早期生涯

阿伯特於1854年取得麥吉爾大學的民法學學位，其後成為一名出色的律師。他亦是蒙特利爾英語社區的重要支柱，更於1887年至1889年其間出任該市市長。

阿伯特曾經長時間擔任國會下議院議員。1887年，他獲委任為國會上議院議員，並加入當時總理麥剋唐納政府的內閣，出任不管部部長。他另於1887年5月12日至1893年10月30日其間出任國會上議院政府領袖一職。憑着其出色的法律及行政才能，阿伯特迅速成為政府的領導人物之一。

出任總理

1891年，總理麥剋唐納於任內病逝。面臨分裂的保守黨希望阿伯特能夠接掌總理一職，阿伯特衹好在不情願的情況下接受這個請求。在他十八個月的任期內，儘管爆出醜聞，阿伯特仍然致力復興政府和保守黨，並處理上任政府遺留下來的工作。阿伯特其中幾項政績包括：改革公務員制度、修訂刑事法則、跟美國簽訂互惠條約。另外，在他任內一共有五十二次補選，其中四十二次均由保守黨勝出，令到保守黨以十三席之差繼續成為多數黨。這些勝利無可置疑是加拿大國民對阿伯特作為加拿大總理一職的肯定。

最後日子

阿伯特在出任總理一年後嘗試將總理一職交予信奉羅馬天主教的約翰·斯帕洛·戴維·湯普森，但是因為受到有宗教偏見的保守黨核心小組反對而未能成事。1892年，罹患初期腦癌的阿伯特因為健康逐漸衰退，被迫退出政壇，而約翰·湯普森最終成為新一任加拿大總理。阿伯特在退休不足一年後病逝，享年七十二歲。他被安葬於魁北剋省蒙特利爾皇傢山公墓。

瑣事

• 阿伯特最常作出的政治評論是：“我討厭政治（I hate politics）”。
• 位於魁北剋省聖安‧迪‧美景（Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue）的約翰·阿伯特學院是以他的名字來命名的。阿伯特曾經在當地擁有一間渡假屋。

外部鏈接

• 阿伯特的傳記（來自加拿大人傳記網上字典） （英文）
• 約翰·阿伯特的傳記（來自加拿大國會圖書館） （英文）

Sir John Joseph Caldwell Abbott, PC, KCMG, QC (March 12, 1821 – October 30, 1893) was a Canadian lawyer and politician, Freemason, who served as the third prime minister of Canada (and its first native-born one – both Macdonald and Mackenzie having been born in Scotland), in office from 1891 to 1892. He held office as the leader of the Conservative Party.

Abbott was born in what is now Saint-André-d'Argenteuil, Quebec. He studied law at McGill University and became one of Montreal's best-known lawyers, later returning to McGill as a professor of law and earning a Doctor of Civil Law degree. He was perhaps best known for his successful defence of the perpetrators of the St. Albans Raid. Abbott involved himself in politics from a young age, signing the Montreal Annexation Manifesto in 1849 – which he later regretted – and winning election to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada in 1860. In the lead-up to Confederation he was a prominent advocate for the rights of English-speaking Quebecers.

In the 1867 federal election, Abbott was elected to the new House of Commons of Canada as a member of the Conservative Party. A telegram leaked from his office played a key part in the Pacific Scandal of 1873, which led to the downfall of John A. Macdonald's first government. Abbott was appointed to the Senate in 1887, in order to become Leader of the Government in the Senate. He became prime minister in June 1891 following Macdonald's death in office. Abbott was 70 years old at the time, and served only until November 1892 when he retired due to ill health. He died the following year.