John Diefenbaker

John Diefenbaker was Canada’s prime minister from 1957 to 1963 and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party. His government adopted the Canadian Bill of Rights and faced disputes over nuclear weapons and defense policy.

Canadian Bill of Rights: A 1960 federal statute declaring fundamental rights and freedoms in Canada. Diefenbaker’s government enacted this landmark, though it had limited power over provincial laws.
1957 Canadian federal election: The federal election in which the Progressive Conservatives ended 22 years of Liberal rule. Diefenbaker’s unexpected victory made him prime minister.
George Drew: A Canadian politician who led the Progressive Conservative Party before Diefenbaker. Drew’s resignation in 1956 opened the party leadership contest Diefenbaker won.
Borden, Saskatchewan: A village in Saskatchewan where John Diefenbaker was born in 1895. Diefenbaker’s prairie origins later informed his image as an advocate for western Canada.
Bill C-150: The 1969 Criminal Law Amendment Act that decriminalized certain sexual acts between consenting adults in Canada. Its passage followed Diefenbaker’s defeat, contrasting his government’s record on civil liberties.
1958 Canadian federal election: The federal election that gave the Progressive Conservatives a record parliamentary majority. Diefenbaker converted his 1957 minority government into an overwhelming mandate.
Lester B. Pearson: A Canadian Liberal leader and prime minister from 1963 to 1968 who succeeded Diefenbaker. Their rivalry defined federal politics before and after the 1963 election.
University of Saskatchewan: A public research university founded in Saskatoon in 1907. Diefenbaker studied law there and graduated in 1919.
Indigenous peoples in Canada: The First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples whose communities and histories span Canada. Diefenbaker extended federal voting rights to First Nations people in 1960.
1962 Canadian federal election: The federal election that reduced the Progressive Conservatives to a minority government. Its result weakened Diefenbaker amid economic concerns and disputes over nuclear policy.

Linked from 4 pages