Home > John Sandfield Macdonald

A Reformer and advocate of responsible government, Macdonald served in all eight Assemblies of the United Province of Canada prior to Confederation. He also served in several pre-confederation administrations, including a period as co-premier of the United Province from 1862 to 1864.

Macdonald was initially an opponent of confederation, but came to accept it and became an ally of Sir John A. Macdonald. John A. Macdonald helped manoeuvre Sandfield Macdonald into the position of first Premier of Ontario.

His government was moderate and initially a coalition of liberals and conservatives, but suffered from defections by more radical Reformers. This group joined with the Clear Grits to form the opposition Liberal PartyThe Ontario Liberal Party is a centrist provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the Ontario general election, 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada. led by Edward BlakeDominick Edward Blake ( October 13 1833 March 1 1912), (known as Edward Blake ) was Premier of Ontario from 1871 to 1872 and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 1880 to 1887. He is the only federal Liberal leader never to become Prime Minister of C and Oliver MowatSir Oliver Mowat Rank 3rd First Term October 25, 1872 July 25, 1896 Predecessor Edward Blake Successor Arthur S. Hardy Date of Birth July 22, 1820 Place of Birth Kingston, Ontario Profession Lawyer Political Party Liberal Sir Oliver Mowat ( July 22, 1820-. In December 1871, Macdonald's government was defeated by Edward BlakeDominick Edward Blake ( October 13 1833 March 1 1912), (known as Edward Blake ) was Premier of Ontario from 1871 to 1872 and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 1880 to 1887. He is the only federal Liberal leader never to become Prime Minister of C's Liberals. Macdonald resigned, and died several months later.

Sandfield Macdonald was be the last Roman Catholic Premier of Ontario in 132 years. After his tenure, sectarian tensions in the province rose, and the Conservative Party increasingly became identified with the Orange OrderThe Orange Order is a Protestant fraternal organisation largely based in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which also has a worldwide membership. In Northern Ireland it is formally associated with the Ulster Unionist Party, but many of its me 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 loathe to neglect. Catholics, meanwhile, increasingly votes 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.

Macdonald's brothers, Donald Alexander MacdonaldThe Honourable Donald Alexander Macdonald PC ( February 17, 1817- June 10, 1896) was a Canadian politician. Born in 1817 in St Raphael's, Ontario, Donald Alexander Macdonald studied at St Raphael's College under the first Catholic Bishop of Ontario, Alexa and Alexander Francis Macdonald , 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.