1878 Canadian federal election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1878 Canadian federal election
| country = Canada
| flag_year = 1868
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| party_colour = no
| party_name = no
| previous_election = 1874 Canadian federal election
| previous_year = 1874
| next_election = 1882 Canadian federal election
| next_year = 1882
| seats_for_election = 206 seats in the House of Commons
| majority_seats = 104
| turnout = 69.1%{{cite web|title=Voter Turnout at Federal Elections and Referendums
|url=http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=ele&dir=turn&document=index&lang=e|website=Elections Canada|access-date=10 March 2019}} ({{decrease}} 0.5 pp)
| election_date = September 17, 1878
| elected_members = 4th Canadian Parliament
| outgoing_members = 3rd Canadian Parliament
| image1 = 200x200px
| colour1 = {{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative (historical)|nohash}}
| leader1 = John A. Macdonald
| leader_since1 = 1867
| party1 = {{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative (historical)|name}}
| leaders_seat1 = Victoria{{efn|Macdonald also ran in Kingston (where he was defeated) and Marquette (where he was elected); as his appointment as Prime Minister meant he was required by convention at the time to vacate his seat and run again, he chose to stand again in Victoria rather than Marquette.}}
| last_election1 = 65 seats, 30.1%
| seats1 = 134
| seat_change1 = {{increase}} 69
| popular_vote1 = 229,191
| percentage1 = 42.06%
| swing1 = {{increase}} 11.96 pp
| image2 = 200x200px
| colour2 = {{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|nohash}}
| leader2 = Alexander Mackenzie
| leader_since2 = 1873
| party2 = {{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|name}}
| leaders_seat2 = Lambton
| last_election2 = 129 seats, 39.5%
| seats2 = 63
| seat_change2 = {{decrease}} 66
| popular_vote2 = 180,074
| percentage2 = 33.05%
| swing2 = {{decrease}} 6.45 pp
| map_image = Canada 1878 Federal Election.svg
| map_size = 380px
| map_caption = 1878 Canadian electoral map
| map2_image = Chambre des Communes 1878.png
| map2_size = 380px
| map2_caption = The Canadian Parliament after the 1878 election
| title = Prime Minister
| posttitle = Prime Minister after election
| before_election = Alexander Mackenzie
| before_party = {{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|name}}
| after_election = John A. Macdonald
| after_party = {{Canadian party colour|CA|Conservative (historical)|name}}
}}
The 1878 Canadian federal election was held on September 17, 1878, to elect members of the House of Commons of the 4th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the end of Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie's Liberal government after only one term in office. Canada suffered an economic depression during Mackenzie's term, and his party was punished by voters for it. The Liberals' policy of free trade also hurt their support with the business establishment in Toronto and Montreal.
Sir John A. Macdonald and his Conservative Party were returned to power after having been defeated four years before amidst scandals over the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
National results
File:1878 Canadian parliament.svg
| class="wikitable"
!rowspan=2 colspan=2|Party !rowspan=2|Party leader !rowspan=2|# of candidates !colspan=3|Seats !colspan=3|Popular vote |
| bgcolor="CCCCCC"
|align="center"|1874 |align="center"|Elected |align="center"|Change |align="center"|# |align="center"|% |align="center"|Change {{Canadian party colour|CA|PC|row}} |rowspan=2 align="center"| John A. Macdonald |align="right"| 101 |align="right"| 38 |align="right"| 85 |align="right"| +118.4% |align="right"| 143,192 |align="right"| 26.28% |align="right"| +7.80pp {{Canadian party colour|CA|PC|row}} |align="right"| 60 |align="right"| 26 |align="right"| 49 |align="right"| +76.9% |align="right"| 85,999 |align="right"| 15.78% |align="right"| +3.50pp {{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|row}} | Liberal |align="center"| Alexander Mackenzie |align="right"| 121 |align="right"| 126 |align="right"| 63 |align="right"| -54.8% |align="right"| 180,074 |align="right"| 33.05% |align="right"| -7.74pp {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} | Independent |align="center"| |align="right"| 11 |align="right"| 4 |align="right"| 5 |align="right"| +25% |align="right"| 14,783 |align="right"| 2.71% |align="right"| -0.48pp {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} | Independent Conservative |align="center"| |align="right"| 2 |align="right"| 2 |align="right"| 2 |align="right"| - |align="right"| 1,001 |align="right"| 0.18% |align="right"| -0.76pp {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} | Unknown |align="center"| |align="right"| 117 |align="right"| - |align="right"| |align="right"| |align="right"| 114,043 |align="right"| 20.93% |align="right"| -1.93pp {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} | Independent Liberal |align="center"| |align="right"| 4 |align="right"| 1 |align="right"| 1 |align="right"| +100% |align="right"| 5,388 |align="right"| 0.99% |align="right"| - {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} |align="center"| |align="right"| 1 |align="right"| * |align="right"| 1 |align="right"| * |align="right"| 401 |align="right"| 0.07% |align="right"| * |
| colspan=3|Total
! align="right"| 417 ! align="right"| 197 ! align="right"| 206 ! align="right"| +3.6% ! align="right"| 544,881 ! align="right"| 100.0% ! - |
|---|
| align="center" colspan=10|Sources: http://www.elections.ca -- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090609211221/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E History of Federal Ridings since 1867] |
Note:
Acclamations
The following Members of Parliament were elected by acclamation;
- British Columbia: 1 Conservative, 1 Liberal-Conservative
- Manitoba: 2 Conservatives, 1 Liberal-Conservative
- Quebec: 1 Conservative, 2 Liberal-Conservatives, 1 Liberal
- New Brunswick: 1 Liberal, 1 Independent
Results by province
| class="wikitable"
! align="center" colspan=3|Party name ! align="center"|BC ! align="center"|MB ! align="center"|ON ! align="center"|QC ! align="center"|NB ! align="center"|NS ! align="center"|PE ! align="center"|Total {{Canadian party colour|CA|PC|row}} | rowspan=2|Conservative | Seats: | align="right"| 1 | align="right"| 2 | align="right"| 37 | align="right"| 33 | align="right"| 1 | align="right"| 8 | align="right"| 3 | align="right"| 85 {{Canadian party colour|CA|PC|row}} | Popular vote (%): | align="right"| - | align="right"| 49.6 | align="right"| 25.5 | align="right"| 35.0 | align="right"| 5.9 | align="right"| 21.7 | align="right"| 31.6 | align="right"| 26.3 {{Canadian party colour|CA|PC|row}} | rowspan=2 |Liberal-Conservative | Seats: | align="right"| 2 | align="right"| 1 | align="right"| 23 | align="right"| 12 | align="right"| 3 | align="right"| 6 | align="right"| 2 | align="right"| 49 {{Canadian party colour|CA|PC|row}} | Vote (%): | align="right"| 39.6 | align="right"| - | align="right"| 15.8 | align="right"| 13.2 | align="right"| 14.3 | align="right"| 22.7 | align="right"| 12.0 | align="right"| 15.8 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|row}} | rowspan=2|Liberal | Seats: | align="right"| 2 | align="right"| | align="right"| 27 | align="right"| 17 | align="right"| 9 | align="right"| 7 | align="right"| 1 | align="right"| 63 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Liberal|row}} | Vote (%): | align="right"| - | align="right"| | align="right"| 36.3 | align="right"| 21.7 | align="right"| 48.2 | align="right"| 34.9 | align="right"| 37.2 | align="right"| 33.1 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} | rowspan=2| Independent | Seats: | align="right"| 1 | align="right"| | align="right"| 1 | align="right"| 1 | align="right"| 2 | align="right"| - | align="right"| | align="right"| 5 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} | Vote (%): | align="right"| 12.2 | align="right"| | align="right"| 1.5 | align="right"| 1.6 | align="right"| 13.1 | align="right"| 4.3 | align="right"| | align="right"| 2.7 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} | rowspan=2 |Independent Conservative | Seats: | align="right"| | align="right"| 1 | align="right"| | align="right"| 1 | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| 2 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} | Vote (%): | align="right"| | align="right"| 50.4 | align="right"| | align="right"| 0.7 | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| 0.2 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} | rowspan=2| Unknown | Seats: | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} | Vote (%): | align="right"| 48.2 | align="right"| | align="right"| 19.9 | align="right"| 27.4 | align="right"| 14.8 | align="right"| 14.7 | align="right"| 19.3 | align="right"| 20.9 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} | rowspan=2| Independent Liberal | Seats: | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| 1 | align="right"| - | align="right"| | align="right"| 1 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} | Vote (%): | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| 1.0 | align="right"| | align="right"| 3.7 | align="right"| 1.7 | align="right"| | align="right"| 1.0 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} | rowspan=2| Nationalist Conservative | Seats: | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| 1 | align="right"| | align="right"| - | align="right"| | align="right"| 1 {{Canadian party colour|CA|Independent|row}} | Vote (%): | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| 0.3 | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| | align="right"| 0.1 |
| colspan=3|Total seats
| align="right"| 6 | align="right"| 4 | align="right"| 88 | align="right"| 65 | align="right"| 16 | align="right"| 21 | align="right"| 6 | align="right"| 206 |
Further reading
- {{cite book |last1=Argyle |first1=Ray |title=Turning Points: The Campaigns that Changed Canada 2004 and Before |date=2004 |publisher=White Knight Publications |location=Toronto |isbn=978-0-9734186-6-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/turningpointscam0000argy |url-access=registration}} pp. 69-90.
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
See also
{{Portal|Canada|Politics}}
{{Canada elections}}