Arthur Meighen

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Arthur Meighen

Arthur Meighen , 1874-1960, Canadian political leader, b. Ontario. A lawyer, he began his career in Manitoba. Entering (1908) the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal-Conservative, he became solicitor general (1913), secretary of state and minister of mines (1917), and minister of the interior (1917). He was chosen prime minister in 1920 but resigned in 1921 after his defeat in the general election. As leader of the Conservative party, Meighen was again prime minister in 1926 but resigned within the year. In 1932, Richard B. Bennett appointed him to the Senate, from which he resigned in 1941 to contest a seat for the House of Commons. Defeated, he retired to private life.

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Meighen, Arthur

A Dictionary of World History | 2000 | Â© A Dictionary of World History 2000, originally published by Oxford University Press 2000. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Meighen, Arthur (1874–1960) Canadian Conservative politician, Prime Minister (1920–21; 1926). Meighen advocated a protective system of trade tariffs. His second term was curtailed by his party's defeat in the House of Commons and at the subsequent general election.

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Meighen, Arthur

A Dictionary of Contemporary World History | 2004 | | Â© A Dictionary of Contemporary World History 2004, originally published by Oxford University Press 2004. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Meighen, Arthur (b. 16 June 1874, d. 5 Aug. 1960). Prime Minister of Canada 1920–1, 1926 Born at Anderson (Ontario), he graduated from the University of Toronto and opened a law practice in Manitoba. He entered the House of Commons as a Conservative (Progressive Conservative Party) in 1908, and became Solicitor-General under Borden, 1913–17. As Minister of the Interior (1917–20) he was responsible for some of the most important legislation of World War I, such as the creation and nationalization of Canadian National Railways and the introduction of compulsory military service overseas. His suppression of the general strike in Winnipeg (1919) earned him the lasting hostility of the labour movement. Nevertheless, he became leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister in 1920. He lost the 1921 general elections owing to the rise of the Progressive Party, though the Conservatives recovered sufficiently to become the largest party in 1925. Mackenzie King's government with the support of the Progressive Party collapsed in 1926, whereupon Meighen formed a minority government which lasted three months. Defeated in the ensuing elections, he retired as party leader. In 1932 he entered the Senate, and in 1941 was recalled to lead the Conservatives. He failed to enter the House of Commons in a by-election in 1942, however, and withdrew from politics.

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JAN PALMOWSKI. "Meighen, Arthur." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 7 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

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	St. James-Assiniboia trustees prepare to pick school's name Newspaper article from: Winnipeg Free Press; 11/2/2006; ; 700+ words ; ...amalgamation in the last two years. This fall, Portage Collegiate Institute and Arthur Meighen High School were merged at the PCI site downtown, while Meighen was converted to a middle years school. Portage la Prairie trustees originally decided...
	A nation born in broccoli Newspaper article from: Winnipeg Free Press; 7/6/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...Bennett's memorial "resembled a mummy." Another of Arthur Meighen made him look like "a mix between Ichabod Crane and Daddy Longlegs." The citizens of St. Marys, Ont., Meighen's birthplace, didn't mind: They set the monument...
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