The Day of Sir John Macdonald: A Chronicle of the First Prime Minister

What it is

This is a biographical chronicle of Sir John A. Macdonald, published in 1920 by Joseph Pope as part of the Chronicles of Canada series. Pope had a close personal association with Macdonald, giving the account particular authority. A scanned copy of the book survives.

Why it matters

Written decades after Macdonald's death but by someone who had known him directly, this chronicle helped shape how later generations of Canadians understood their first prime minister. It shows how firsthand knowledge of a historical figure can be passed into later historical writing, and how such works contribute to national memory.

Look closer

• How might Pope's personal connection to Macdonald affect the way the book is written?
• Why do you think this book was part of a series meant to tell the "chronicles" of Canada?
• What might a biography written nearly thirty years after Macdonald's death include that an 1891 one could not?