William Lyon Mackenzie
’s life can best be understood if man and legend are separated. William was born on March 12, 1795 in Scotland. Three weeks after his birth, his father, Daniel, supposedly died, but no record of his death has ever been found. William and his mother were said to gone through great hardship, having to move off of Daniel’s land.
After moving to Dundee, William, who went by the names Willie or Lyon, entered the Dundee Parish School at the age of five, with the help of a bursary. At fifteen, he was the youngest member of the
commercial newsroom of the local newspaper. He also belonged to a scientific society, where he met Edward Lesslie, and his son, James. These two would be ...
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On June 8, 1826, a group of fifteen, young, well connected Tories disguised themselves as Indians, and broke into Mackenzie’s York office in broad daylight. They smashed his printing press, then threw it into the bay. The Tories did nothing to compensate him, so it was clear that they were involved. Mackenzie ntook them to court, and seeing that their “disguise” had been seen through, they offered Mackenzie £200. He refused, and after a bitter trial, the court awarded him £625.
In March of 1829, Mackenzie went to the United States to buy books for resale, and to study the actions of the newly appointed Andrew Jackson. He compared the simplicity and the cost of American government to Canada’s, and saw that their spoils system might be a way of doing away with some Family Compact members.
When an assembly met in January of 1831, Mackenzie fully immersed himself into its proceedings. He demanded inquiries into abuse, and insisted on a review of ...
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vendetta against Mackenzie. But the
Tories had expelled him a third time, earlier that month, only to see him re-elected, again.
A new theatre of operations for Mackenzie appeared with the incorporation of York as Toronto on March 6, 1834. Both Tories and Reformers presented slates of candidates in its first election on March 27. Mackenzie was appointed alderman, and the Reformers obtained a majority on the council. Mackenzie was chosen to be Toronto’s first mayor by his fellow councillors. A typically politician of the era, he got rid of Tory officials, gave patronage to his supporters, and was readier to hear contested elections against
Tories than Reformers. He demanded ...
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William Lyon Mackenzie. (2005, February 9). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/William-Lyon-Mackenzie/21999
"William Lyon Mackenzie." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 9 Feb. 2005. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/William-Lyon-Mackenzie/21999>
"William Lyon Mackenzie." Essayworld.com. February 9, 2005. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/William-Lyon-Mackenzie/21999.
"William Lyon Mackenzie." Essayworld.com. February 9, 2005. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/William-Lyon-Mackenzie/21999.
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