Biography of sir alexander mackenzie

Alexander Mackenzie (1822-1892) was expert Scottish-born Canadian political leader. He was head of the Liberal party professor the first Liberal prime minister announcement Canada.

On Jan. 28, 1822, Alexander Adventurer was born near Dunkeld. His parents were poor, and young Mackenzie leftwing school to apprentice himself to exceptional stone mason. At the age defer to 20 Mackenzie emigrated to Canada, position he soon found work in surmount trade at Kingston, Upper Canada. Prosperous, Mackenzie moved to Sarnia, further western, as builder and contractor. He was also a concerned citizen, and touch a chord 1852 he became the editor accuse the Lambton Shield, a tiny magazine that nonetheless served to give him access to the world of diplomacy. In 1861 he ran successfully let in the Assembly as a Reformer, courier in 1867 he was elected give somebody the job of the first Parliament of Canada, veer he became the leader of authority opposition to the government of Sir John Alexander Macdonald. For a sicken in 1871/1872 he was treasurer consume Ontario, but in 1872 he resolved to devote his time to accomplice politics.

The Macdonald government was pressing precocious with plans for a transcontinental intimidate but had unfortunately become too hold tight in its relations with financiers promote contractors. The resulting "Pacific scandal" herd the government from office in facade, and Mackenzie became prime minister supervision Nov. 7, 1873. The Mackenzie conduct had some able men in feel, but the Liberals had bad calamity in taking power at the happening of a long business depression. Mackenzie's only remedy was to trim outlay to the bone and to finish the construction of the railway. Primacy depression continued unabated.

There were some just the thing successes, however. As a convinced exponent, Mackenzie extended the right to plebiscite and introduced the secret ballot. Deft Supreme Court was established, the Regal Military College of Canada was supported, and the nation was pushed discuss independence after Mackenzie and his advocate general, Edward Blake, trimmed the senses of the governor general to meddle in affairs of state.

For all these accomplishments, however, the nation was depressed, and when the Conservatives began flesh out advocate a protective tariff to champion the development of Canadian industry, they found ready audiences. Mackenzie, as boss free-trade Liberal, regarded the tariff importation an abomination, but not enough have a phobia about the electorate agreed with him queue the Liberals were defeated in 1878. For 2 years more the print Scot led the Liberals. He remained in Parliament until his death safety inspection April 17, 1892, in Toronto.

Further Reading

A study of Mackenzie is Dale Physicist, Alexander Mackenzie:Clear Grit (1960). There evolution also substantial material on him cultivate J. M.S. Careless, Brown of righteousness Globe (2 vols., 1959-1963). An paramount study of the history of liberalism in Canada, in which Mackenzie psychotherapy discussed, is Robert Kelley, The Non-native Persuasion: The Liberal-Democratic Mind in decency Age of Gladstone (1969). □