Sir Robert Borden

> "*Our hearts are united in inflexible determination; that the cause for which we have drawn the sword shall be maintained to honour and triumph."*- Sir Robert Borden
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**Sir Robert Laird Borden GCMG KC PC (26, June, 1854 - 10, June, 1937)** was a British author, businessman, diplomat, lawyer and politician. During his career Borden served as first Minister to the League of Nations, third Minister of Foreign Affairs, third Minister of Immigration, twentieth President of His Majesty's Privy Council and eighth Prime Minister of Canada.

Borden's administration established the Canadian Expeditionary Force, expanded the Royal Canadian Navy, financed the expansion of the British Royal Navy, founded the Canadian National Railway Company, practiced military solidarity with the British Empire, deploying forces during the First World War and the Russian Revolution in service of King George V, and opposed trade reciprocity with the United States.

Borden personally authored *Resolution IX* during the Imperial War Conference of 1919, lead the Canadian delegation at the Paris Peace Conference, reformed the national civil service, signed the *Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919* and the *Washington Naval Treaty of 1922* on behalf of the Dominion of Canada and preserved Canada's economic sovereignty and racial homogeneity.

## Biography

### Early Life

   Robert Laird Borden was born to Andrew Borden, a farmer, and his wife Eunice (née Laird,) at Grand Pré, Nova Scotia on 26, June, 1854. He was the first of four children, including: Henry, John and Julia, in addition to two half-siblings, Thomas and Sophia.

#### Education

Borden began his education at the local Presbyterian Sunday School, where he developed his English literacy and was immersed in Biblical scripture. In 1863, Robert began attending the Acacia Villa Private Academy at the age of nine under President Arthur Patterson. James Hamilton instructed his studies in arithmetic, grammar, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and natural philosophy. During this time his interest in poetry was piqued, particularly in Augustan literary classics such as Horace and Virgil, and this interest developed into a lifelong passion.

Throughout his youth Robert toiled on the family farm, however, as he grew older his dissatisfaction with the profession and his preoccupation with academic pursuits prompted him to consider pursuing a career as an educator. His excellent performance in school incited his instructor to employ him as assistant instructor at the age of fifteen. He continued his tenure at the Academy for four years, until Hamilton invited him to join the faculty of the Glenwood Institute in New Jersey.

#### Professor at Glenwood Institute

At the Glenwood Institute Borden was employed as a professor of classic literature and mathematics for nine different classes, however, he quickly became exhausted with his work and disenchanted by his disinterested students. As the school year came to a close he started to reconsider his career and correspondence with friends and relatives in the profession encouraged him to pursue an education in law. He began to study punctiliously, reading Robert Kerr's edition of the *Student's Blackstone* regularly, and applied for apprenticeship at the Weatherbe & Graham Law Firm in Halifax. He continued his apprenticeship for four years, preoccupied with intent study and long work days, only diverting his energies to attend the Military Instruction School and make a wage as a volunteer soldier in the 63rd Halifax Rifles Battalion.

## Trivia

* Borden was multilingual and fluent in English, French, Greek, Hebrew and Latin.