Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st Baronet, (pronounced ; September 6, 1814May 20, 1873) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

statesman and

Father of Confederation The Fathers of Confederation are the 36 people who attended at least one of the Charlottetown Conference of 1864 (23 attendees), the Quebec Conference of 1864 (33 attendees), and the London Conference of 1866 (16 attendees), preceding Canadian ...

. The English spelling of the name—George, instead of Georges, the usual French spelling—is explained by his having been named in honour of

King George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great B ...

. In the years leading up to

Confederation A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical iss ...

, Cartier was a dominant figure in the politics of

Canada East Canada East (french: links=no, Canada-Est) was the northeastern portion of the United Province of Canada. Lord Durham's Report investigating the causes of the Upper and Lower Canada Rebellions recommended merging those two colonies. The ne ...

as leader of the

Parti bleu The Blue Party (french: Parti bleu) was a political group that contested elections in the Eastern section of the Province of Canada. The Blue Party was ideologically located on the political right, and was defined by its support for the Cathol ...

. In 1838 he returned to

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

after a year in exile for his role in the

Lower Canada Rebellion The Lower Canada Rebellion (french: rébellion du Bas-Canada), commonly referred to as the Patriots' War () in French, is the name given to the armed conflict in 1837–38 between rebels and the colonial government of Lower Canada (now south ...

. He officially entered politics in 1848. During his long career he promoted the establishment of the

Civil Code A civil code is a codification of private law relating to property, family, and obligations. A jurisdiction that has a civil code generally also has a code of civil procedure. In some jurisdictions with a civil code, a number of the core ar ...

as the formal law of Canada East, instead of sole use of

common law In law, common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law created by judges and similar quasi-judicial tribunals by virtue of being stated in written opinions."The common law is not a brooding omniprese ...

as was present in Canada West. He also promoted the introduction of primary education in the province. Cartier had several reasons for supporting Confederation, notably his fear of American expansion. He died in London, England, on May 20, 1873.

Early career

George-Étienne Cartier was born on September 6, 1814, in Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Quebec (then known as

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada (french: province du Bas-Canada) was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791–1841). It covered the southern portion of the current Province of Quebec ...

). Cartier was educated and was called to the

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar ( ...

in 1834 where he began to practise his profession. He was also involved in the railway business, and

Grand Trunk Railway The Grand Trunk Railway (; french: Grand Tronc) was a railway system that operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The rail ...

was one of his legal clients. Early in his career, Cartier was inspired by

Louis-Joseph Papineau Louis-Joseph Papineau (October 7, 1786 – September 23, 1871), born in Montreal, Quebec, was a politician, lawyer, and the landlord of the ''seigneurie de la Petite-Nation''. He was the leader of the reformist Patriote movement before the Low ...

. Through this connection, Cartier became a member of the Société des Fils de la Liberté ("Sons of Liberty") and took part in the

of 1837 at the Battle of Saint-Denis. For his part in the uprising, Cartier was

exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

d and he took temporary refuge in

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

. However, he was allowed to return to Montreal in 1838 to resume his law practice. On his return to Lower Canada in 1838, which was now

of the

Province of Canada The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on the ...

, Cartier resumed his law practice. He was a member of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society and became active in politics as campaign manager of

Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Sir Louis-Hippolyte Ménard '' dit'' La Fontaine, 1st Baronet, KCMG (October 4, 1807 – February 26, 1864) was a Canadian politician who served as the first Premier of the United Province of Canada and the first head of a responsible governmen ...

. In 1848, Cartier gave up his law practice and ran for office as a Reformer and was elected to the

Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper ...

. During his time in the Union parliament, Cartier introduced a

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pla ...

in 1852 for the creation of the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada. In 1854 Cartier was appointed to

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

. From 1857 to 1862 he served alongside John A. Macdonald as co-premier of the united province. Cartier was a loyal friend of Macdonald, with whom he created the Great Coalition with George Brown in 1864. The purpose of the Great Coalition was to end the political instability in the province, which had six governments in as many years. The Great Coalition was one of the first steps in the movement towards

. He attended all three of the conferences convened for this purpose:

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirte ...

, and

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. Cartier was largely responsible for gaining

French-Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fre ...

support for the union. Cartier also played a leading role in pushing through legislative reform that effectively abolished the semi-feudal seigneurial system of land ownership in Lower Canada, turning its legislative council into an elected body of representatives, and pushed successfully for the adoption of the

within the province.

Political life in The Dominion of Canada

Upon the creation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867, Macdonald became

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

and Cartier was his Minister of Militia and Defence. As the law of the time allowed a

dual mandate A dual mandate is the practice in which elected officials serve in more than one elected or other public position simultaneously. This practice is sometimes known as double jobbing in Britain and ''cumul des mandats'' in France; not to be confused ...

in both the federal and provincial governments, Cartier ran in the 1867 Quebec provincial election in Montréal-Est electoral district. Cartier was elected as a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

supporter of the

Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau (May 30, 1820 – April 4, 1890) was a Canadian lawyer and politician. Chauveau was the first premier of Quebec, following the establishment of Canada in 1867. Appointed to the office in 1867 as the leader of the ...

government. As a result, Cartier was both a member of the

Parliament of Canada The Parliament of Canada (french: Parlement du Canada) is the federal legislature of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and is composed of three parts: the King, the Senate, and the House of Commons. By constitutional convention, ...

and the

Legislative Assembly of Quebec The Legislative Assembly of Quebec (French: ''Assemblée législative du Québec'') was the name of the lower house of Quebec's legislature from 1867 to December 31, 1968, when it was renamed the National Assembly of Quebec. At the same time, t ...

. Federally, Cartier represented

Montreal East Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...

following the conclusion of Canada's first election on 20 September 1867. At the next federal election in August 1872, he was defeated by

Louis-Amable Jetté Sir Louis-Amable Jetté, (; 15 January 1836 – 5 May 1920) was a Canadian lawyer, politician, judge, professor, and the eighth Lieutenant Governor of Quebec. He was born in L'Assomption, Lower Canada (now Quebec) in 1836. In 1872, he wa ...

while seeking a second term in Montreal East in the face of the

Pacific Scandal The Pacific Scandal was a political scandal in Canada involving bribes being accepted by 150 members of the Conservative government in the attempts of private interests to influence the bidding for a national rail contract. As part of British Colu ...

. The following month Cartier was acclaimed the victor in the

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

riding of Provencher after

Louis Riel Louis Riel (; ; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis people. He led two resistance movements against the Government of Canada and its first ...

and Henry James Clarke resigned as candidates there. Notably, Cartier had intended to support an

amnesty Amnesty (from the Ancient Greek ἀμνηστία, ''amnestia'', "forgetfulness, passing over") is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power offici ...

for Riel for his role in setting up a Provisional government in the Northwest, but that the Conservative government reneged on its promise to secure amnesty for the Métis leader, who was Cartier's maternal fifth cousin, twice removed. Both were descended from Canadian pioneer

Zacharie Cloutier Zacharie Cloutier (c. 1590 – September 17, 1677) was a French carpenter who immigrated to New France in 1634 in the first wave of the Percheron immigration from the former province of Perche, to an area that is today part of Quebec, Cana ...

and Xainte Dupont (c. 1596 - 1680) who had, in 1634, immigrated to

New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spa ...

in the first wave of the Percheron Immigration from the former province of

Perche Perche () (French: ''le Perche'') is a former province of France, known historically for its forests and, for the past two centuries, for the Percheron draft horse breed. Until the French Revolution, Perche was bounded by four ancient territorie ...

, to an area that, today, is part of

, Canada. He settled in Beauport and founded one of the foremost families of Quebec. During his tenure in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the c ...

, Cartier was responsible for the negotiations with Britain and the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...

for the purchase of Rupert's Land and the

North-Western Territory The North-Western Territory was a region of British North America extant until 1870 and named for where it lay in relation to Rupert's Land. Due to the lack of development, exploration, and cartographic limits of the time, the exact bounda ...

by Canada. Cartier was also an active participant in the negotiations that lead to the creation of the province of Manitoba and the entry of

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

into Confederation. In keeping with his ties to the railways, in 1872 Cartier introduced a bill for the creation of the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canad ...

. From 1867 to 1873 he was the Minister of Militia and Defence.

Illness

In 1871, Cartier experienced the first symptom of

Bright's Disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine, and was frequently accompanied ...

, a kidney disease. After the 1872 election, Cartier travelled to London hoping to find a cure. His health did not improve and he died in London on May 20, 1873 at the age of 58. He was unable to pay a visit to his Manitoba riding where he was acclaimed a Member of Parliament. His body was brought back to Canada, and interred in the Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges in

, following a public funeral procession.

Family

George-Étienne Cartier married Hortense Fabre, daughter of Édouard-Raymond Fabre, former mayor of Montreal, on June 16, 1846. The couple had three children, all girls, one of whom died in infancy, and one in 1886. After she was widowed, Lady Cartier enjoyed a pension of $1,200 in recognition of her husband's services. When Caroline, the eldest daughter, died in March 1886, at her request her remains were brought to Montreal and interred alongside those of her father. Lady Cartier and their surviving daughter Hortense lived in Cannes, France, until Lady Cartier died on February 27, 1898. She was buried in Quebec alongside her husband and daughter, in Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery. In 1892 Lady Cartier presented a marble bust of her husband to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec. Cartier's niece Victoria Cartier was a noted Canadian music educator, organist and pianist.

Legacy

The entry of Canada East (

) into the Confederation is Cartier's most significant contribution to his country. Following the rebellions in 1837/1838 and the Durham Report, Upper and Lower Canada were merged into a single colony. Great Britain had begun to loosen its ties to the North American colonies. The United States was becoming more and more powerful, and represented a threat to Canada. In 1864, George Brown, leader of the Clear Grits in Canada West (

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

), proposed an alliance with the Conservatives of Macdonald and Cartier. In 1867, following a series of discussions and conferences (at

and Quebec), the alliance known as the Grand Coalition succeeded in forging the agreement which gave birth to Confederation. From this time onwards, the new federal government convened in Ottawa. In 1834 he contributed to founding the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste patriotic society, where he sang his famous poem Ô Canada, mon pays! mes amours! (not to be confused with the national anthem of Canada).

Honours and memorials

To celebrate the part he played in the country's development, Cartier was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...

, of Montreal, in the

Baronetage of the United Kingdom Baronets are a rank in the British aristocracy. The current Baronetage of the United Kingdom has replaced the earlier but existing Baronetages of England, Nova Scotia, Ireland, and Great Britain. Baronetage of England (1611–1705) King James ...

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

in 1868. Since he had no legal heirs, the Cartier baronetcy became extinct on his death. In addition, he had the prenominal "

The Honourable ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' ( American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certa ...

" and the postnominal " PC" for life by virtue of being made a member of the

Queen's Privy Council for Canada The 's Privy Council for Canada (french: Conseil privé du Roi pour le Canada),) during the reign of a queen. sometimes called Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council (PC), is the full group of personal consultants to the ...

on 1 July 1867. Ontario's

Macdonald-Cartier Freeway King's Highway 401, commonly referred to as Highway 401 and also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway or colloquially referred to as the four-oh-one, is a controlled-access 400-series highway in the Canadian provin ...

(Highway 401) is named after Cartier and fellow Father of Confederation John A. Macdonald, as are Ottawa's

Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Macdonald-Cartier may refer to: * Macdonald-Cartier Freeway, in southern Ontario, also known as Highway 401 *Macdonald-Cartier Bridge, a bridge between Ottawa, Ontario, and Gatineau, Quebec *Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport, a major ...

and the

Macdonald-Cartier Bridge The Macdonald-Cartier Bridge (french: Pont Macdonald-Cartier) is a bridge connecting Ottawa, Ontario, to Gatineau, Quebec. The bridge is a 618 m long continuous steel box girder bridge and carries six lanes of traffic. It links King Edward Avenue ( ...

, linking Ottawa, Ontario, with

Gatineau Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region and is part of Canada's Na ...

, Quebec. The former

Macdonald-Cartier High School Heritage Regional High School is a public secondary school located in Longueuil Longueuil () is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and the central city of the urban agglomeration ...

Saint-Hubert, Quebec Saint-Hubert ( , , ) is a borough in the city of Longueuil, located in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada. It had been a separate city prior to January 1, 2002, when it along with several other neighbouring south shore municipalities w ...

, was named after John A. Macdonald and Cartier, which has merged and became

Heritage Regional High School Heritage Regional High School is a public secondary school located in Longueuil. Before being known as Heritage, the school was known as MacDonald-Cartier Memorial High School. HRTV Heritage Regional High School is the owner of its own television ...

. Cartier's residence in Montreal, at 458 Notre-Dame Street East, is now the

Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site The Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site (french: Lieu historique national de Sir-George-Étienne-Cartier) is a historic house museum in Old Montreal commemorating the life and accomplishments of Sir George-Étienne Cartier. This r ...

, dedicated to his life and achievements. It also serves to recall the architectural heritage and lifestyles of the upper middle class of 19th-century Montreal. In 1931,

Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the operat ...

issued a ten-cent postage stamp with Cartier's portrait surrounded by the national symbol, the

maple leaf The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree. It is the most widely recognized national symbol of Canada. History of use in Canada By the early 1700s, the maple leaf had been adopted as an emblem by the French Canadians along th ...

. Numerous streets in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada have been named for Cartier, as has the

Montreal Metro The Montreal Metro (french: Métro de Montréal) is a rubber-tired underground rapid transit system serving Greater Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The metro, operated by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM), was inaugurated on October 14, ...

's Cartier station in

Laval, Quebec Laval (; ) is a city in Quebec, Canada. It is in the southwest of the province, north of Montreal. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third-largest city in the province after Montreal and Quebec City, and the thirteenth largest city in C ...

. Six schools have been named in his honour: *George-Étienne Cartier French Catholic primary school in Ottawa, Ontario. *George-Étienne Cartier primary school in Gatineau, Québec. *George-Étienne-Cartier French preschool in Longueuil, Quebec *Sir George-Étienne Cartier Primary school in London, Ontario. *George-Étienne Cartier French Catholic primary school in Toronto, Ontario *École secondaire Macdonald-Cartier high school in Sudbury, Ontario. He was portrayed by David La Haye in the 2011

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French- ...

film '' John A.: Birth of a Country''. In 2017, the

Bank of Canada The Bank of Canada (BoC; french: Banque du Canada) is a Crown corporation and Canada's central bank. Chartered in 1934 under the ''Bank of Canada Act'', it is responsible for formulating Canada's monetary policy,OECD. OECD Economic Surveys: C ...

unveiled a commemorative Canadian ten-dollar note in honour of Canada 150, featuring Cartier's portrait alongside Sir John A. Macdonald,

Agnes Macphail Agnes Campbell MacPhail (March 24, 1890 – February 13, 1954) was a Canadian politician and the first woman elected to Canada's House of Commons. She served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1921 to 1940; from 1943 to 1945 and again from 1948 ...

and

James Gladstone James Gladstone ( bla, Akay-na-muka, script=Latn, italic=yes, lit=Many Guns; May 21, 1887 – September 4, 1971) was a Canadian politician who claimed to become the first Treaty Indian to be appointed to the Senate of Canada. Early life Jame ...

. Mount Cartier near

Revelstoke, British Columbia Revelstoke () is a city in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, with a census population of 8,275 in 2021. Revelstoke is located east of Vancouver, and west of Calgary, Alberta. The city is situated on the banks of the Columbia River just sout ...

, is named in his honour.

Arms

Electoral history

References

Biographies

* * * * * *

External links

Alastair Sweeny, ''George-Étienne Cartier: A Biography'' Web version
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cartier, George-Etienne 1814 births 1873 deaths Fathers of Confederation French Quebecers Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Canadian baronets Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Manitoba Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada Premiers of the Province of Canada Presidents of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society of Montreal Conservative Party of Quebec MNAs Deaths from nephritis Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) People from Montérégie Attorneys-General of the Province of Canada Canadian exiles Burials at Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from Canada East