Riel’s and Macdonald’s Contributions to Canada

Through Macdonald’s support, Confederation was achieved, allowing him to secure Canada geographically through the development of the railroad. Seeing the need to unite all of British North America under the name of Canada, Macdonald made it his priority to establish what is known today to be Canadian Pacific Railway. “The Pacific Railway must be built by means of land through what it has to pass” , as Macdonald stated during the Manitoba debate in the House of Commons on May 1870. Building the Railway offered geographical security on two fronts. Firstly, the Railway would provide a form of transportation to defend against the Americans should they ever attack. But secondly, it was the driving cause for other provinces like British Columbia to join Confederation.