Editing Charles Tupper (section)

===Fighting the Anti-Confederates, 1867–1869===
The [[Canadian federal election|first elections]] for the new [[House of Commons of Canada]] were held in August–September 1867. Tupper ran as a member for the new federal riding of [[Cumberland (federal electoral district)|Cumberland]] and won his seat.<ref name="ODNB"/> However, he was the only pro-Confederation candidate to win a seat from Nova Scotia in the [[1st Canadian Parliament]], with Joseph Howe and the Anti-Confederates winning every other seat.<ref name="ODNB"/>

[[Image:CharlesTupper1870.jpg|thumb|right|Tupper in April 1870]]
As an ally of John A. Macdonald and the [[Liberal-Conservative Party]], it was widely believed that Tupper would have a place in the first [[Cabinet of Canada]].<ref name="ODNB"/> However, when Macdonald ran into difficulties in organizing this cabinet, Tupper stepped aside in favour of [[Edward Kenny]].<ref name="ODNB"/> Instead, Tupper set up a medical practice in [[Ottawa]] and was elected as the first president of the new [[Canadian Medical Association]], a position he held until 1870.<ref name="ODNB"/>

In the November 1867 provincial elections in Nova Scotia, the pro-Confederation Hiram Blanchard was defeated by the leader of the Anti-Confederation Party, [[William Annand]]. Given the unpopularity of Confederation within Nova Scotia, Joseph Howe traveled to London in 1868 to attempt to persuade the British government (headed by the Earl of Derby, and then after February 1868 by [[Benjamin Disraeli]]) to allow Nova Scotia to secede from Confederation.<ref name="ODNB"/> Tupper followed Howe to London where he successfully lobbied British politicians against allowing Nova Scotia to secede.<ref name="ODNB"/>

Following his victory in London, Tupper proposed a reconciliation with Howe: in exchange for Howe's agreeing to stop fighting against the union, Tupper and Howe would be allies in the fight to protect Nova Scotia's interests within Confederation.<ref name="ODNB"/> Howe agreed to Tupper's proposal and in January 1869 entered the Canadian cabinet as [[President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada]].<ref name="ODNB"/>

With the outbreak of the [[Red River Rebellion]] in 1869, Tupper was distressed to find that his daughter Emma's husband was being held hostage by [[Louis Riel]] and the rebels.<ref name="ODNB"/> He rushed to the northwest to rescue his son-in-law.<ref name="ODNB"/>
[[Image:TupperWorking1871.jpg|150px|thumb|left|Tupper in November 1871]]