John Abbott, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetJohn Abbott
3rd Prime Minister of Canada
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Saint-André-d'Argenteuil, Quebec, Canada
About John Abbott
- Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott, (March 12, 1821 – October 30, 1893) was a Canadian lawyer and politician, Freemason, who served as the third prime minister of Canada (and its first native-born one – both MacDonald and Mackenzie having been born in Scotland), in office from 1891 to 1892.
- He held office as the leader of the Conservative Party. Abbott was born in what is now Saint-André-d'Argenteuil, Quebec.
- He studied law at McGill University and became one of Montreal's best-known lawyers, later returning to McGill as a professor of law and earning a Doctor of Civil Law degree.
- He was perhaps best known for his successful defence of the perpetrators of the St.
- Albans Raid.
- Abbott involved himself in politics from a young age, signing the Montreal Annexation Manifesto in 1849 – which he later regretted – and winning election to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada in 1860.
- In the lead-up to Confederation he was a prominent advocate for the rights of English-speaking Quebecers. In the 1867 federal election, Abbott was elected to the new House of Commons of Canada as a member of the Conservative Party.
- A telegram leaked from his office played a key part in the Pacific Scandal of 1873, which led to the downfall of John A.
- Macdonald's first government.
- Abbott was appointed to the Senate in 1887, in order to become Leader of the Government in the Senate.
- He became prime minister in June 1891 following Macdonald's death in office.
- Abbott was 70 years old at the time, and served only until November 1892 when he retired due to ill health.
- He died the following year.
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