What if one year and one election defined Canada’s destiny? In this first episode of History Matters, I speak with historian Patrice A. Dutil about his new book Ballots and Brawls: The 1867 Canadian Election, and why context matters in understanding our past.

We unpack the first election after Confederation, the chaos of open ballots and political brawls, and how a fragile democracy took root under Sir John A. Macdonald. Patrice also shares insights from his award-winning Sir John A. Macdonald and the Apocalyptic Year 1885, when rebellion, smallpox, and railways collided to test Canada’s young nation.

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Patrice Dutil

https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrice-dutil-8962a12b7/