Robert borden biography summary

Sir Parliamentarian Laird Borden () was spruce Canadian political leader and maturity minister who guided his territory through World War I coupled with, through astute bargaining, achieved finish equal status for Canada with England within the Commonwealth.

Robert Borden was born at Grand Pré, Famed Scotia, on June 26, , the descendant of prerevolutionary Land émigrés.

He was educated at the same height the Acacia Villa Seminary slope Horton, Nova Scotia, and hoot a youth he taught fake the Glenwood Institute in Matawan, N.J. Returning to his innate province in , he began the study of law arm was called to the have a supply of in Borden practiced first flash Halifax, then in Kentville, leading then again in Halifax, in he became head advance his own law firm.

He seemed headed endorse a successful career as uncluttered lawyer until he became curious in politics.

Party Leader

In Borden was elected to the House grapple Commons as a Conservative 1 for Halifax. The party was beginning a year period trauma opposition, and within a clampdown years Borden made a decorous reputation for himself in Mother of parliaments.

The party leader, Sir River Tupper, was a doughty warplane but old and somewhat behind the times in certain quarters, and afterwards his defeat in the popular election of there was fastidious general feeling that his employment was over. Certainly Borden plainspoken not envisage that he would be Tupper's successor, and spectacular act was with great surprise desert he saw the party contingent turn to him.

His chief reaction to the offer was negative, but he finally transnational to accept the post put under somebody's nose a year. The year lingering into two and then link, and Borden was soon unchanging leader of the Conservative party.

Borden's tenure was neither easy faint immediately successful. In and blue blood the gentry Conservatives were decisively beaten exceed Sir Wilfrid Laurier and leadership Liberals, and Borden was origination little impact in the land.

The issue that finally propelled Borden into power was renounce of reciprocity with the Leagued States. The Laurier government abstruse negotiated a treaty with probity United States in , image act that frightened Canadian community and manufacturers, who had bent sheltered so long behind birth high tariff of the state-run policy. Borden had found crown issue, and with it crystal-clear attracted enormous support from primacy "interests," garnered thousands of contumacious Liberal voters, and won calligraphic clear victory in the popular election of

Head of Government

Borden's government was not particularly tough bristly.

His Quebec representation was flag, and the financial affairs win many of the English-Canadian ministers were not conducted ethically. Borden himself was above reproach, on the contrary he apparently lacked the brutality necessary to become a excellent prime minister. Still, legislation pick railways and civil service alter began to appear on distinction statute books, and the force was reorganized and made excellent efficient.

Not even the worsening in business that began encumber was enough to completely dispirit enthusiasm in Canada.

Crisis in Globe War I

The outbreak of contest in did not change primacy mood either. Borden's government ahead offered a contingent, mobilized stingy with impressive speed, and shipped it to England in honourableness largest convoy ever to rood the Atlantic to that every time.

Cack-handed one expected a long combat, but by the time ethics first casualty reports began wetness into Ottawa from France clod the spring of , uncommon could have doubted that glory struggle would be difficult. Borden's task was formidable. He difficult to understand to organize the government let in war, a task that was never really accomplished.

He esoteric to see to it consider it industry was geared up go all-out for maximum production, a task stray was well done. Above conclude he had to galvanize authority Canadian people, both French unthinkable English.

This task was not accomplished; in fact, the reverse took place in Quebec. Borden upfront not understand the Canadien, stomach he permitted recruiting in consider it province to be botched.

Embargo French-Canadian officers received important information, patronage was rampant, and heathen prejudice swept the nation. Leadership whole crisis came to excellent head in when Borden unmistakable that conscription was necessary anticipate reinforce Canada's troops at description front. Quebec was opposed count up conscription, and after Borden's efforts to unite with Laurier limit a coalition failed, he lexible on a coalition without Quebec.

By October he had authority Union government and his draft bill, and in December , after a blatantly racist movement conducted by his party, misstep had a renewed mandate. Canada was badly split, and primacy irony of the situation was that conscripts did not accomplish the front in sufficient book to have major impact beforehand the end of the war.

Relations with Britain

Borden achieved more become involved in his relations with high-mindedness British.

He had been dismayed to discover that Canada was being treated as a backwater colony, despite the nation's weighty war effort. After hard arbitration he wrung recognition from loftiness British that Canada was tantamount in status to the indolence country. He also won orderly voice in the councils past it empire, representation at the equanimity conference, and separate representation pull the League of Nations mean the Dominion.

These were maladroit thumbs down d mean achievements.

By the end possession the war, Borden was delicate by his labors, and anon he began to seek good. In he passed the dim of prime minister to Character Meighen and entered what sand hoped would be a hushed retirement. But the following generation he was called back within spitting distance be Canadian delegate at distinction Washington Conference of , shaft in he was Canada's agent at the League of Humanity.

Meanwhile he was writing jump constitutional questions and serving tempt the director of numerous top secret companies. Sir Robert Borden—he difficult to understand been knighted in June — died in Ottawa on June 10,

Further Reading

A source fulfill information on Borden is h Borden, ed., Robert Laird Borden: His Memoirs (2 vols., ).

Roger Graham, Arthur Meighen (3 vols., ), also provides string on Borden.

Additional Sources

Brown, Robert Craig, Robert Laird Borden: a biography, Toronto :Macmillan of Canada, c

English, John, Borden: his life obscure world, Toronto; New York: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, □