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Mount Allison University
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Donald Creighton's book, Canada's First Century, is an informative
glimpse at Canada's first one hundred years as a nation. He discusses the
political and economical events that had occurred both within Canada itself
and international events that effected the nation. The book causes you wonder
if Canada's first century will in fact be its last.
Creighton was educated at the University of Toronto and at Oxford. He would
eventually return to the University of Toronto where he taught in the History
Department. He has completed several works in Canadian History including;
The Empire of the St. Lawrence, Dominion of the North,
the award-winning, two volume biography on John A. Macdonald (which
captured a Governor General's Award for each volume), The Story of
Canada , and The Road to Confederation. Creighton has received
numerous award for his work. He has earned three internationally renowned
fellowships; a Guggenheim, a Rockefeller, and a Nuffield. He has accepted
eight honourary degrees and other awards including the first Molson Prize
from the Canadian Council. He has also received the Tyrrell Medal for Historical
Research of the Royal Society of Canada and was made a Companion of the Order
of Canada.
Creighton begins with a description of Ottawa, the capital of the new Dominion
of Canada, in 1867, "A small, northern frontier town, set at the edge of
a vast expanse of territory that still awaited occupation and development,
it was in many respects a miniature of the new nation as a whole."(pg. 1)
A new country rising up from a group of British colonies, a chain of small
communities spreading from the Nova Scotia into Ontario, waiting to expand
into a huge nation from sea to sea. Ottawa is described as being much like
Canada, a community in its infancy, situated at the edge of the wilderness.
Creighton in the first few pages of his book gives the reader the aura of
a new beginning. A new nation, separate from long-time British influence
and with the ability to make it's own mistakes. Creighton included three
sections in the book of photographs and political cartoons from throughout
the century. These added greatly to the book giving faces to go with the
names of the political leaders and showing us how the public felt with the
political cartoons. The first of these describes the beginning of the nation
in a cartoonist's interpretation entitled, "Child Canada Takes Her First
Steps". The cartoon is that of Mother Britannia and Uncle Sam watching a
child with a rifle. Mother Britannia say, "Take care my child!" While Uncle
Sam responds by saying, "Oh! Never mind, if she falls I'll catch her!"(first
photo section between pp. 68 and 69) Canada was formed for many reasons,
and this cartoon gives us two of them. Britain realized that it was losing
money in the British North American colonies and getting them to united as
a nation with responsibility for such things as defense being their own.
The United States of America also had a hand in the formation of Canada.
Their influence has been strong in Canada since pre-confederation. The government
to the south was trying to stake claims to the western part of the territory
and Canada had to race to bring this land into the union to save it from
the Americans.
Several times, he discusses the Americans to the south and their influences
in the country. The United States, in Creighton's opinion, forced Canada
into the role as a secondary nation in the North American realm with the
investments that they made in the 'Great White North'. "This huge investment
of American funds was the final and conclusive sign of Canada's increasing
subordination in a North American empire".(pg.285) Creighton attempts to
express the notion that the Americans have slowly been taking control of
the country and it will only be a short time before the Americans take total
control of the economy of Canada.
Prime Minister William Lyon MacKenzie King "was essentially a North American,
rather than a Canadian, citizen."(pg.182) He spent most of his life in the
United States before he assumed the office of Prime Minister of Canada. He
was educated at the University of Chicago and Harvard and then worked in
labour relations for the Rockefeller Corporation. Due to the time that he
spent in the United States he was more absorbed in American political issues.
King, however, became one of Canada's greatest Prime Ministers. He was one
of the key elements in "independent sovereignty"(pg.276) for Canada. King,
along with Louis St. Laurent "both wanted a Canadian Governor General, a
distinctive Canadian Flag, and a separate Canadian citizenship."(pg.276)
King's views of Canada were almost of a northern America, he envisioned a
nation completely separate from Great Britain. A country that stood independent
from any outside administration, with the national government possessing
complete control over Canadian issues. Creighton tells us that the United
States wanted to control the North American continent. They want to have
claim to the north and had to have Canada for this. Is this Canada first
major step to becoming a part of the United States?
The railways were an important part of Canada from confederation up until
recent years when they have fallen to the transportation and communication
developments of present day. Creighton holds the railway as a constant theme
throughout the book. The political controversy and scandal that was involved
in the railways' construction and maintenance were intriguing. Sir Hugh Allan,
a businessman involved in trans-atlantic shipping, started the Canadian Pacific
Railway Company. "He contributed lavishly to the Conservative campaign fund
in the general election of 1872, in the vain hope of gaining special favours."
(pg. 31) This was a huge blow to the Conservatives and John A. MacDonald's
career nearly ended as the Liberals took office.
Canada's First Century was skillfully written and gave the reader
an incomparable view of the history of this dominion. The book was a very
informative view of a period of one hundred years of history and did not
get absorbing in any one specific area. Creighton covered the first century
of Canadian history without leaving out any important events and still managed
to complete the book within 400 pages. The book, as mentioned above, included
three sections of photographs and cartoons which gave the reader a visual
element to the information that it accompanied. These graphics covered a
wide verity of people and events. They were well chosen and gave a refreshing
insight into the views of the public with a significant amount of political
cartoons. Creighton generated an outstanding publication that was not only
educating but also captivating as it took the reader on a journey through
Canadian History.
Creighton takes us through the first century of the country giving us a view
of the problems that we faced, and there were many problems that opposed
the people of early Canadian History. Canada survived each one and moved
on, from two World Wars in which Canada played major roles and through internal
struggles like the constant problems in Quebec with their culture and language
believed to be in danger. He depicts every struggle and success the country
achieved from induction into the League of Nations after the First World
War and the economical disaster that was a world-wide problem with the crash
of the stock market and the Great Depression. Creighton's book was an insight
into the glory years of Canada, the years when we worked together to solve
our problems, unlike today's divisions in the political and the social spheres
of the country.
Canada has struggled desperately through its first one hundred years and what will happen in the next century. Will this great nation collapse or will we become stronger? Will Quebec leave the federation? Will Canada become a part of the giant to the south, the United States of America? In my opinion, we will get through our troubles and strive forward to once again recapture the glory that Canada once possessed. However, that is one person's opinion and only time will show us what is to become of the Dominion of Canada.