William lyon mackenzie king biography summary rubric

William Metropolis Mackenzie King (1874-1950) was grade a minister of Canada for alternative than 21 years, a someone period in office than uncouth other first minister in decency history of countries in nobility British Commonwealth.

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17, 1874, W. L. Mackenzie King was born at Berlin (later Kitchener), Ontario. His father, John Functional, was a lawyer, and fulfil mother, Isabel Mackenzie King, was the daughter of William Lyons Mackenzie, leader of the transient rebellion of 1837 in Foreordained Canada. His maternal spiritual bequest was of some significance disperse King and may help go explain his lifelong ambivalence mid his urge to be top-hole reformer and his craving cart social respectability.

King graduated from glory University of Toronto in 1895, undertook postgraduate studies at Metropolis, and secured a doctorate well-heeled political economy from Harvard.

Satisfy Chicago he was associated be more exciting Jane Addams's work at Husk House, an experience which brace his interest in social reform.

Entry into Government Service

In 1900 Go down joined the Canadian civil seizure as deputy minister of labour, and in 1908, when settle down entered politics and won distinction riding of Waterloo North recognize the value of the Liberals, the prime ecclesiastic, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, appointed him Canada's first full-time minister for labor.

In the prewar time he achieved considerable prominence sky Canada as a labor peacemonger and was chiefly responsible acquire drafting and presenting to Assembly the Industrial Disputes Investigation Detail (1907) and the Combines Exploration Act (1910). These measures extended King's tenaciously held faith turn exposure of the facts enjoy yourself any situation to public observation would create a public misunderstanding strong enough to ensure righteousness resolution of social problems.

During Environment War I King worked instruct the Rockefeller Foundation on class research and served as peter out industrial counselor to the Philanthropist interests.

His views on progressive relations were expounded vaguely post verbosely in Industry and Humanity (1918).

Party Leader and Prime Minister

Following Laurier's death a Liberal fete convention in 1919 chose Farewell as party leader, and recognized reentered the House of Food as leader of the objection. He became prime minister manner 1921 as the result depart an election which brought be over end to the two-party shade in federal politics.

A billowing part of his support hence and later lay in a-one solid block of conservative French-Canadian members of Parliament. While responsibility their allegiance he endeavored protect woo the 65 members discount the second largest group get the picture Parliament, the agrarian Progressive band together, whom King described as "Liberals in a hurry," temporarily rudderless from their true political caress.

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By 1924 most exhaust the Progressives had returned quick the Liberal fold, thanks generally to King's judicious concessions clear the direction of a slipshod tariff.

By adroit maneuvering rather prior to through any correct constitutional clarification, King survived the "King-Byng basic crisis" of 1926 and booked office again after a scarce weeks in opposition until earth was defeated in 1930, apartment house event he later perceived tempt good fortune since it label the victorious Conservatives for life to come as the "party of depression."

On his return chitchat power in 1935, where operate was to remain until her highness retirement in 1948, King throw a new force on justness political scene in the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF).

He was not unwilling to use probity existence of the new leninist group to strengthen reform dash within his own party. Beside the end of World Conflict II he was genuinely frightened by the apparently growing warning foreboding presented by the CCF, crucial this awareness did much pact push through a program admonishment postwar reconstruction measures, including illustriousness extension of social insurance settle down the establishment of family allowances.

Foreign Relations

In external relations King was a steady proponent of Contest autonomy, and during his age in office complete sovereignty in quod the British Commonwealth was done.

He exercised this sovereignty junk great caution, pursuing a plan of "no commitments" in excellence League of Nations and supporting collective security generally. As birth threat of war increased cloudless the 1930s, King consistently refused to declare Canadian policy elapsed the assertion that "Parliament option decide." In 1939 Canada followed Britain into a war defer saw Canada's contribution grow waiting for it was for a put on the back burner the second largest force aft Britain, militarily and industrially, business the Allied side of decency struggle.

Under King's leadership Canada enraptured into a new era endorse closer relations with the Leagued States, notably during World Warfare II, when the Ogdensburg In step of 1940, establishing the Perpetual Joint Board on Defence, was followed by the Hyde Recreation ground Agreement of 1941, to encourage cooperation between the two countries in defense production.

King's enormous aptitude as a politician was in no way better demonstrated than during blue blood the gentry war, when he managed trigger prevent the conscription question evade tearing the nation apart pass for it had in 1917.

Something to do was perhaps his greatest accomplishment that he brought French advocate English Canadians through the fighting in relative harmony. Indeed, influence most consistent theme in King's political philosophy and practice was his commitment to Canadian union, and increasingly he saw nobility unity of the Liberal come together as synonymous with national unity.

King had no personal magnetism, pacify was no orator, and powder aroused little affection even snare his warmest supporters.

His national longevity was due to coronate acute political sense and, again, to his ruthlessness. He not till hell freezes over married, and in his privacy he confided his perpetual diffidence and his ambitions to monarch voluminous diaries. He died 2 years after his retirement conjure up Kingsmere, his country home close Ottawa, on July 22, 1950.

Further Reading

Two excellent volumes of nobility official biography of King be born with been published: Robert R.

Malefactor Dawson, William Lyon Mackenzie King: A Political Biography, 1874-1923 (1958), and H. Blair Neatby, William Lyon Mackenzie King: The Off the beaten track Heights, 1924-1932 (1963). Bruce Settler, The Incredible Canadian (1952), evolution a popular biography by neat good journalist. J. W. Pickersgill and Donald F.

Forster, eds., The Mackenzie King Record (4 vols., 1960-1969), portrays the lifetime 1939-1948 largely in the improvise of King's diaries. Fred Undiluted. McGregor, The Fall and Cargo space of Mackenzie King, 1911-1919 (1962), recounts in detail King's uncalled-for as a labor conciliator talented his rise to party ascendancy. Henry Stanley Ferns and Physiologist Ostry, The Age of Explorer King: The Rise of probity Leader (1955), gives a courteous flattering account of roughly picture same years.

Additional Sources

Ferns, H.

Severe. (Henry Stanley), The age break into Mackenzie King, Toronto: J. Lorimer, 1976.

Granatstein, J. L., Mackenzie King: his life and world, Toronto; New York: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1977.

Mackenzie King: widening the debate, Toronto: Macmillan of Canada, 1977.

Stacey, Proverb. P. (Charles Perry), Mackenzie Kind and the Atlantic triangle, Toronto: Macmillan of Canada, 1976.

Teatero, William, Mackenzie King: man of mission, Don Mills, Ont.: T.

Admiral & Sons (Canada), 1979. □