George-Étienne Cartier

Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st Baronet (September 6, 1814 - May 20, 1873) was a Canadian statesman and Father of Confederation. The English spelling of his name - George, rather than Georges, the usual French spelling - is explained by his being named in honor of King George III. He is among the most important historical figures in Canada.

As leader of the Parti bleu in the years leading up to Confederation, Cartier was a dominant figure in Canada East politics. After a year in exile for his role in the Lower Canada Rebellion, he returned to Montreal in 1838. In 1848, he officially entered politics. Throughout his long career, he advocated for the adoption of the Civil Code as the formal law of Canada East, rather than the use of common law, as was the case in Canada West. He also advocated for the implementation of primary education in the province. Cartier supported Confederation for a variety of reasons, including his fear of American expansion. On May 20, 1873, he died in London, England.

Cartier's most significant contribution to his country is the admission of Canada East (Quebec) to the Confederation. Upper and Lower Canada were merged into a single colony following the rebellions of 1837/1838 and the Durham Report. The United Kingdom had begun to sever ties with its North American colonies. The United States was becoming increasingly powerful and posed a threat to Canada. In 1864, George Brown, leader of the Clear Grits in Canada West (Ontario), proposed an alliance with Macdonald and Cartier's Conservatives. Following a series of discussions and conferences (at Charlottetown and Quebec), the Grand Coalition alliance succeeded in forging the agreement that gave birth to Confederation in 1867. The new federal government met in Ottawa from this point forward. He helped to found the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste patriotic society in 1834, where he sang his famous poem "Ô Canada, mon pays! mes amours!" (Not to be confused with Canada's national anthem.)