Editing John A. Macdonald (section)

===Colonial leader, 1858–1864 ===
[[File:John A Macdonald in 1858.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A photograph of a man|John A. Macdonald in 1858]]
In July 1857, Macdonald departed for Britain to promote Canadian government projects.{{sfn|Phenix|2006|pp=124–125}} On his return to Canada, he was appointed premier in place of the retiring Taché, just in time to lead the Conservatives in a general election.{{sfn|Swainson|1989|p=42}} Macdonald was elected in Kingston by 1,189&nbsp;votes to 9 for John Shaw; other Conservatives did poorly in Canada West and only French-Canadian support kept Macdonald in power.{{sfn|Phenix|2006|p=129}} On 28 December, Isabella Macdonald died, leaving John a widower with a seven-year-old son. Hugh John Macdonald would be principally raised by his paternal aunt and her husband.{{sfn|Phenix|2006|p=130}}

The Assembly had voted to move the seat of government permanently to Quebec City. Macdonald opposed this and used his power to force the Assembly to reconsider in 1857. He proposed that [[Queen Victoria]] decide which city should be Canada's capital. Opponents, especially from Canada East, argued that she would not make the decision in isolation and was bound to receive informal advice from her Canadian ministers. His scheme was adopted, with Canada East support assured by allowing Quebec City to serve a three-year term as the seat of government before the Assembly moved to the permanent capital. He privately asked the [[Colonial Office]] to ensure she would not respond for at least ten months, or until after the general election.{{sfn|Creighton|1952|pp=248–249}} In February 1858, her choice was announced to the dismay of many legislators from both parts of the province: the isolated Canada West town of [[Ottawa]] became the capital.{{sfn|Swainson|1989|pp=46–47}}

On 28 July 1858, an opposition Canada East member proposed an address to the Queen informing her that Ottawa was an unsuitable place for a national capital. Macdonald's Canada East party members [[crossed the floor]] to vote for the address, and the government was defeated. Macdonald resigned, and the governor general, [[Sir Edmund Walker Head, 8th Baronet|Sir Edmund Walker Head]], invited opposition leader [[George Brown (Canadian politician)|George Brown]] to form a government. Under the law at that time, Brown and his ministers lost their seats in the Assembly by accepting their positions, and had to face [[Ministerial by-election|by-elections]]. This gave Macdonald a majority pending the by-elections, and he promptly defeated the government. Head refused Brown's request for a dissolution of the Assembly, and Brown and his ministers resigned. Head then asked Macdonald to form a government. The law allowed anyone who had held a ministerial position within the last thirty days to accept a new position without needing to face a by-election; Macdonald and his ministers accepted new positions, then completed what was dubbed the "[[Double Shuffle (Canadian political episode)|Double Shuffle]]" by returning to their old posts.{{sfn|Gwyn|2007|pp=175–177}} In an effort to give the appearance of fairness, Head insisted that Cartier be the titular premier, with Macdonald as his deputy.{{sfn|Swainson|1989|p=48}}

In the late 1850s and early 1860s, Canada enjoyed a period of great prosperity, while the railroad and telegraph improved communications. According to Macdonald biographer Richard Gwyn, "In short, Canadians began to become a single community."{{sfn|Gwyn|2007|pp=194–195}} At the same time, the provincial government became increasingly difficult to manage. An act affecting both Canada East and Canada West required a "double majority"{{snd}}a majority of legislators from each of the two sections of the province. This led to increasing deadlock in the Assembly.{{sfn|Gwyn|2007|p=201}} The two sections each elected 65&nbsp;legislators, even though Canada West had a larger population. One of Brown's major demands was representation by population, which would lead to Canada West having more seats; this was bitterly opposed by Canada East.{{sfn|Swainson|1989|p=49}}

The [[American Civil War]] led to fears in Canada and in Britain that once the U.S. had concluded its internal warfare, they would invade Canada again.{{sfn|Swainson|1989|pp=52–53}} Canada was sometimes a safe haven for [[Confederate Secret Service]] operations against the U.S.; many Canadian citizens and politicians were sympathetic to the Confederacy. This led to events such as the [[Chesapeake Affair|''Chesapeake'' Affair]], the [[St. Albans Raid]], and a [[Confederate Army of Manhattan|failed attempt to burn down New York City]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=15jLDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA42|title=When the Irish Invaded Canada: The Incredible True Story of the Civil War Veterans Who Fought for Ireland's Freedom|author=Christopher Klein|date=2020|page=42|publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|isbn=9-7805-2543-4016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U38ka8Rm3NMC&pg=PA117|title=Guardian of the Great Lakes: The U.S. Paddle Frigate Michigan|author=Bradley A. Rodgers|date=1996|page=117|publisher=[[University of Michigan Press]]|isbn=9-7804-7206-6070}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/the-confederate-spy-ring-spreading-terror-to-the-union/|title=The Confederate Spy Ring: Spreading Terror to the Union|author=Peter Kross|date=Fall 2015|publisher=Warfare History network}}</ref> As attorney general of Canada West, Macdonald refused to prosecute Confederate operatives who were using Canada to launch attacks on U.S. soil across the border.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q7rZDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT90|title=North American Border Conflicts Race, Politics, and Ethics|author=Laurence Armand French and Magdaleno Manzanarez|date= 2017|page=190|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|isbn=9-7813-5170-9873}}</ref>

With Canadians fearing invasion from the U.S., the British asked that Canadians pay a part of the expense of defence, and a Militia Bill was introduced in the Assembly in 1862. The opposition objected to the expense, and Canada East representatives feared that French-Canadians would have to fight in a war they wanted no part in. Macdonald was drinking heavily and failed to provide much leadership on behalf of the bill. The government fell over the bill, and the Grits took over under the leadership of [[John Sandfield Macdonald]] (no relation to John A. Macdonald).{{sfn|Swainson|1989|pp=52–53}} The parties held an almost equal number of seats, with a handful of independents able to destroy any government. The new government fell in May 1863, but Head allowed a new election, which did little to change party standings. In December 1863, Canada West MP [[Albert Norton Richards]] accepted the post of solicitor general, and so had to face a by-election. John A. Macdonald campaigned against Richards personally, and Richards was defeated by a Conservative. The switch in seats cost the Grits their majority, and they resigned in March. John A. Macdonald returned to office with Taché as titular premier. The Taché-Macdonald government was defeated in June. The parties were deadlocked to such an extent that, according to Swainson, "It was clear to everybody that the constitution of the Province of Canada was dead".{{sfn|Swainson|1989|pp=54–55}}