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Sam Hughes joined the Canadian militia as a boy, and fought against the Fenian raids in the 1860s and 1870s. He was elected to Parliament in 1892, and fought in the Boer War in 1899 after helping to convince Wilfrid Laurier to send Canadian troops. As a member of Parliament he was unpopular with Catholics and French-Canadians because of anti-Catholic remarks he had made in a newspaper. However, he was appointed Minister of Militia after the election of Robert Laird BordenRobert Laird Borden Rank 8th ( 1911- 1920) Date of Birth June 26, 1854 Place of Birth Grand Pre, Nova Scotia Spouse Laura Bond Profession lawyer Political Party Conservative, Unionist Sir Robert Laird Borden ( June 26, 1854 June 10, 1937) was the eighth P in 19111911 is a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). Events January-June January 1 Northern Territory is separated from South Australia January 3 In London, a shootout between Russian anarchists and the Scots Guard January 10 Major Jimmi, with the aim of creating a distinct Canadian army within the British EmpireThe British Empire in the early decades of the 20th century, held sway over a population of 400 500 million people (roughly a quarter of the world's population), and covered nearly 30 million square kilometres, (roughly two-fifths of the world's land area, to be used in imperialistic wars.

He encouraged recruitment of volunteers when the First World War broke out in 1914Events January 4 77 seal hunters freeze to death on ice near Labrador January 5 Ford Motor Company announces an eight-hour workday and a minimum wage of $5 for a day's labor February 13 Copyright: In New York City the ASCAP (for American Society of Compos, and constructed a training camp in Valcartier, QuebecQuebec ( In Detail) ( In Detail) National Motto: Je me souviens (I remember CapitalLargest city Quebec City Montreal Area Total % fresh water 2nd largest(1st lgst prov. 1 542 056 km² 11,5% Population Total (2004) Density Ranked 2nd 7 509 928 5,43/km² Admi. He oversaw the training of the soldiers and within three weeks they were ready to depart, although he thought it necessary to deliver a lengthy, patriotic speech on horseback first.

Unfortunately, on top of his poor attitude towards French Canadians, his historical reputation was sullied further by poor decisions on procurements for the force. For instance, Hughes insisted on equipping Canadian soldiers with the Canadian-made Ross rifleThe Ross rifle was a straight-pull bolt action. 303 rifle produced in Canada from 1903 to the middle of World War I, when it was withdrawn from service due to horrible reliability in service conditions. A sporting rifle version using a new. 280" "magnum", an inferior weapon that frequently misfired, became easily jammed with mud and had its bayonetA bayonet is a knife- or dagger-shaped weapon designed to fit on or over the muzzle of a rifle or similar weapon. It is a close combat weapon. Its evolution can be traced to a certain extent to a fortuitous accident. In the mid- 17th century irregular con fall off easily. Hughes and Sir Charles Ross, the inventor of the rifle, remained loyal to their weapon, but Borden authorized its replacement by the British Lee-Enfield rifle. 1452 Canadian soldiers promptly disposed of them as they preferred the Lee-Enfield rifle, including General Arthur Currie, whom Hughes already disliked. Currie had been an old friend of Hughes' son Garnet, but felt Garnet was not a capable soldier. When Currie took command of the army he would not allow Garnet to serve under him. Currie was considered a war hero however, and Hughes' calls for Currie's removal were ignored.

Hughes also erred in creating a committee in London to give orders to the Canadian army overseas, something that could only legally be done by the Cabinet in Ottawa. Borden created a London branch of the Cabinet to overcome this problem, but left Hughes out of it, prompting Hughes to voice his opposition in a highly publicized letter to the Prime Minister. Borden had no choice but to dismiss him from his post on November 9, 1916. Hughes remained in government as a minor figure, and died in 1921.

Hughes was knighted on August 24, 1915.