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 Canadians were proud of the British Empire and his Anglophilia was often expressed in his books. In 1926, Creighton married Luella Bruce. Membership in the Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, awarded to those who adhere to the Orders motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means they desire a better country. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate course of one or two years in duration. ... A Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B., from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or program in the arts and/or sciences. ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... 1902 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... A historian is a person who studies history. ... }|135px|City of Toronto, Ontario Official Flag]]|Coat Image=[[Image:{{{Coat Image}}}|135px|City of Toronto, Ontario Coat of Arms]]}} {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Diversity Our Strength {{Canadian City/Location Image is:{{{Location Image Type}}}|[[Image:{{{Location Image}}}|thumbnail|center|250px|City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada... The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... Victoria University (Vic for short) is a federated school of the University of Toronto, consisting of Victoria College and Emmanuel College. ... Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto (U of T), in Toronto, Ontario, is the largest university in Canada, and by many definitions its most prestigious. ... A Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B., from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or program in the arts and/or sciences. ... 1925 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Full name Balliol College Motto - Named after John de Balliol Previous names - Established 1263 Sister College St Johns College, Cambridge Master Andrew Graham (academic) Location Broad Street Undergraduates 403 Graduates 228 Homepage Boatclub Balliol College, founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate course of one or two years in duration. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps The British Empire was the worlds first global power, a product of the European Age of Exploration that began with the global maritime empires of Portugal and Spain in the late 1400s. ...

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. 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 Politican and the Old Chieftain. Harold Adams Innis (November 5, 1894-November 8, 1952) was a professor of political economy at the University of Toronto and the author of many seminal works on Canadian economic history and on media and communications. ... Canada is a nation of 31 million inhabitants occupying almost all of the northern half of the North American continent. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Right Honourable Sir John Alexander Macdonald, KCMG, GCB, QC, PC (January 11, 1815 – June 6, 1891) was the first Prime Minister of Canada from July 1, 1867 – November 5, 1873 and October 17, 1878 – June 6, 1891. ...

In later years Creighton turned to expressing himself in the media. An intensive Canadian nationalist his opinions have often been criticized, especially his alleged 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 Bilinguism coast to coast that was introduced in the 1960s. His last book, The Forked Road: Canada, 1939-1957, sometimes cited as an example of Creighton's being out-of-touch with the contemporary political climate in his later years. A strong Conservative, Creighton's heroes were MacDonald and Sir Robert Borden, and John Diefenbaker, for whom Creighton served as a speech writer. He died in his sleep on December 18 1979, from cancer, in Collingwood, Ontario. He was 77. Beginning in 1963, a terrorist group that became known as the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies and attacks on government offices and at least two murders by FLQ gunfire and three violent deaths by bombings. ... The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (PC) was a Canadian centre-right conservative political party that existed from 1867 to 2003. ... Sir Robert Laird Borden (June 26, 1854–June 10, 1937) was the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920. ... The Right Honourable John George Diefenbaker, PC , LL.B , MA , BA (September 18, 1895 – August 16, 1979) was the thirteenth Prime Minister of Canada (1957 – 1963). ... The Town of Collingwood, population (2000) estimated at 21,500, is located on the southern point of Georgian Bay known as Nottawasaga Bay. ...

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. George Ramsay Cook (born November 28, 1931), is a Canadian historian and general editor of the Dictionary of Canadian Biography. ... Michael Bliss (born 1941) is a Canadian historian and outspoken public figure. ...

In 1967 he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. Membership in the Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, awarded to those who adhere to the Orders motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means they desire a better country. ...

Brock University history professor Donald A. Wright is writing a biography. Brock University is a modern comprehensive university located in St. ...

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.

Reference

• 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

• Order of Canada Citation