Sir Wilfrid Laurier Essay, Research Paper

Born

20 November 1841, St. Lin, Canada East

Education

McGill University, B.C.L. 1864

Personal Status

Married 1868, Zoe Lafontaine (1841-1921)

Professional Life

Lawyer (called to the Bar Canada East in 1864)

1866-1867 Editor of Le Defricheur

1869-1878 Ensign, Arthabaskaville Infantry

1871-1874 MLA Quebec

Died

17 February 1919, Ottawa, Ontario

Buried

Notre Dame Cemetery, Ottawa, Ontario

Party

Liberal

1887-1919 Party Leader

Constituencies

1874-1877 Drummond-Arthabaska, Quebec

1877-1919 Quebec East, Quebec

Other Ministries

1877-1878 Inland Revenue

1896-1911 President of the Privy Council

Political Record

Leader of the Opposition 1887-1896

Adoption of the regulations on the Manitoba Schools Question 1896

Creation of the Yukon Territory 1898

Canadian participation in the South African War 1899-1902

Alaska Boundary Dispute 1903

Construction of the second transcontinental railway 1903

Creation of the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta 1905

Formation of the Departments of Labour 1900 and External Affairs 1909

Naval Service Bill 1910

Leader of the Opposition 1911-1919

Canada has been modest in its history, in my estimation, is only commencing. It is

commencing in this century. The nineteenth century of the United States. I think we can

claim that Canada will fill the twentieth century.” Sir Wilfrid Laurier, January 18, 1904

These words, so familiar to to Canadians, sum up the spirit of optimism which

characterized Laurier himself, as well as the country during the time he governed. His

skill as a politician gave him the longest unbroken term of office as prime minister, while

his charismatic personality endeared him to friend and rival alike, and made him a hero

to the nation.

Wilfrid Laurier was born in St. Lin, Quebec in 1841, the son of a farmer. After a few

years at the local elementary school, Laurier was sent New Glasgow, a nearby town, to

learn English. He spent seven years at a Roman Catholic College, and then studied law at

McGill University. Laurier graduated 1864 and began practising law in Montreal.

It was during these years that Laurier became involved in politics , supporting the Liberal

party or “parti rouge”, as it was known in Quebec. In 1866, he moved to L’Avenir and

took over as Editor of Le Defricheur, defending liberalism. It was not an easy platform to

support in Quebec at that time; the clergy fiercely condemned “les rouges,” and the rival

“partie bleu” dominated the provincial government. Laurier won a seat in the legislature

as a Liberal member in 1871, but resigned in 1874. That same year, he was elected to the

House of Commons. During the brief Liberal regime under Alexander MacKenzie,

Laurier served for a year as Minister of Inland Revenue. His spirited defence of Louis

Riel in 1885 brought his oratorical abilities to the attention of the party, and when Liberal

leader Edward Blake resigned in 1887, Laurier succeeded him.

During the election of 1891, the Liberal platform of unrestricted reciprocity with the U.S.

proved unpopular, and the Conservatives won again. But with the death of Prime

Minister Sir John A. Macdonald later the same year, the collapse of the Conservative

party began.The Manitoba Schools Question hastened the process, and Laurier simply

bided his time. After eighteen years of Tory government, the nation voted Liberal in the

1896 election and Laurier became Canada’s first francophone prime minister.

National unity was of supreme importance to Laurier. He had seen how divisive the

issues of Riel and the Manitoba schools had been, and he sought to reconcile the interests

of French and English Canada with his policies. Laurier was a great admirer of the

principles of British liberalism, and felt they offered the means by which Canadians of all

ancestries could live in one nation. But at all times his dedication to Canadian unity took

precedence over his esteem for British tradition.

In 1897, he was invited to London for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Queen

Victoria’s reign. Although Laurier had indicated that, in the tradition of former Liberal

leaders Alexander Mackenzie and Edward Blake, he did not wish a knighthood,

preparations to knight him had already been made. To avoid appearing rude, he accepted.

There was an ulterior motive in the extravagant welcome Laurier received in Britain.

Anxious to re-establish control over the foreign policy and defence of their colonies, the

British were hoping that Laurier would acquiesce and convince others to follow. But they

underestimated Laurier’s determination to maintain Canada’s control over her destiny. At

three more Imperial Conferences between 1902 and 1911, Laurier held firm against the

British encroachment on Canadian autonomy.

The fifteen years of Laurier’s government were distinguished with unprecedented growth

and prosperity. Immigration expanded, especially in the West, leading to the creation of

the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan in 1905. Such growth required expansion of

the railways and two new continental lines were built.

The golden age came to an end in 1911, when the Liberals lost the election over the issue

of unrestricted reciprocity. As leader of the Opposition, Laurier maintained the

confidence of his party until the First World War. While he supported Canada’s

contribution to Britain’s war efforts and urged young men in all provinces to enlist,

Laurier was against conscription. The Liberal party was badly split over this issue in the

1917 election, and several Liberals formed a union government with the Conservatives

for the duration of the war.

Laurier died on February 17,1919, having served for forty-five years in the House of

Commons. At his funeral, 50,000 people lined the streets of Ottawa, while hundreds of

dignitaries and officials from all over the country followed the funeral procession. This

solemn occasion was one of the first public events in Canada to be recorded on film.