In July 1930, King took his government's record to the polls. In this Liberal election poster, King lists the accomplishments of his government in foreign affairs. One of his proudest boasts was that Canada had achieved full nationhood under his guidance: Canada had begun to sign its own treaties; it had undertaken negotiations with the British government that resulted in the concession by Britain of the right to full national sovereign powers; it had set up Canada's first diplomatic missions. "Nationhood." however, was not an election issue. R.B. Bennett and his Conservatives dominated the campaign with a forceful and effective call for bold action to meet the first signs of an economic crisis in Canada. The Conservatives won 138 seats to the Liberals' 87, giving Bennett a larger majority than King had ever enjoyed. Unfortunately for Bennett, the depression took hold in Canada and the economic situation continued to worsen, reaching its trough in 1932.
