1937 Social Credit backbenchers' revolt
The 1937 Social Credit backbenchers' revolt took place from March to June 1937 in the Canadian province of Alberta. It was a rebellion against Premier William Aberhart by a group of backbench members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from his Social Credit League. The dissidents were unhappy with Aberhart's failure to provide Albertans with CA$25 monthly dividends through social credit as he had promised before his 1935 election. When the government's 1937 budget made no move to implement the dividends, many MLAs revolted openly and threatened to defeat the government in a confidence vote.
William Aberhart's first cabinet, pictured with him in 1935, remained intact until late in 1936. By August 1937, four of its eight members had resigned or been fired.
William Aberhart won the 1935 Alberta election on the strength of his advocacy of social credit, an economic theory that he said could restore prosperity to the depression-ridden province.
Provincial Treasurer Charles Cockroft's January 1937 resignation caused the public to notice the conflict within the Social Credit caucus
The budget of Solon Low (right) was the catalyst to the insurgents' decision to make their discontent public.
William Aberhart, also known as "Bible Bill" for his radio sermons about the Bible, was a Canadian politician and the seventh premier of Alberta from 1935 to his death in 1943. He was the founder and first leader of the Alberta Social Credit Party, which believed the Great Depression was caused by ordinary people not having enough to spend. Therefore, Aberhart argued that the government should give each Albertan $25 per month to spend to stimulate the economy, by providing needed purchasing power to allow needy customers to buy from waiting businesses.
Aberhart in 1937
Aberhart as a young man
Aberhart and his cabinet in 1935
Portrait of Aberhart as premier
