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Signature of John A. Macdonald

John A. Macdonald

Macdonald's handwritten autograph, used to identify documents and letters he personally signed.

This is Macdonald's own handwritten signature, used to authenticate his letters and official papers.

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Black handwritten cursive signature on a white background, reading 'John A. Macdonald' with a long looping flourish extending to the left below the first letters and a descending tail at the right.
Signature of Sir John A. Macdonald.

About this source

What it is

This image shows the handwritten signature of John A. Macdonald, reading 'John A. Macdonald' in cursive with a looping flourish.

Why it matters

A leader's signature is a direct, personal trace of their presence on official documents, letters, and laws. Macdonald's signature appears on many records from his long political career, and recognizing it helps historians confirm which documents he personally signed.

Look closer

  • What does the style of the signature — its flourishes and shape — suggest about handwriting conventions of the time?
  • Why is a signature useful evidence for historians trying to verify a document?
  • What can a signature NOT tell you about the person who wrote it?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Sir John A. Macdonald on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Title page of an 1867 printed copy of the British North America Act, reading 'An Act of the Imperial Parliament for the Union of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and the Government Thereof', with a royal crest and 'Ottawa: Printed by Hunter, Rose & Co. 1867'.Document

Primary source

Constitution Act, 1867

1867

Scanned page of the printed Report of Resolutions from the Quebec Conference, October 10, 1864, with the title and numbered resolutions 1 to 14 in dense print, annotated with handwritten marks, and pen-and-ink caricature profiles of men in the margins.Document

Primary source

Quebec Resolutions (Seventy-Two Resolutions)

Delegates of the Quebec Conference (principal drafter John A. Macdonald) · 1864

Black-and-white group photograph of about two dozen men in 19th-century suits and top hats posed on the front steps and lawn of a shingled colonial building with white columns and a fanlight doorway.Photograph

Primary source

Charlottetown Conference Delegates, September 1864

George P. Roberts · September 1864

Document

Primary source

Chinese Immigration Act of 1885

1885

Pen-and-ink cartoon titled 'Whither Are We Drifting?' showing a tall man in a long coat and checked trousers standing on a sleeping figure's head, holding a paper labelled 'Prorogation' and 'Suppression of Investigation' while pointing skyward. A large money bag labelled 'Pacific' lies nearby.Painting

Primary source

"Whither Are We Drifting?" cartoon, Grip

J. W. Bengough · 1873

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