, ▁and ▁highly ▁dist rust ful ▁of ▁imm igr ants , ▁Americans ▁and ▁any ▁others ▁outside ▁of ▁what ▁he ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁Canadian ▁family . ▁The ▁st ap le ▁theory ▁of ▁Harold ▁In nis ▁influenced ▁his ▁research , ▁much ▁of ▁which ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁Canadian ▁l umber ▁industry . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁strongly ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁ideas ▁of ▁American ▁historian ▁Frederick ▁Jackson ▁Turner ▁regarding ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁the ▁front ier — The ▁West — on ▁distinct ly ▁American ▁characteristics . ▁Lower ▁was ▁an ▁out do ors man ▁who ▁not ▁only ▁loved ▁nature , ▁but ▁emphas ized ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁The ▁North ▁in ▁sh aping ▁Canada . ▁ ▁Lower ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Bar rie , ▁Ontario ▁to ▁a ▁d ys function al ▁family . ▁He ▁studied ▁history ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Toronto ▁and ▁Harvard ▁University , ▁where ▁he ▁obtained ▁his ▁doctor ate . ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁officer ▁in ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy . ▁ ▁Lower ▁taught ▁history ▁at ▁Tu ft s ▁College , ▁Massachusetts , ▁at ▁Harvard ▁and ▁at ▁United ▁College , ▁W inn ip eg , ▁where ▁he ▁cha ired ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁History ▁for ▁eigh teen ▁years . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁he ▁became ▁professor ▁of ▁History ▁at ▁Queen ' s ▁University , ▁King ston , ▁a ▁position ▁he ▁held ▁until ▁his ▁ret irement ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁ ▁History ▁His ▁general ▁history ▁Col ony ▁to ▁Nation ▁first ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁was ▁ref res hing ly ▁opinion ated