Publications
A selection of published work by Ged Martin.
I: 'Macdonald of Kingston'
CHAPTER ONE: ‘MACDONALD OF KINGSTON’
John A. Macdonald: Father of Confederation
Over a century after his death in 1891, John A. Macdonald remains the most famous product of the Ontario city of Kingston, and also its longest-serving member of parliament.
III: 'Kingston Had Not Been A Sufferer', 1857-1864
CHAPTER THREE
‘KINGSTON HAD NOT BEEN A SUFFERER’, 1857-1864
The story of John A. Macdonald’s easy victory in December 1857 is incomplete without taking note of the disappointing sequel.
V: 'A Worn-Out Relic of Decayed Toryism', 1874-1891
CHAPTER FIVE
‘A WORN OUT RELIC OF DECAYED TORYISM’: 1874-1891
Formally, Macdonald headed a 104-member caucus when the second parliament of the Dominion gathered in the spring of 1873. In a House of Commons of 200 members, this represented a narrow enough majority, although his support was initially larger thanks to the uncommitted ‘loose fish’ who still floated alongside official party lines.
VII: The Kingston Economy and the Finances of John A. Macdonald
CHAPTER SEVEN:
THE KINGSTON ECONOMY AND THE FINANCES OF JOHN A. MACDONALD
Kingston in Decline?
The interpretation that Kingston was in ‘decline’ in the second half of the nineteenth century has been persuasively and comprehensively outlined by Brian S. Osborne.
II: 'My Duty and My Interest', 1841-1857
CHAPTER TWO
‘MY DUTY AND MY INTEREST’, 1841-1857
‘I carried my musket in 37’
‘Macdonald did not form his political ideas, interests or associations suddenly in 1844 when he was first elected member of parliament for Kingston.’
IV: 'Never Among Us', 1867-1874
CHAPTER FOUR
‘NEVER AMONG US’: 1867-1874
The Coming of Confederation
It is hard to avoid the conclusion that, by the early eighteen sixties, the initial chapter of John A. Macdonald’s political career was running out of plot.
VI: Voters and Voter Management
CHAPTER SIX:
VOTERS AND VOTER MANAGEMENT
I: Introduction
Three main questions arise in relation to voters and voter management, each of which divides into several sub-questions.
Conclusion
CONCLUSION
John A. Macdonald’s biographers have understandably approached his career through the ‘top-down’ prism of his role as a provincial politician before Confederation, and as a nation-builder and Dominion leader thereafter.
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