Edward Whelan (Canadian politician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Edward Whelan
Born	1824
Died	10 December 1867  (aged 42–43)

Edward Whelan (born 1824, died 1867) was an important person from Prince Edward Island. He helped create Canadian Confederation, which is how Canada became a country. Whelan was also a writer, a great speaker, and he fought for a fair government. He is known as one of the Fathers of Confederation.

Early Life and Learning

Edward Whelan was born in 1824 in Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland. When he was seven years old, his family moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1831.

In Halifax, Edward learned a lot from two important people. He worked as a printing apprentice for Joseph Howe, who was a famous journalist and politician. He also learned from Father Richard Baptist O’Brien, a priest and a gifted speaker who taught him at St. Mary's School. These experiences helped Edward become a strong writer and speaker himself.

At 18, Edward stopped his studies to become the editor of The Register. This was a newspaper for Irish-Catholic readers that supported liberal ideas.

Edward Whelan's Journalism Career

Edward Whelan was a Canadian journalist. He worked for The Register newspaper, which was read by many Irish Roman Catholics. Later, he started his own newspaper called the Examiner. Even though it was difficult at first, he managed to keep it going. Through his newspapers, Whelan shared his ideas and opinions with the public.

Edward Whelan's Political Career

In August 1846, Edward Whelan was elected to the assembly for St. Peters in Kings County. He stayed an assemblyman for many years.

In 1850, Whelan spent a lot of time speaking at meetings about "responsible government." This meant that the government should be accountable to the people it served. His efforts made him more respected. In April 1851, he was chosen to be part of the Executive Council. He was also named the Queen's Printer, which meant he was in charge of printing official government documents.

In his new role, Whelan worked to support important changes. These included the Free Education Act, which made education available to more people. He also supported extending the right to vote and the Land Purchase Act, which helped people buy land. These changes were sometimes controversial, and Whelan often had to defend them.

Confederation and Its Challenges

In 1864, people were talking about uniting the British North American colonies to form a new country. This idea was called Confederation. Even though many Liberals were against it, Whelan supported Confederation. He believed it would give Prince Edward Island more control over its own affairs.

Whelan was chosen as one of the delegates to the Quebec Conference. At this meeting, he became an even stronger supporter of Confederation. However, not many politicians or people in PEI agreed with him. This made Whelan feel disappointed.

End of Political Life

Edward Whelan's support for Confederation and some other issues made him feel alone within his own Liberal party. In the election of 1867, he lost his seat for the first time in 21 years.

There were several reasons for his defeat. He had lost support from his usual voters because he spoke out against groups like the Tenant League and Fenianism (a movement for Irish independence). Also, his support for Confederation was not popular in PEI. His opponent, Edward Reilly, had different views on these issues.

Whelan also believed that a new priest in St. Peters, Father William Phelan, influenced the election against him. Whelan felt that the church had too much say in politics.

Edward Whelan was very upset about losing the election. By the autumn of 1867, his health began to get worse. He passed away on December 10, 1867.