Editing Liberal Party of Canada (section)

===19th century===

====Origins====
{{See also|Rebellions of 1837}}
The Liberals are descended from the mid-19th century [[Reform Party (pre-Confederation)|Reformers]] who advocated for [[responsible government]] throughout [[British North America]].<ref name="hist">{{cite web|title=Liberal Party of Canada – History |url=http://www.nafla.ca/images/clientupload/Liberal%20Party%20History.pdf |publisher=Newmarket-Aurora Federal Liberal Association |access-date=April 26, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426000952/http://www.nafla.ca/images/clientupload/Liberal%20Party%20History.pdf |archive-date=April 26, 2012 }}</ref> These included [[George Brown (Canadian politician)|George Brown]], [[Alexander Mackenzie (politician)|Alexander Mackenzie]], [[Robert Baldwin]], [[William Lyon Mackenzie]] and the [[Clear Grits]] in [[Upper Canada]], [[Joseph Howe]] in Nova Scotia, and the [[Parti canadien|Patriotes]] and [[Parti rouge|Rouges]] in [[Lower Canada]] led by figures such as [[Louis-Joseph Papineau]]. The [[Clear Grits]] and {{Lang|fr|[[Parti rouge]]|italic=no}} sometimes functioned as a united bloc in the legislature of the [[Province of Canada]] beginning in [[List of elections in the Province of Canada#1854|1854]], but a united Liberal Party combining both English and [[French Canadian]] members was not formed until 1867.<ref name="hist"/> Their lineage from the Clear Grits led to modern Liberals being nicknamed "Grits".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bélanger |first1=Claude |title=Quebec History |url=http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/QuebecHistory/encyclopedia/ClearGritParty-ClearGrits-CanadianHistory.htm |website=The Quebec History Encyclopedia |publisher=[[Marianopolis College]] |access-date=28 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240731215806/http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/encyclopedia/ClearGritParty-ClearGrits-CanadianHistory.htm |archive-date=2024-07-31 |language=en |date=2005 |quote=The Clear Grits became supporters of George Brown, and were the nucleus of the Liberal party in Ontario in later times. Thence comes the common use of the term 'Grit' as a colloquial synonym for 'Liberal'. |url-status=live}}</ref>

====Confederation====
At the time of [[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]] of the former British colonies of Canada (now [[Ontario]] and [[Quebec]]), [[New Brunswick]], and [[Nova Scotia]], the radical Liberals were marginalized by the more pragmatic [[Conservative Party of Canada (historical)|Conservative]] coalition assembled under Sir [[John A. Macdonald]]. In the 29 years after Confederation, the Liberals were consigned to opposition, with the exception of one stint in government.<ref name="hist"/> [[Alexander Mackenzie (politician)|Alexander Mackenzie]] was the ''de facto'' leader of the Official Opposition after Confederation and finally agreed to become the first official leader of the Liberal Party in 1873. He was able to lead the party to power for the first time in 1873, after the Macdonald government resigned over the [[Pacific Scandal]]. Mackenzie subsequently won the [[1874 Canadian federal election|1874 election]] and served as prime minister for an additional four years. During the five years the Liberal government brought in many reforms, including the replacement of open voting by [[secret ballot]], confining elections to one day and the creation of the [[Supreme Court of Canada]], the [[Royal Military College of Canada]], and the [[Auditor General of Canada|Office of the Auditor General]]; however, the party was only able to build a solid support base in Ontario and in [[1878 Canadian federal election|1878]] lost the government to Macdonald.<ref name="hist"/> The Liberals would spend the next 18 years in opposition.

====Wilfrid Laurier====
[[File:The Honourable Sir Wilfrid Laurier Photo C (HS85-10-16873) - medium crop.jpg|right|165px|thumb|Sir [[Wilfrid Laurier]], the 7th prime minister of Canada (1896–1911)]]
In their early history, the Liberals were the party of [[continentalism]] and opposition to [[imperialism]]. The Liberals also became identified with the aspirations of Quebecers as a result of the growing hostility of French Canadians to the Conservatives. The Conservatives lost the support of French Canadians because of the role of Conservative governments in the execution of [[Louis Riel]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Duffy |first1=John |title=Fights of our Lives Elections, Leadership, and the Making of Canada |date=2002 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |isbn=9780002000895 |page=41}}</ref> and their role in the [[Conscription Crisis of 1917]], and especially their [[Manitoba Schools Question|opposition to French schools]] in provinces besides Quebec.

It was not until [[Wilfrid Laurier]] became leader that the Liberal Party emerged as a modern party. Laurier was able to capitalize on the [[Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942)|Conservatives]]' alienation of French Canada by offering the Liberals as a credible alternative. Laurier was able to overcome the party's reputation for [[anti-clericalism]] that offended the still-powerful [[Catholicism in Canada|Quebec Roman Catholic Church]]. In English-speaking Canada, the Liberal Party's support for [[Reciprocity (Canadian politics)|reciprocity]] made it popular among farmers, and helped cement the party's hold in the growing [[prairie provinces]].<ref name="Laurier">{{cite web |title = Sir Wilfrid Laurier Biography |url = http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/2/4/h4-3181-e.html |publisher = Library and Archives Canada |access-date = November 24, 2011 |archive-date = December 26, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111226010623/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/2/4/h4-3181-e.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

Laurier led the Liberals to power in the [[1896 Canadian federal election|1896 election]] (in which he became the first Francophone Prime Minister) and oversaw a government that increased [[immigration]] to settle [[Western Canada]]. Laurier's government created the provinces of [[Saskatchewan]] and [[Alberta]] out of the [[North-West Territories]] and promoted the development of Canadian industry.<ref name="Laurier"/>