William Lyon Mackenzie King: Prime Minister

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When thinking of a prime minister, communicating with the dead is not the first thing that pops into mind in relation. However in the case of William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canada’s longest serving prime minister, it might be. After the release of King’s diaries, it was revealed that King had spent a large chunk of his life invested in spiritualism, the belief that spirits of the dead may communicate with the living. It is often debated if Mackenzie King was crazy during his time as prime minister. William Lyon Mackenzie King may have been an absurd spiritualist, but he was sane, leading and uniting the nation through his 22 years in office.
Conversion into spiritualism was linked to the deaths of loved ones, and unfortunately Mackenzie King was not unfamiliar with death. In 1901 when King was about 27, his best friend Albert Harper drowned in the Ottawa River attempting to save a woman who had fallen in. Sadly, his encounters with death hadn’t stopped there. In the short span of years from 1915-1922, 4 members of King’s immediate family had passed away. King had been very devoted to his family, which is why the deaths of his parents, brother, and sister turned him to his faith - for refuge and guidance. King, as a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church, believed in life after death. The passing of his mother had hit him especially hard and is …show more content…

His diligence in dealing with much of the Great Depression, and making sure the country stayed unified and strong during World War 2 showed Mackenzie King knew what he was doing. Because of his tireless work, Canada was able to gain more independence from Britain. In many ways, King helped to shape the country into what it is today. Although Mackenzie King did have the peculiar hobby of attempting to communicate with the dead, through his political leadership and accomplishments, we see King was a sane

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