Editing Wilfrid Laurier (section)

==Leader of the Official Opposition (1887–1896)==

Edward Blake resigned as Liberal leader after leading them to back-to-back defeats in 1882 and [[1887 Canadian federal election|1887]]. Blake urged Laurier to run for leadership of the party. At first, Laurier refused as he was not keen to take such a powerful position, but later on accepted. After 13 and a half years, Laurier had already established his reputation. He was now a prominent politician who was known for leading the Quebec branch of the Liberal Party, known for defending French Canadian rights, and known for being a great orator who was a fierce parliamentary speaker. Over the next nine years, Laurier gradually built up his party's strength through his personal following both in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada.<ref name="WLbio" />

[[File:Wilfrid Laurier 1890 - cropped (cropped).jpg|150px|thumb|right|Opposition Leader Laurier, 1890]]
In the [[1891 Canadian federal election|1891 federal election]], Laurier faced Conservative Prime Minister [[John A. Macdonald]]. Laurier campaigned in favour of [[reciprocity (Canadian politics)|reciprocity]], or [[free trade]], with the [[United States]], contrary to Macdonald's position on the matter, who claimed that reciprocity would lead to American annexation of Canada. On election day, March 5, the Liberals gained 10 seats. The Liberals also won a majority of seats in Quebec for the first time since the 1874 election. Prime Minister Macdonald won his fourth consecutive federal election victory. The day after, Blake denounced the Liberal trade policy.<ref name="WLbio" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Marsh |first1=James |title=Election 1891: A Question of Loyalty |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/election-1891-a-question-of-loyalty-feature |website=Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=December 31, 2021 |date=February 1, 2011}}</ref>

Laurier remained disillusioned for some time after his defeat. Multiple times he suggested he resign as leader, though he was persuaded not to by other Liberals. Only in 1893 did Laurier become encouraged again. On June 20 and 21, 1893, Laurier convened a Liberal convention in Ottawa. The convention established that unrestricted reciprocity was intended to develop Canada's natural resources and that keeping a customs tariff was intended to generate revenue. Laurier subsequently undertook a series of speaking tours to campaign on the convention's results. Laurier visited [[Western Canada]] in September and October 1894, promising to relax the Conservatives' [[National Policy]], open the American market, and increase [[Immigration to Canada|immigration]].<ref name="WLbio" />

Macdonald died only three months after he defeated Laurier in the 1891 election. After Macdonald's death, the Conservatives went through a period of disorganization with four short-serving leaders. The fourth prime minister after Macdonald, [[Charles Tupper]], became prime minister in May 1896 after [[Mackenzie Bowell]] resigned as a result of a leadership crisis that was triggered by his attempts to offer a compromise for the [[Manitoba Schools Question]], a dispute which emerged after the provincial government ended funding for Catholic schools in 1890. Tupper faced Laurier in the [[1896 Canadian federal election|1896 federal election]], in which the schools dispute was a key issue. While Tupper supported overriding the provincial legislation to reinstate funding for the Catholic schools, Laurier was vague when giving his position on the matter, proposing an investigation of the issue first and then conciliation, a method he famously called, "sunny ways". On June 23, Laurier led the Liberals to their first victory in 22 years, despite losing the popular vote. Laurier's win was made possible by his sweep in Quebec.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Azzi |first1=Stephen |title=Election of 1896 |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/election-1896-feature |website=Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=December 31, 2021 |date=June 20, 2013}}</ref>