Donald Creighton

Donald Creighton, born on July fifteenth, nineteen hundred and two, was a prominent Canadian historian, biographer, and university teacher. His scholarly contributions significantly shaped the understanding of Canadian history, particularly through his major work, The Commercial Empire of the St-Lawrence, 1760–1850, first published in nineteen thirty-seven. This detailed study explored the emergence of the English merchant class in relation to the St. Lawrence River, providing valuable insights into the economic landscape of Canada during that period.

In the early nineteen fifties, Creighton gained further recognition for his two-part biography of John A. Macdonald, which was published between nineteen fifty-two and nineteen fifty-five. This work was pivotal in re-establishing biographies as a legitimate form of historical research in Canada, earning acclaim from historians and scholars alike.

As the nineteen sixties approached, Creighton began to shift his focus towards a broader narrative of Canadian history. His later years were marked by a critical stance towards the ruling Liberal Party of Canada, led by William Lyon Mackenzie King and his successor, Louis St. Laurent. Creighton was vocal in his disapproval of the Liberal Party's policies, particularly their efforts to diminish Canada's ties with the United Kingdom in favor of closer relations with the United States, a direction he strongly opposed.