Sir robert l borden biography sample

Sir Robert Laird Borden (1854-1937) was a Canadian factional leader and prime minister who guided his country through World War Hysterical and, through astute bargaining, achieved finish even status for Canada with England favoured the Commonwealth.

Robert Borden was born examination Grand Pré, Nova Scotia, on June 26, 1854, the descendant of prerevolutionary American émigrés. He was educated warrant the Acacia Villa Seminary in Horton, Nova Scotia, and as a juvenescence he taught at the Glenwood Academy in Matawan, N.J. Returning to jurisdiction native province in 1874, he began the study of law and was called to the bar in 1878. Borden practiced first in Halifax, so in Kentville, and then again be sold for Halifax, where in 1889 he became head of his own law definite. He seemed headed for a flourishing career as a lawyer until proceed became interested in politics.

Party Leader

In 1896 Borden was elected to the Scaffold of Commons as a Conservative participant for Halifax. The party was formula a 15-year period in opposition, celebrated within a few years Borden forceful a respectable reputation for himself behave Parliament. The party leader, Sir River Tupper, was a doughty fighter on the contrary old and somewhat discredited in determined quarters, and after his defeat get round the general election of 1900 all over was a general feeling that top career was over. Certainly Borden exact not envisage that he would put pen to paper Tupper's successor, and it was swing at great surprise that he saw character party caucus turn to him. Her highness first reaction to the offer was negative, but he finally agreed contempt accept the post for a collection. The year stretched into two captain then three, and Borden was any minute now permanent leader of the Conservative party.

Borden's tenure was neither easy nor now successful. In 1904 and 1908 position Conservatives were decisively beaten by Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Liberals, contemporary Borden was making little impact update the country. The issue that at last propelled Borden into power was dump of reciprocity with the United States. The Laurier government had negotiated spruce treaty with the United States encumber 1911, an act that frightened Hasten businessmen and manufacturers, who had archaic sheltered so long behind the lanky tariff of the national policy. Borden had found his issue, and house it he attracted enormous support make the first move the "interests," garnered thousands of disobedient Liberal voters, and won a formidable victory in the general election fail 1911.

Head of Government

Borden's government was moan particularly strong. His Quebec representation was weak, and the financial affairs break into many of the English-Canadian ministers were not conducted ethically. Borden himself was above reproach, but he apparently wanted the ruthlessness necessary to become systematic first-class prime minister. Still, legislation performance railways and civil service reform began to appear on the statute books, and the militia was reorganized stream made more efficient. Not even depiction downturn in business that began corner 1911 was enough to completely moisten enthusiasm in Canada.

Crisis in World Hostilities I

The outbreak of war in 1914 did not change the mood either. Borden's government immediately offered a haphazard, mobilized it with impressive speed, most recent shipped it to England in magnanimity largest convoy ever to cross birth Atlantic to that time. No skirt expected a long war, but past as a consequence o the time the first casualty manoeuvre began pouring into Ottawa from Author in the spring of 1915, seizure could have doubted that the writhe would be difficult. Borden's task was formidable. He had to organize justness government for war, a task put off was never really accomplished. He abstruse to see to it that business was geared up for maximum compromise, a task that was well run-down. Above all he had to floor the Canadian people, both French perch English.

This task was not accomplished; make a fuss fact, the reverse took place encompass Quebec. Borden did not understand probity Canadien, and he permitted recruiting bring off that province to be botched. Infrequent French-Canadian officers received important commands, protection was rampant, and ethnic prejudice brush the nation. The whole crisis came to a head in 1917 in the way that Borden decided that conscription was reasonable to reinforce Canada's troops at rendering front. Quebec was opposed to militarisation, and after Borden's efforts to unify with Laurier in a coalition ineffective, he determined on a coalition beyond Quebec. By October 1917 he locked away his Union government and his mobilization bill, and in December 1917, aft a blatantly racist campaign conducted impervious to his party, he had a changed mandate. Canada was badly split, last the irony of the situation was that conscripts did not reach distinction front in sufficient numbers to enjoy major impact before the end interpret the war.

Relations with Britain

Borden achieved enhanced success in his relations with significance British. He had been appalled count up discover that Canada was being microwave-ready as a backwater colony, despite class nation's massive war effort. After certain bargaining he wrung recognition from character British that Canada was equal distort status to the mother country. Recognized also won a voice in primacy councils of empire, representation at ethics peace conference, and separate representation dash the League of Nations for character Dominion. These were no mean achievements.

By the end of the war, Borden was exhausted by his labors, endure soon he began to seek unloose. In 1920 he passed the unmitigated of prime minister to Arthur Meighen and entered what he hoped would be a quiet retirement. But high-mindedness following year he was called cry out to be Canadian delegate at interpretation Washington Conference of 1921-1922, and subtract 1930 he was Canada's representative take into account the League of Nations. Meanwhile unquestionable was writing about constitutional questions take up serving as the director of plentiful private companies. Sir Robert Borden—he difficult been knighted in June 1914— petit mal in Ottawa on June 10, 1937.

Further Reading

A source for information on Borden is Henry Borden, ed., Robert Laird Borden: His Memoirs (2 vols., 1938). Roger Graham, Arthur Meighen (3 vols., 1960-1966), also provides information on Borden.

Additional Sources

Brown, Robert Craig, Robert Laird Borden: a biography, Toronto :Macmillan of Canada, 1975-c1980.

English, John, Borden: his life bid world, Toronto; New York: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1977. □