work of I and many others has finally paid off.

Today I will be knighted and be known from now on as,

Sir John Alexander Macdonald

So long and goodbye, I have a country to run!

1866

Perhaps I spoke too soon, the job did not last. Tache went back to his job after years in retirement to govern his party yet again. In '64 I joined forces with the Clear Grits leader, George Brown and the leader of Parti Bleu, George-Etienne Cartier. They called our grouping the Great Coalition. Together we were determined to reform Canada's political system, but we need a consensus and the Parti Rouge out East is not cooperating.

The same year I made a trip to the Maritimes where I led the Charlottetown Conference and presented the idea the Maritime colonies joining our union. October '64 I spent in Quebec City through out the Quebec Conference. There we hosted all of the delegates for confederation, treating them to extravagant balls and trying to persuade them to join us in this task. We created a plan for confederation, the Seventy-Two Resolutions. All but Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island were in agreement, and not until this year did they agree at the final confederation conference in London. The agreement to confederate is complete, I am very happy where this is going.

I am still drinking, but the others don't seem to mind. They would rather have a drunk Conservative than a sober Liberal.

John Alexander Macdonald

1862

Dear Reader,

In '41 my dear father passed on leaving me the head of our family. I have been so busy with my business and am now the director of a dozen Kingston companies, while still running the firm. I got sick the same year, perhaps too much stress, and took a break and set sail for Britian with money I won playing cards. I returned to full health and met my cousin Isabella, in September '43 we wed. She fell ill in '57 and didn't last much longer.

It may surprise you that I switched over to politics. In Kingston I was elected as Alderman in '43 and represented Kingston to the legislature of the Province of Canada. After the fall of Draper's government I made a move to the Conservatives. I think it helped me move to a more moderate platform. In '54 I helped Sir Allan McNab in founding the Liberal-Conservative Party. The Party came to power later that year and I was appointed Attorney-General. I had much power and rose in political popularity. In the next two terms I was Joint Premier of the Province of Canada with a close friend of mine, Sir Etienne-Pacschal Tache.

Our government was defeated in the '58 election and I had no idea what I was going to do, but then George-Etienne Cartier asked me to be Governor General of Canada with him. I tried to focus on the Intercolonial Railway, and then communications and defense.

It's true, coalition governments never work. Well at least most of the time, including this one. It was defeated this year and I am now the opposition's leader.

Hopefully this job lasts a while, I need to keep the money rolling so I can buy alcohol,

John A. Macdonald

1837

Dear Reader,

This year there has been rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada, people are frustrated with the the reform of our politics, most people just want a responsible government. The Kingston newspaper today described me as "rapidly rising in [my] profession." I am quite happy that people notice my hard work but i must continue this hard work.

I worked alongside John Ashley at the local military jail. I am scared I have been to great of risks, but perhaps risks are what has gotten me this far. I agreed to defend Americans captured in the Battle of the Windmill. I was quite hesitant, several lawyers already turned down the job, but one morning i was awoken by a banging at my door. It was the brother-in-law of one of the Americans, and also a friend of mine, so i agreed to help. I did my best but it was not enough to save them from the gallows.

John A. Macdonald

1836

Dear Reader,

I was called to the bar this past February, my greatest success so far in my opinion. My work has been paying off and I have taken in some students of my own. I put those youngsters to work and got lots of stuff done. I need change.. I think I am going to move to criminal law for a few years. It will be new and more interesting, and perhaps make me more popular.

We'll see how that goes!

John A. Macdonald

1835

Dear Reader,

I hope you have been doing well. I myself have been just okay, I have been doing a lot of thinking about my past. I had no boyhood. From the age of 15, I began to earn my own living. My parents decided I should become a lawyer, it seems to be a good path for those uninterested in trade and good in their studies.

I took a steamboat up to York and took an exam by the Law Society of Upper Canada. I passed the exam and began my apprenticeship with George Mackenzie. I feel honoured to have learnt from him, he is a prominent member of our community. In '33 my cousin and I started our own practice in Lowther Pennington Macpherson.

We did well but this year I decided to return to Kingston. Mr. Mackenzie fell to the epidemic of cholera and I wanted to step into his shoes and follow in his path. It proved difficult as his shoes were big, they were the shoes of Kingston's Scottish Presbyterian community's leading lawyer.

I must being doing well though. I saved enough to move my family into a nice new house, pictured above.

Take Care,

John A. Macdonald

1835

Dear reader,

I have decided to start a blog, perhaps it will promote my popularity in politics.. but probably not as I am the only one with a computer. I asked my dear friend about creating a blog and he looked at with his head cocked and eyebrow raised. Maybe one day when computers become popular someone will find this blog, or at least know what one is.

I will begin by telling you a bit about me:

I was born on the 10th of January in the year of 1815 in Galsgow, Scotland. I was one of the five children of Hugh Macdonald and Helen Shaw. Not all us children survived; my eldest brother William died while still an infant, and my younger brother James was struck in the head by a drunken servant and killed.

My father did not have luck with his business ventures in our homeland and our family moved in 1820 to Kingston in Upper Canada. My father did not have much more luck in Kingston, but managed to send me to Kingston's Midland Grammar School. My formal schooling finished at the young age of 15. I regret leaving school when I did, if I went to University perhaps i might have embarked on a literacy career, but only the most prosperous were able to attend in those days.

Well, I will be sure to write another time despite the probability no one will read this.

John Alexander Macdonald