Fathers of confederation by Campbell Park

Birth

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Sir Charles Tupper (July 2, 1821 – October 30, 1915), was a Canadian Father of Confederation who served as the sixth prime minister of Canada from May 1 to July 8, 1896. This was the shortest of all time (Tupper, 2008).

Childhood

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Charles Tupper was born on his family’s small farm near Amherst, Nova Scotia. His father, also called Charles, was a Baptist pastor. Largely home-schooled, Tupper’s education was supplemented by grammar school classes. In 1837, he studied at Horton Academy in Wolfville, Nova Scoica. After graduating in 1839, he spent some time teaching in New Brunswick before studying medicine in Windsor, Nova Scotia, in 1839–40. Tupper then studied at the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland, where he earned his medical degree in 1843. He returned to Amherst that year and established a medical practice and drug store (Tupper, 2008).

Family

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He married Frances Morse, a descendent of the founders of Amherst, in 1846. The couple had six children (Tupper, 2008).

Career Outside Politics

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He established a successful medical practice in Halifax, rising to become the city medical officer (Tupper, 2008).

Early Political Career

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He entered Nova Scotian politics in 1855 as a protégé of James William Johnston. He later joined the Conservative Party of Canada (Tupper, 2008).

Involvement in Confederation

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Tupper organized a Confederation Party against the activities of the Anti-Confederation Party and successfully led Nova Scotia into Confederation. He was known as one of the Fathers of Confederation (Canada guide, 2021).

Death

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Tupper lived in Vancouver before moving to live with one of his daughters in England in 1913, where he died of heart failure on October 30, 1915. He died at the age 94. His remains still lay in Hailfax to this day (Tupper, 2008).

Lasting Impressions/ Legacy

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One hundred years after Sir Charles Tupper’s death, medical science and practice have progressed to levels beyond the imagination of 19th century doctors. Yet, it is the work of early medical pioneers like Dr. Tupper who helped lay the foundations of institutions that sustain scientific progress today. He was also credited with performing 116 obstetric operations before he was 22. He was named to the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 2016 (Tupper, 2024).

Work Cited

cpark13_4 — 2024-11-22 17:23:34 UTC

Sir Charles Tupper. The Canadian Encyclopedia. (2008, February 21). https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-charles-tupper

Sir Charles Tupper, MD. CMHF. (n.d.).(2024).https://www.cdnmedhall.ca/laureates/charlestupper#:~:text=Sir%20Tupper%20entered%20political%20life,was%20Premier%20of%20Nova%20Scotia.

Charles Tupper. The Canada Guide. (2021, October 16). https://thecanadaguide.com/history/prime-ministers/charles-tupper/