George Brown National Historic Person (1818-1880)

George Brown was designated as a national historic person in 1950.

Historical importance: Father of Confederation, founded the Toronto Globe (1844); involved in abolititionist and Underground Railroad activities.

Commemorative plaque: 186 Beverley Street, Toronto, Ontario^{Footnote 1}

George Brown (1818–1880)

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.