Editing John A. Macdonald (section)

===Parliamentary advancement, 1843–1857 ===
[[File:Isabella Clark Macdonald.jpg|thumb|alt=See caption|Portrait of Isabella Clark Macdonald, artist unknown]]

On 29 March 1843, Macdonald was elected as [[alderman]] in Kingston's Fourth Ward, with 156 votes against 43 for his opponent, Colonel Jackson. He also suffered what he termed his first downfall, as his supporters, carrying the victorious candidate, accidentally dropped him onto a slushy street.{{sfn|Gwyn|2007|p=59}}{{sfn|Phenix|2006|p=59}}

The [[British Parliament]] had merged Upper and Lower Canada into the [[Province of Canada]] in 1841. Kingston became the initial capital of the new province; Upper Canada and Lower Canada became known as Canada West and Canada East.{{sfn|Swainson|1989|p=22}} In March 1844, Macdonald was asked by local businessmen to stand as Conservative candidate for Kingston in [[List of elections in the Province of Canada#1844|the upcoming legislative election]].{{sfn|Phenix|2006|pp=63–64}} Macdonald followed the contemporary custom of supplying the voters with large quantities of alcohol.{{sfn|Swainson|1989|p=25}} Votes were publicly declared in this election, and Macdonald defeated his opponent, [[Anthony Manahan]], by 275&nbsp;"shouts" to 42 when the election concluded on 15 October 1844.{{sfn|Gwyn|2007|p=64}} Macdonald was never an orator, and especially disliked the bombastic addresses of the time. Instead, he found a niche in becoming an expert on election law and parliamentary procedure.{{sfn|Swainson|1989|p=28}}

In 1844, Isabella fell ill. She recovered, but the illness recurred the following year, and she became an invalid. John took his wife to [[Savannah, Georgia]], in the United States in 1845, hoping that the sea air and warmth would cure her ailments. John returned to Canada after six months and Isabella remained in the United States for three years.{{sfn|Swainson|1989|pp=28–29}} He visited her again in New York at the end of 1846 and returned several months later when she informed him she was pregnant.{{sfn|Phenix|2006|pp=79–83}} In August 1847 their son John Alexander Macdonald Jr. was born in New York, but as Isabella remained ill, relatives cared for the infant.{{sfn|Swainson|1989|pp=30–31}}

Although he was often absent due to his wife's illness, Macdonald was able to gain professional and political advancement. In 1846, he was made a [[Queen's Counsel]]. The same year, he was offered the non-cabinet post of [[Solicitor General of Canada|solicitor general]], but declined it. In 1847, Macdonald became [[Receiver General for Canada|receiver general]].{{sfn|Swainson|1989|p=31}} Accepting the government post required Macdonald to give up his law firm income{{sfn|Phenix|2006|p=83}} and spend most of his time in Montreal, away from Isabella.{{sfn|Swainson|1989|p=31}} When elections were held in December 1848 and January 1849, Macdonald was easily reelected for Kingston, but the Conservatives lost seats and were forced to resign when the legislature reconvened in March 1848. Macdonald returned to Kingston when the legislature was not sitting, and Isabella joined him there in June.{{sfn|Swainson|1989|p=31}} In August, their child died suddenly.{{sfn|Gwyn|2007|pp=85–86}} In March 1850, Isabella Macdonald gave birth to another boy, [[Hugh John Macdonald]], and his father wrote, "We have got Johnny back again, almost his image."{{sfn|Swainson|1989|p=37}} Macdonald began to drink heavily around this time, both in public and in private, which Patricia Phenix, who studied Macdonald's private life, attributes to his family troubles.{{sfn|Phenix|2006|p=107}}

The Liberals, or [[Clear Grits|Grits]], maintained power in the 1851 election but were soon divided by a parliamentary scandal. In September, the government resigned, and a [[coalition]] government uniting parties from both parts of the province under [[Allan MacNab]] took power. Macdonald did much of the work of putting the government together and served as [[attorney general]]. The coalition, which came to power in 1854, became known as the [[Liberal-Conservative Party|Liberal-Conservatives]] (referred to, for short, as the Conservatives). In 1855, [[George-Étienne Cartier]] of Canada East (today Quebec) joined the Cabinet. Until Cartier's 1873 death, he would be Macdonald's political partner. In 1856, MacNab was eased out as premier by Macdonald, who became the leader of the Canada West Conservatives.{{sfn|Swainson|1989|pp=40–42}} Macdonald remained as attorney general when [[Étienne-Paschal Taché]] became premier.{{sfn|Gwyn|2007|p=162}}