WILFRID LAURIER PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA

LAURIER

 SIR WILFRID LAURIER WAS BORN IN ST LIN QUEBEC IN 1841  FATHER WAS FARMER, KNEW THAT TO SUCCEED LAURIER NEEDED TO SPEAK ENGLISH  SENT TO IRISH SCHOOL IN NEW GLASCOW  AFTER HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDED MCGILL LAW SCHOOL WHERE HE WAS VALEDICTORIAN

 SPEECH WAS ABOUT NEED TO HAVE FRENCH AND CANADIANS COMPROMISE AND WORK TOGETHER  NO ONE UNDERSTOOD AS IT WAS IN FRENCH  1864 GRADUATED AND PRACTICED LAW IN MONTREAL  HE BECAME INTERESTED IN POLITICS AS REACTION AGAINST CATHOLIC CHURCH’S ANTI LIBERAL STANCE IN QUEBEC AFTER 1848 GLOBAL REVOLUTIONS  RAN FOR AND WON MLA SEAT IN 1871, BUT HATED QUE CITY AS WAS LONELY

 WANTED TO RESIGN, AND LEAVE POLITICS BUT WAS CONVINCED TO RUN FEDERALLY  WON SEAT IN 1874 ELECTION BUT NOT CABINET UNTIL 1877  STAYED IN OPPOSITION DURING MACDONALD’S SECOND TERM AS PRIME MINISTER  FRAIL CHILD, DEPRESSION, HYPOCHONDRIAC SO RETREATED TO LIBRARY  1885 HIS SPEECH AGAINST KILLING OF RIEL BROUGHT HIM TO PROMINENCE  1887 EDWARD BLAKE RESIGNS, AND LAURIER BECOMES LIBERAL LEADER  1891 LOSES TO OLD MAN OLD FLAG AND OLD POLICY

EDWARD BLAKE, LIBERAL LEADER ONLY LIBERAL NEVER TO BE PRIME MINISTER UNTIL AFTER RESIGNING, HE RECRUITED WILFRID LAURIER TO REPLACE HIM AND MOVED TO BRITAIN WHERE HE WAS AN MP FOR AN IRISH NATIONAL PARTY

MACDONALD’S FAMOUS CAMPAIGN POSTER FROM 1891 ELECTION Who do you think is carrying him? Why did this hurt Laurier? What did Laurier learn?

 AFTER 1891 ABBOTT, THOMPSON, BOWELL, AND TUPPER  ISSUE OF MANITOBA SCHOOLS’ ACT  1896 ELECTION LIBERALS WIN  SILENT ON FREE TRADE WITH USA, AND ADVOCATED AGAINST REMEDIAL LEGISLATION ON MANITOBA SCHOOLS’ ACT

 LAURIER’S POLICIES REALLY CONTINUATION OF MACDONALD’S  5% REDUCTION FOR ANYONE WILLING TO RECIPROCATE, PROTECTIONIST AGAINST THOSE THAT WOULDN’T  IMPERIAL PREFERENCE  THIS SHOWED WANTED FREE TRADE FOR FREE TRADERS, BUT IMPERIAL TIES FOR ENGLISH, AND PROTECTIONIST FOR BIG BUSINESS  THIS COMPROMISE ON NATIONAL POLICY, AND FREE TRADE

 LOWERED TARIFF ON USA FARM EQUIP (WEST EAST)  SUNNY WAY NEXT COMPROMISE  HENRI BOURASSA GRANDSON OF LOUIS JOSEPH PAPINEAU  NEGOTIATES DEAL WITH GREENWAY  ANY URBAN SCHOOL WITH 40 CATHOLIC STUDENTS OR RURAL WITH 25 CAN HIRE A PRIEST FOR INSTRUCTOR  LAST HALF HOUR OF EVERY DAY IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES  INSTRUCTION COULD BE BILINGUAL WHERE NUMBERS WARRANT  PROTECTS CATHOLIC RIGHTS, BUT ONLY WHERE NEEDED

THE TWO NEGOTIATORS IN THE MANITOBA SCHOOL’S ACT THOMAS GREENWAY TO THE LEFT AND HENRI BOURASSA TO THE RIGHT

 CONTINUES RAILWAY BUILDING POLICY OF MACDONALD TOO  SMITH AND STEPHEN WANT A NEW LINE FURTHER SOUTH FOR KOOTENAY RESOURCES AND WANTED GOV’T TO PAY  IN EXCHANGE FOR THIS CROWS NEST PASS DEAL  THIS HELPED BUSINESS, THE RAILWAY, AND THE FARMER. AGAIN COMPROMISE

GROWING ECONOMY  GOLD STRIKE IN SOUTH AFRICA LEADS TO WHEAT BOOM  CANADA’S POTENTIAL UNTAPPED FOR WHEAT  CHARLES SAUNDERS CHANGES WITH MARQUIS WHEAT  CALLS FOR NEW RAILWAY IN NORTH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHEAT BOOM

 HARD ROCK MINING WITH TNT  PULP PAPER IN SHIELD FROM JACK PINE  CANADA BOOMING NATURAL RESOURCES, TOO MUCH FOR ONE RAILWAY  TWO FIRMS VIE TO BUILD SECOND TRANSCONTINENTAL  CANADIAN NORTHERN, GRAND TRUNK  SHOULD HAVE MERGED, REFUSED, SO LAURIER BUILT TWO  ANDREW BLAIR RESIGNS OVER THIS. FIRST LOSS OF SUPPORTER BECAUSE COMPROMISE, NOT THE LAST  IN END BLAIR RIGHT THREE RWYS TOO MUCH

THE MOST IMPORTANT CANADIAN NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD OF. HIS MARQUIS WHEAT IS STILL GROWN IN CANADA, AND ALLOWED THE EXPANSION OF CDN WHEAT GROWING 200 MILES FURTHER NORTH.

ANDREW BLAIR TO THE LEFT, AND HENRI BOURASSA TO THE RIGHT.

QUEEN VICTORIA’S DIAMOND JUBILEE  FIRST CHALLENGE FOR LAURIER WAS 1897 DIAMOND JUBILEE

 DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATED VICTORIA’S SIXTIETH YEAR ON THE THRONE QUEEN VICTORIA IN HER SIXTIETH YEAR ON THE THRONE. APPROX AGE WAS 278.

 LAURIER WAS GOING TO REFUSE KNIGHTHOOD IN HONOUR OF MACKENZIE AND START LIBERAL TRADITION  HOWEVER HE WAS TOAST OF TOWN  GIVEN PLACE OF HONOUR AT ALL FUNCTIONS  PEOPLE LINED UP TO HAVE PICTURE TAKEN WITH HIM (EVERYONE LOVES THE FRENCH)  HE ACCEPTS KNIGHTHOOD AND SIR WILFRID LAURIER AND LADY LAURIER ARE BORN  ENGLISH DOING THIS TO GET SOMETHING FROM CANADA

 ENGLAND WANTED TO STRENGTHEN TIES WITH FORMAL COLONIES  GERMANY THREAT, DUTCH THREAT IN SOUTH AFRICA  CANADA WAS SENIOR DOMINION, AND WITHOUT US NOTHING COULD BE DONE  WANTED GREATER FORMAL COMMUNICATION PROCESS FOR ALL FORMER BRITISH COLONIES WITH BRITAIN  COLONIES SHOULD BE MORE RESPONSIBLE TO SUPPORT BRITISH ISSUES  EACH COLONY SHOULD CONTRIBUTE MONEY TO THE BRITISH FOR THEIR NAVY  THIS IS WHY THEY COURT CANADA AND LAURIER

 JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN WAS THE BRITISH COLONIAL SECRETARY TRYING TO GET THE COLONIES ON BOARD  LAURIER DID NOT WANT TO GET INVOLVED, AS TIE TO BRITAIN WHEN HE’S TRYING TO DEVELOP CDN IDENTITY  STILL KNEW HE COULDN’T SAY NO AS MANY PRO BR  SO HE SAYS MAYBE. COMPROMISE  CAN’T AFFORD TO GIVE MONEY RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF RAILWAYS, AND NO PRACTICAL WAY OF HAVING COLONIAL PARLIAMENT, SO WE’LL MEET LATER AND TALK MORE

 BRITAIN DID NOT PRESS AS AT PEACE  STILL IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD FOR CANADA AS SAID “NO” EVEN IF QUALIFIED FOR THE FIRST TIME TO THE BRITISH  TOMORROW WE WILL SEE LAURIER’S NEXT CHALLENGE, THE BOER WAR

JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN COLONIAL SECRETARY