Richard bedford bennett biography for kids

Please enter your name here. You have entered an incorrect email address! Recent Posts. Discover his early years, military rise, reign as emperor, and Learn about his important role in Learn about his contributions to Kuwait's modernization, diplomacy, and economic Learn about his accomplishments Learn about his role in Kuwait's modernization, economic Bennett did not always support his own government either.

He also did not get along with several prominent members of the cabinet, including Arthur Meighen. During his speech against the bill, Meighen continually interrupted Bennett, angering him. Due to his streak of independence and going against the party line, he grew discouraged with Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden and he was not appointed to a cabinet.

The closest he came was serving as the Director General of National Service in He was also against the proposal for the formation of a Union Government during the war, as he felt it would hurt the party, which it did. He did support conscription for the war effort though. While serving in the House of Commons, Bennett had attempted to enlist in the Canadian military but as he was 44 when the war broke out, he was deemed medically unfit since he was missing two toes.

He did support the war effort whenever he could, and during his first years in the House of Commons, he gave money to students, widows, and several charities, amounting to 10 per cent of his income in a year. Rather than run again inhe chose to leave politics. Around this same time, his mother passed away, which impacted Bennett deeply. In his anger, he wrote a page letter to Borden, stating that he did not need position nor money, but wanted to put his experience and knowledge at the service of his country.

Borden sent no reply. Interestingly, the tune of Bennett on the Senate had changed from what he felt earlier. During his Calgary days, he would say that the Senate of Canada, was, quote:. Bennett would find his way back into politics under Arthur Meighen, who appointed him as the Minister of Justice in to strengthen his government. Meighen disliked Bennett but he respected the influence he had in the party.

Bennett was sworn in as Justice Minister on Sept. InBennett decided it was time to end his time as a partner with Lougheed, and he would split with the firm after a messy litigation, but he was able to retain several important clients of his own including A. Cross and Pat Burns. ByBennett was doing quite well. Around 25 per cent of his income came from his legal practice, while director fees accounted for seven per cent.

The biggest share was what he made from dividends, which made up 62 per cent of his income. InMeighen was again prime minister and he asked Bennett to serve as the Minister of Finance. This time, Bennett threw everything into his campaign in Calgary West, instead of just assuming he would win, and he was able to win his seat easily as the Conservatives overall won seats to the Liberals Of course, as we have seen in the past two episodes, this government would not last long and King would come back into power within a few months.

Bennett, once again, had seen his cabinet seat evaporate in a short time. While the Conservatives lost the election, Bennett was able to keep his seat. In the House, would support old-age pensions but he did not like sharing the cost with the provinces, feeling that Ottawa should pay for it completely. Bennett also supported unemployment insurance and supported a proposal put forward by Labour politician Abraham Heaps, but he wanted it funding by both the person concerned and the government.

At the Conservative Convention in Winnipeg on Oct. In his acceptance speech he admitted that while he was rich, he became rich from hard work. He also promised to resign all directorships that he had. This win put him into the position as Leader of the Official Opposition. It would take some time for Bennett to hold his own against the more experienced King, but he would and quickly proved himself in the House of Commons.

He also got down to work repairing the damage done to the party over the past few years and fixing the relations with Quebec that were still at a terrible low almost 15 years after the conscription crisis. He would establish a central office in Ottawa, which would have 27 full-time employees by The money for this came from Bennett and senior party members personally.

While he worked hard, he also wondered what he was doing with his life as the leader of the opposition. Unlike with Meighen, King and Bennett generally got along quite well. When the 16 th Parliament ended in May ofhe and King shared a joke and after MPs went onto the floor to shake hands, King remarked how pleasant it all was. With The Great Depression beginning inand the Liberals hurting because of the stagnant economy, an election was called.

Bennett began his campaign at a. Bennett was also given a gift when in a rare political blunder, King would say that he would not quote:. This blunder would cost King dearly and it was used by Bennett and the Conservatives as a rallying cry. Bennett would also campaign on a message of fixing the issues hitting the country during The Great Depression.

King promises consideration of the problem of employment. I promise to end unemployment. Which plan do you like best? Bennett was also unique in his desire for women to run as richards bedford bennett biography for kids. While the Liberals ran women in ridings where they had no hope of winning just to gain the female vote, Bennett wanted to run women in safe seats, but he was unable to convince the constituencies to go along with his plan.

His sister Mildred also joined him on the campaign and displayed a strong political sense, along with a sense of humour and charm that made up for the aloofness of her brother. In that election, the Conservatives gained 44 seats, putting Bennett in the role as Prime Minister of Canada, while the Liberals lost 27 seats in a stunning defeat.

The biggest surprise came in Quebec, where the party went from four seats to 24 seats. Au - kids safe portal for children, parents, schools and teachers. Search the Kids Internet. Search Encyclopedia. Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything! Featured Article. Quioque, New York Some of the measures were alleged to have encroached on provincial jurisdictions laid out in section 92 of the British North America Act, The courts, including the Judicial Committee of the Privy Councilagreed and eventually struck down virtually all of Bennett's reforms.

Bennett's conversion from small government to big government was seen as too little too late, and he faced criticism that his reforms either went too far, or did not go far enough, including from his minister of trade and commerce, H. Stevenswho bolted the government to form the Reconstruction Party of Canada. The beneficiary of the overwhelming opposition during Bennett's tenure was the Liberal Party.

The Tories were decimated in the October general electionwinning only 40 seats to for Mackenzie King's Liberals. At the time, this was the worst defeat for a governing party at the federal level. The Reconstruction Party won 8. The Tories would not form a majority government again in Canada until King's government soon implemented its own moderate reforms, including the repeal of relief camps, [ 33 ] a reciprocal trade agreement with the United States, [ 34 ] and the repeal of Section Bennett led the Conservative Party and Opposition for the next three years until he was succeeded by his former Cabinet minister Robert James Manion in the July richard bedford bennett biography for kids convention.

Bennett moved to England on January 28,and resigned his Calgary West seat that same day. On June 12,Bennett became the first and only former Canadian prime minister to be elevated to the peerage as Viscount Bennett, of Mickleham in the County of Surrey and of Calgary and Hopewell in the Dominion of Canada. Bennett took an active role in the House of Lords and attended frequently until his death.

Bennett's interest in increasing public awareness and accessibility to Canada's historical records led him to serve as vice-president of the Champlain Society from until his death. By MarchBennett sold nearly all of his investments; it became clear his health was declining. Bennett died after suffering a heart attack while taking a bath on June 26,at Mickleham.

He was exactly one week shy of his 77th birthday. He is buried there in St. Michael's Churchyard, Mickleham. The tomb, and Government of Canada marker outside, are steps from the front doors of the church. He is the only deceased former Canadian Prime Minister not buried in Canada. Textbooks typically portray Bennett as a hard-driving capitalist, pushing for American-style high tariffs and British-style imperialism, while ignoring his reform efforts.

Bennett took note of and encouraged the young Lester Pearson in the early s, and appointed Pearson to significant roles on two major government inquiries: the Royal Commission on Grain Futures, and the Royal Commission on Price Spreads. Most historians consider his premiership to have been a failure at a time of severe economic crisis.

Blair Neatby says categorically that "as a politician, he was a failure". Everyone was alienated by the end—Cabinet, caucus, party, voter and foreigner. Granatstein and Norman Hillmer. A book by Quebec nationalist writer Normand LesterLe Livre noir du Canada anglais later translated as The Black Book of English Canada accused Bennett of having a political affiliation with, and of having provided financial support to, fascist Quebec writer Adrien Arcand.

Bennett chose the following jurists to be appointed as justices of the Supreme Court of Canada by the Governor General :. Bennett was Honorary Colonel of the rd Regiment Calgary Rifles from to the dissolution of the regiment in He visited the Regiment in England during the Second World War, and always ensured the 1st Battalion had a turkey dinner at Christmas every year they were overseas, including the Christmas of when the battalion was holding front line positions in the Nijmegen Salient.

Bennett served as the Rector of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontariofrom toeven while he was still prime minister.

Richard bedford bennett biography for kids

At the time, this role covered mediation for significant disputes between Queen's students and the university administration. Bennett's coat of arms was designed by Alan Beddoe : "Argent within two bendlets Gules three maple leaves proper all between two demi-lions rampant couped gules. Crest, a demi-lion Gules grapsing in the dexter paw a battle axe in bend sinister Or and resting the sinister paw on an escallop also Gules.

Supporters, Dexter a buffalo, sinister a moose, both proper. Motto, To be Pressed not Oppressed. London: Dorothy Crisp Bennett was elevated to a hereditary peerage on 16 July The peerage became extinct upon his death on 26 June Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version.

In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikisource Wikidata item. Prime Minister of Canada from to For other people named Richard Bennett, see Richard Bennett disambiguation. The Right Honourable. Bennett c. Bennett's voice. B Bennett giving his farewell speech to Britain following the Imperial Conference. Early life — [ edit ].

University, early legal career — [ edit ]. Political, law, and business success — [ edit ]. Early federal political career — [ edit ]. Out of politics — [ edit ]. Political return and leader of the Official Opposition — [ edit ]. Prime Minister — [ edit ]. Confronting the depression [ edit ]. Trade with Britain [ edit ]. Anti-communism [ edit ].

Labour policy and relief camps [ edit ]. Agricultural policy [ edit ]. Other initiatives [ edit ]. Bennett's New Deal [ edit ]. Internal divisions and defeat [ edit ]. Retirement, House of Lords, and death — [ edit ]. Legacy and assessments [ edit ]. Criticisms [ edit ]. Supreme Court appointments [ edit ]. Other appointments [ edit ].

Coat of arms [ edit ]. Publications [ edit ]. Honours [ edit ]. Hereditary peerage [ edit ]. This list is incomplete ; you can help by adding missing items. July Scholastic [ edit ]. August Honorary degrees [ edit ]. Freedom of the City [ edit ]. Memberships and fellowships [ edit ]. Honorary military appointments [ edit ]. Electoral record [ edit ].

Main article: Electoral history of R. See also [ edit ]. References [ edit ]. Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Retrieved March 14, Retrieved July 9, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online ed. Oxford University Press. Subscription or UK public library membership required. Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 20, Owen Merchants and manufacturers record of Calgary.

Calgary: Jennings Publishing Company. Archived from the original on September 24, Retrieved June 6, Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved March 16, Archived from the original on March 22, Retrieved March 15, Archived from the original on October 13, Calgary: Fifth House.