Mackenzie King

Mackenzie King

"It's what we prevent, rather than what we do in government that counts most," once said Mackenzie King, the great prime minister of the twentieth century in Canada. A philosophy that led him through twenty-two strong years in the office of the Prime Minister of Canada. King, the grandson of William Lyon Mackenzie (the leader of the great rebellion in upper Canada in 1837), who's long standing goal in life was to be Prime Minister, worked hard at his job, and did his job for the people of Canada. Thus, being very well admired by Canadian Citizens, and getting the majority of the votes in national elections.

King led Canada through the later half of the depression in the thirties and throughout all of World War II.

Mackenzie King was born in Berlin (now Kitchener), Ontario, December 17th, 1874. King had pretty much a typical upbringing and childhood. He seemed to love his mother, Isabel Grace - Mackenzie, more than anyone else and had a lifelong commitment to her. Early in his life, King was very successful in academics and basically devoted his life at the time to school. King graduated at the age of seventeen, and then proceeded to The University of Toronto, where he graduated with first class honours, in 1895. Afterwards he attended The University of Chicago, and Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. King was definitely the model for "a promising young man." And so upon completion of University, King was drawn into politics by Sir Wilfred Laurier in 1908, where he ran for MP in Waterloo, and won. Even by virtue of not having and prior political experience or success. Prime Minister Laurier named King the new Minister of Labour in 1909 when King was still only 35, which basically got him walking in the sense of politics. In 1911 the Liberals were defeated and King lost his seat in the parliament. Again, in 1917, the Liberals were defeated. Two years later, Liberals gave up on Laurier and were looking for a new leader. That Leader was to be Mackenzie King.

"This to be a year of momentous decisions so far as my own life is concerned," stated King in his first ever diary entry on New Year's Day, 1919. Just two years after taking over the Liberals, King was elected the Prime Minister of Canada. Becoming Prime Minister was just the beginning of a long life of fame for Mackenzie King. He was to become the second most long standing Prime Minister in Canadian history. King came to power at age 47 and already had 13 years of political activity under his belt. He was confident, sure of himself of the great job he could do for the country he loved. In King's first term in office he tried to lower tariffs and freight rates in order to better financially accommodate the prairie farmers. But he didn't lower them enough and most of the farmers gave up and started to give their ...