Donald Creighton

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Donald Grant Creighton, CC, MA, BA (July 15, 1902 – December 19, 1979) was a noted Canadian historian. Born in Toronto, the son of Methodist minister, he attended Victoria College, in the University of Toronto, where he received his BA in 1925. He then attended Balliol College at Oxford University where he received his MA before returning to Canada to teach history. Creighton belonged to an generation of English Canadians were proud of the British Empire and his Anglophilia was often expressed in his books. In 1926, Creighton married Luella Bruce. He was the father of the fiction writer Cynthia Flood.

Creighton was heavily influenced by Harold Innis and took an economic approach to Canadian History. His main contribution was the development of the Laurentian Thesis, which described the basis of Canadian history by looking at the geography and the nation's dependence on the major centres. Creighton was well-known for arguing that the "natural" basis of trade in Canada ran East-West rather then North-South. In Creighton's view, the failure of commercial elites to properly develop the St. Lawrence is what led to Confederation. His two most important works are The Commercial Empire of the St. Lawrence (1937) and his two volume biography of Sir John A. Macdonald entitled the Young Politician and the Old Chieftain. Creighton's biography of Macdonald is often considered to be an excellent example of R. G. Collingwood's (who was an major influence on Creighton) Idealist history.

In later years Creighton turned to expressing himself in the media. An intensive Canadian nationalist his opinions have often been criticized, especially what some such as the historian Susan Mann see as his anti-Quebec views. Creighton felt that the position of the French language in Canada should be more or less what the British North America Act had prescribed. As such Creighton was not enamored with the changes such as Bilingualism coast to coast that was introduced in the 1960s and 1970s. A strong Large C Conservative and Small c conservative, Creighton's heroes were MacDonald, Sir Robert Borden, and John Diefenbaker, for whom Creighton served as a speech writer. However, in his later years, Creighton moved towards the Left and he was regarded as an Red Tory by the time of his death.

Creighton detested the Liberal Party as he saw the Liberals as the party of Continentalism (i.e moving Canada closer to the United States) and for taking steps that Creighton as an attack on Canada's British heritage such as replacing the Red Ensign with the Maple Leaf flag in 1965. Of the all the Liberal leaders, it was Lester Pearson who Creighton disliked the most. In regards to federal-provincial relations, Creighton shared MacDonald’s view of a highly centralized confederation with the provinces holding only the equivalent of the powers of municipal governments. In Creighton’s opinion, it had been a great mistake on Ottawa’s part to allow the growth of provincial powers in the 20th century. In particular, Creighton was strongly opposed to the demands made by the Quebec government for more power at the expense of Ottawa during the Quiet Revolution and after, which Creighton saw as the first steps towards separatism.

In the early 1960s, Creighton's determination to maintain British traditions, his close association with Diefenbaker, and his dislike of Continentalism led him to be accused of Anti-Americanism. Later, Creighton was to cememted his reputation for anti-American views with his only novel, 1978's The Take-Over, which as it title implies dealt with an imaginary U.S. take-over of Canada.

Creighton's vision of Canadian history was an ultimately a deeply pessimistic and tragic one as he felt Canada had the potential to be the world’s greatest country if only Canadians would follow the vision of the Fathers of Confederation, especially MacDonald's; in Creighton’s view, most Canadian leaders had sadly chosen to neglect that vision and had instead allowed Canada’s potential to needlessly squandered. In Creighton’s view, the only leaders who merited the description of statesmen were MacDonald and Borden; in Creighton’s view MacDonald’s time in office was Canada’s Golden Age and without the exception of Borden every leader who came after MacDonald had allowed Canada to deteriorate. Thus for Creighton, Canadian history after 1891 was for the most part the story of missed opportunities, thwarted ambition, and hopes scattered as the dream that was Canada was slowly allowed to unravel.

Creighton made no effort at objectivity and was openly subjective and partisan in regards to his likes and dislikes. Creighton was fond of contrasting Canada’s participation in World War One and World War Two. In Creighton’s view, Borden was a tough and able leader who despite initial mistakes and missteps was able to fully mobilize Canada and ensure that Canada contributed disproportionately to the Allied victory in 1918. In Creighton’s view, Borden took the necessary steps to win the war despite the unpopularity of many of his measures. By contrast, Creighton saw William Lyon Mackenzie King as an weak and indecisive figure who was more concerned with safeguarding the electoral fortunes of the Liberals then winning the war, and who kept Canadian troops out of combat as long as possible to avoid making difficult decisions on conscription. In Creighton’s opinion, thanks to Mackenzie King Canada did not play a large share as possible in the Allied victory.

Creighton was regarded by many as the foremost historian of his day and his influence is still strongly felt. An excellent writer and story-teller, his books commanded wide public attention. Many of Canada's top historians studied under Creighton, such as Ramsay Cook and Michael Bliss, and Creighton's view of Canadian history is still often studied. He helped initiate The Canadian Centenary Series project and served as the Advisory Editor for the nineteen volume authoritative history of Canada. His last book, The Forked Road: Canada, 1939-1957, part of Canadian Centenary Series. He died in his sleep on December 18 1979, from cancer, in Collingwood, Ontario. He was 77.

In 1967 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada.

University of New Brunswick political science professor Donald A. Wright is writing a biography.

Work

The Commercial Empire of the St. Lawrence, 1760-1850, 1937.
Dominion of the North: A History of Canada, 1944.
John A. MacDonald, 2 volumes, 1952-1955.
Harold Adams Inis: Portrait of a Scholar, 1957.
The Road to Confederation: The Emegence of Canada, 1863-1867, 1964.
Canada's First Century, 1867-1967, 1970.
The Forked Road: Canada, 1939-57, 1976.
The Passionate Observer: Selected Writings, 1980.

References

Berger, Carl The Writing of Canadian History: Aspects of English-Canadian Historical Writings, 1900-1970, Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1976, revised edition, 1986.
Cook, Ramsay The Craft of History, Toronto: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 1973.
Levitt, Joseph A Vision Beyond Reach: A Century of Images of Canadian Destiny, Ottawa: Deneau, 1982.
Moir, John (editor) Character and Circumstance: Essays in Honor of Donald Grant Creighton, Toronto: Macmillan, 1970.

External links

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