R. G. (Robert Grant) Haliburton

Born in Windsor, Nova Scotia, in 1831, Robert Grant Haliburton studied at King’s College and went on to practice law. He also became active in public life and is remembered as a founder of the Canada First movement, which promoted a strongly British and nationalist vision of Canada.

Haliburton wrote widely on history, anthropology, and migration, including books such as The Men of the North and Their Place in History. He was interested in broad theories about the origins and movements of peoples, and his writing helped make him a recognized intellectual voice of his time.

Today, Haliburton is read as a figure of historical interest rather than as a reliable guide to human difference. Some of the ideas he promoted about race and national identity reflected prejudices common in his era and are now rejected.