In Canadian history, we have had many influential leaders that have done great things for us. They tend to try different ways to shape Canadians identity, and they all seem to have their own unique way of solving certain problems. In my essay assignment, I am going to do my personal best to explain to you why I believe that William Lyon Mackenzie King was one of the most influential leaders of Canada and why he was so well-respected amongst Canadians. The Canadian identity is shown by William Lyon Mackenzie King through his works that consists of conscription, the Great Depression & Unemployment Insurance. I will also describe how the shaping of Canada’s national identity is the direct result of William Lyon Mackenzie King’s efforts to build a safe and stable nation.
The first way that I believe Mackenzie King shaped our Nations identity is through the Conscription Crisis that he dealt with. During the war, everyone was wondering how many troops were needed, and if every available man was going to be forced to join the armed forces. Mackenzie King knew that not everyone was willing to participate in the actual fighting of the war, so he said “Conscription if necessary, not necessarily conscription.”(FER 78) This was King’s way to keep the nation happy, and especially wanted to keep the Quebec population happy with him. King strived for national unity, and during the tough years in Canada he wanted to make sure that everyone was on the same page and in agreement with what was happening in the country. King took into consideration everyone in his country, and when they went into the Great Depression, he felt it was his duty to get them out.
The Great Depression struck on October 29th, 1929 while Mackenzie King was still the Prime Minister. His ideas were to just stick it out and wait until it passed, but the public wanted answers, and they wanted them quickly. In 1930, there was an election, where Mackenzie King was not successful, but...