Fonds

The Cartier family moved to Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu some time in the late 18^th century. Merchants and landowners, the Cartiers were also involved in local politics and many members belonged to the militia.

George-Étienne Cartier was born September 6, 1814. First educated by the Sulpicians, he went on to study law and became a clerk in the law firm of Édouard-Étienne Rodier. Called to the Bar of Lower Canada in 1835, he went into practice with his older brother François-Damien (1813-1865). Throughout his career as a lawyer in Montreal, he represented prominent clients like the Sulpicians and the Grand Trunk Railway, which was formed in 1852 after Cartier introduced a bill to this effect in the Parliament of the Province of Canada.

A member of the Fils de la Liberté (Sons of Liberty), George-Étienne Cartier took part in the 1837 Rebellion, which forced him into exile in the United States for several months. He was also involved in the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society, notably as secretary (1843).

In 1846, George-Étienne Cartier married Hortense Fabre (1828-1898), with whom he had three daughters. A well-established member of Montreal's business class, he owned numerous properties in the city, including some on St. Paul and Notre Dame streets. He also served on several boards of directors and held shares in various companies.

He moved towards conservative politics during the 1840s, having worked with Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine, whose moderate conservatism he supported. George-Étienne Cartier was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of United Canada in 1848, to represent the riding of Verchères. He was re-elected several times until 1867, as the member for Verchères and then as the member for Montreal East. His influence within the conservative political movement expanded considerably during this period. For example, he was attorney general for Canada East (1856-1862, then 1864-1867) and inspector general (1858), in addition to acting as co-Prime Minister with John A. Macdonald in the Parliament of the Province of Canada in 1857-1858 and 1858-1862. He also played a crucial role in the selection of Ottawa as the capital of the Province of Canada (United Canada), and then the capital of the new Dominion of Canada in 1867.

George-Étienne Cartier was behind several reforms aimed at modernizing Quebec society (Canada East), such as establishing a public school system that observed the principle of religious duality, reorganizing municipalities and eliminating the seigneurial regime. In addition, he was the author of reforms affecting laws and the administration of justice, such as a decentralized judiciary and the creation of a Civil Code for Lower Canada.

He was, moreover, a key player in the process that led to Canadian Confederation (1867). He subsequently remained a major influence, serving as Minister of Militia and Defence (1867-1873) and even as Prime Minister when John A. Macdonald was unable to perform his duties. He introduced important bills like the one for the creation of the militia (1868) and, more controversially, the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (1872). From 1867 to his death, George-Étienne Cartier held the dual roles of MLA in the Quebec Legislative Assembly and MP in the Ottawa House of Commons.

He first experienced symptoms of Bright's disease in 1871, and finally succumbed to it in London on May 20, 1873.