Dignified Aloofness: Canada's Failed Bid to Join the Pan American Union

Location

CSU 202

Start Date

24-4-2007 10:30 AM

End Date

24-4-2007 12:30 PM

Student's Major

History

Student's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Mentor's Name

Matthew Loayza

Mentor's Department

History

Mentor's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Description

Existing historical scholarship has been critical of the United States' decision to keep Canada out of the Pan American Union in 1941. According to this literature, Canada's failure to join the international organization was a major setback to Canadian-Latin American relations. My research challenges this assertion by investigating the motives behind the Canadian bid for membership. An examination of policy makers' diaries, diplomatic papers, speeches, correspondence, and other key primary sources reveal that Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King held little interest in the Pan American Union. Despite overtures from Brazil, Mexico, and even the United States, King resisted establishing formal diplomatic ties with Latin America. My research reveals that staff members within the Canadian Department of External Affairs initiated the attempt at membership without King's full support. The resulting request for membership took the United States by surprise. While it did oppose the move, I have found that the United States' opposition was relatively weak. Yet, because King looked unfavorably upon membership, he accepted the United States' opposition without challenge. I conclude that previous histories have overemphasized the seriousness of United States' objections, while overlooking Prime Minister King's own opposition to membership in the Pan American Union.

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Apr 24th, 10:30 AM Apr 24th, 12:30 PM

Dignified Aloofness: Canada's Failed Bid to Join the Pan American Union

CSU 202

Existing historical scholarship has been critical of the United States' decision to keep Canada out of the Pan American Union in 1941. According to this literature, Canada's failure to join the international organization was a major setback to Canadian-Latin American relations. My research challenges this assertion by investigating the motives behind the Canadian bid for membership. An examination of policy makers' diaries, diplomatic papers, speeches, correspondence, and other key primary sources reveal that Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King held little interest in the Pan American Union. Despite overtures from Brazil, Mexico, and even the United States, King resisted establishing formal diplomatic ties with Latin America. My research reveals that staff members within the Canadian Department of External Affairs initiated the attempt at membership without King's full support. The resulting request for membership took the United States by surprise. While it did oppose the move, I have found that the United States' opposition was relatively weak. Yet, because King looked unfavorably upon membership, he accepted the United States' opposition without challenge. I conclude that previous histories have overemphasized the seriousness of United States' objections, while overlooking Prime Minister King's own opposition to membership in the Pan American Union.

Recommended Citation

Boubel, Gregory. "Dignified Aloofness: Canada's Failed Bid to Join the Pan American Union." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 24, 2007.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2007/oral-session-12/2