Brown, George National Historic Person
Toronto, Ontario
George Brown, ca. 1880
© Hunter & Co. / Library and Archives Canada | Bibliothèque et Archives Canada / C-009553
Address :
186 Beverley Street, Toronto, Ontario
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
1950-05-31
Life Date:
1818 to 1880
Other Name(s):
-
Brown, George
(Designation Name)
Importance:
Father of Confederation, founded the Toronto Globe (1844); involved in abolititionist and Underground Railroad activities
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: 186 Beverley Street, Ontario
In 1844, this future Father of Confederation founded The Globe, an influential newspaper that gave him a powerful platform for his political, social, and religious views. A fierce advocate of reform and liberalism, George Brown entered Parliament in 1851 and rose to head the reorganized " Clear Grit" party. In 1864 he was a key figure in the Great Coalition that made Confederation possible. He also played a central role in the Abolitionist movement, co-founding the Anti-Slavery Society of Canada. After leaving government in 1865, Brown remained a vital force in the emerging Liberal Party of Canada.