Federal election of 1896

In the general election of June 1896 Conservative prime minister Sir Charles Tupper and Liberal leader Wilfrid Laurier were confronted with what had been a recurring challenge in Canadian politics since 1890: the Manitoba school crisis. The right of access to separate schools for the local Catholic minority, which had been flouted, became the most important stake in this historic election. Tupper waged an excellent campaign, but Laurier appeared to be the only one capable of solving the country’s social and economic problems and giving it a fresh start. At the age of 54 Wilfrid Laurier became prime minister of Canada, the first French Canadian to hold this office since confederation.