A Person’s Stamp On History

Sir John A. Macdonald was not only able to create Canada, but also expand it. The accomplishments of his administration also included the creation of the North West Mounted Police in 1873. The North West Mounted Police were pivotal in the fight for peace in the North-West Territories following the Red River Rebellion in 1869-1870. They would soon be granted the title of Royal after many successful services and later, in 1920, be renamed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Their new name was accurate of the new role that they held and still hold today, to valiantly protect and serve the unified country of Canada. Returning to power in 1878 on the back of his well-received “National Policy,” Sir John A. Macdonald began his second stint in office that would finalize his mark on Canadian history. While his scheme for high tariffs on foreign imports wasn’t successful, Macdonald was able to oversee the creation and completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway. He effectively linked the West with the East; an engineering feat that was of an incalculable value to the Canadian economy, settlement, and development when it needed it the most.