Wiliam Lyon Mckenzie

’s History Essay, Research Paper

In my background paper I will be talking about William Mackenzie King and how Great he was to our province; I will also talk about

his great accomplishments,strength,and weaknesses. And how he achieved his role of being our Prime Minister.

William Mackenzie King was the grandson of William Lyon Mackenzie, was born in Kitchener (then they called it berlin) on Dec. 17, 1874 he went to school and Studied hard and got his B.A. in law and also got a degree from the University of Toronto, and also studied at the University of Chicago and Harvard University. William Also became a served as a deputy minister of labour from 1900 to 1908 then he was first Elected to the house of commons in 1908, and succeeded Laurier as a leader of the liberal Party in 1919. King also became a Prime Minister when the liberals won the general Election on Dec. 6, 1921. Even though the Meighen s won the most sets in the general Election of Oct. 29, 1925, King stayed in the office with the help of progressive and Labor members who supported his proposed tariff reductions and an old-age pension Legislation. William had lost his York North seat in the 1925 election but returned to the House of Commons as the member for Prince Albert, following a by- Election on Feb.15, 1926. William s government was shaken in 1926 by the Revelation that the Customs Department was tainted with corruption and incompetence. King William was also interested in labour coincided with an expansion in manufacturing and a concern elations. King also acted as a conciliator in a number of strikes, his major legislative Achievement being the industrial dispute investigation in the Act of 1907, which delayed Strikes, or lockouts in public utilities or mines until a conciliation board achieved a settlement or published a report. King was defeated in the 1911 for the federal election and in 1917 the Conscription election, but he still maintained his connections with the Liberal party, but during the war acted as a labour consultant and was employed by the Rockefeller Foundation. In 1919 at the Liberal convention King was appointed Laurier s Successor. Two years later the Liberals won a bare majority in the federal election and King became a Prime Minister. He set out to regain the confidence of the farmers in Ontario and western Canada who had supported the new Progressive Party, but his

Reduction in tariffs and fright rates were not enough, and after the 1925 election the Liberals could stay in the office only with Progressive support. King was an Opposition Leader, keeping his party united as he attacked Bennett for unfulfilled promises and

Rising unemployment and deficits. His only alternative policy, however, was to reduce Trade barriers. In the 1935 the Liberals party campaigned on the slogan King or Chaos ,and was returned to office with a comfortable majority. King called a snap election early 1940 and his government was returned with an increased majority. Cooperation between the government and business and labour leaders shifted Canadian industrial production to wartime footing. The remarkable industrial expansion involved special Financial arrangements with the US and economic planning on a continental scale. To Placate Canadians who feared the return of the Depression after the war and who looked To the government for greater social security, King introduced Unemployment Insurance In 1940, and his reconstruction program. The Liberals narrowly won the 1945 election. King did not play a decisive role in the postwar era, preferring a minimal role for the Government at home and abroad. He was persuaded to resign as Prime Minister in 1948 And was succeeded by Louis ST. LAURENT. He died 2 years later.

William Lyon Mackenzie played a major political role in the Canadian

Government, as he went along with the (Liberal) political party. In conclusion that William Lyon Mackenzie s political achievements established his leadership role in Canada s government. His charismatic personality ultimately gave him a great image in Playing the role as a Prime Minister.