Transcript The Roaring 20’s - School District 67 Okanagan Skaha

The
Photo journal
Shantaia Broeckx
Post-War Problems
Workers were laid off and women
were under pressure to return to
house-hold duties so that men
could have jobs, even though it
was difficult for them to find
work.
War-time industries had
shut down, and war
veterans were bitter about
the lack of jobs and support
from the country they had
defended.
Post-War Problems
Rapid inflation became a problem
around 1919. The prices of basic
items like clothing had increased
greatly, while wages had not.
The immediate post-war years
saw a short, but severe, recession
as the economy readjusted to the
end of wartime production.
Post-War Problems
Workers from all over Canada
started strikes.
Many men joined
unions to fight for
better working
conditions and
living standard.
Winnipeg General Strike of 1919
Trade workers had voted to
strike, and near thirty
thousand others walked off
the job in support. Almost
all key industries and
services were shut down.
Ottawa sent
Mounties and
soldiers to shut
down the strike.
Winnipeg General Strike of 1919
Violence erupted
in Winnipeg on
June 21st. The day
came to be
known as Bloody
Saturday.
Shots were fried by
mounted police, and one
striker was killed.
Winnipeg General Strike of 1919
H.A. Robson, head of Commission,
concluded that the strike was cause
by the high cost of living, poor
working conditions, and poor
wages.
Foreign Investment in Canada
Because of the
uncertainty of profit, less
was invested into
industrial enterprises and
more into Canadian
government bonds and
railroads.
At the beginning of the
20th century, the biggest
investors in Canada
were Birtish.
Foreign Investment in Canada
After WW1 the British investment declined,
and Americans moved in as Canada’s
number one foreign investor.
American investors put money into
expanding the Canadian economy
into areas like mining, pulp and
paper, and hydro-electric power.
Foreign Investment in Canada
Americans introduced the
Branch Plant System,
where American
companies were set up in
Canada. This allowed
American companies to
put Made in Canada on
their products, and avoid
the high tariffs charged for
shipping over the border.
Many saw this as Manifest
Destiny, the belief that
America should take
control of all of North
America. Many Canadians
feared that Americans
would completely take
over Canada’s economic
system.
Effects of the Boom Years
Financial success stories
inspired ordinary citizens to
believe that they too could
get rich by two dollar bets
on horses, investing in
stocks and bonds and
hockey pools.
Toronto Stock Exchange
Some people even borrowed
money to invest in stocks.
This was called buying on
margin, which was very risky,
and could result in a double
loss for the investors.
Bay Street,
Toronto
Politics of the 1920s
After Robert Borden had
resigned, Arthur Meighen,
a conservative, was sworn
in as Prime Minister of
Canada.
Politics of the 1920s
Meighen had a short
term as prime
minister, after
William Lyon
Mackenzie King
accused him of
seizing power
“unconstitutionally”.
This accusation won
King a majority vote,
and was prime
minister for most of
the 20s.
King’s political
genius lay in
making liberal
policies acceptable
to various group
and nations across
the nation. He often
put off making a
decision until he
worked put
compromises
among the diverse
interests.
Politics of the 1920s
King was extremely cautious and careful. He was pudgy, and
what some would say as “dumpy” in appearance.
King also had a strong interest in
spiritualism and sometimes tried to
contact the dead through mediums
and séances.
Prohibition and Rumrunners
The Women’s Christian Temperance
Union worked to ban the use of
intoxicating liquor. They argued that the
grain should be used to feed soldiers
and civilians. Also, money was needed
to feed families instead of being spent on
alcohol.
Prohibition started in
Canada in 1916 and
1917 during World
War 1. This made the
production and sale
of alcohol illegal.
Prohibition and Rumrunners
Even when prohibition was
introduced you could still find
“bootleg booze”, which was illegal
liquor made and sold by organized
bootleggers, like Rocco Perri. There
were even private clubs called
“speakeasies”.
Prohibition and Rumrunners
Prohibition had positive social effects
such as the decrease in crime and arrests
for drunkenness. More workers took
their pay cheques home to their families
rather that to the taverns, and industrial
efficiency improved because fewer work
days were missed.
Provincial governments realized
though that they were losing money
in potential taxes on liquor sales and
people argued that legalizing liquor
under strict government conditions
would be easier to enforce than total
prohibition Gradually, individual
provinces dropped Prohibition
throughout the 20s. P.E.I. was the last
to eliminate this law in 1948.
Women and the Persons Case
The famous Persons Case
underlined the inequality
women still faced.
By 1918 women in Canada had won the right to vote in federal
elections, but still did not have the same privileges that men had.
Women’s groups asked the Prime Minister to appoint a woman to the
Senate. The BNA Act stated that qualified persons could receive
appointments but the question was raised, was a women a “person” in
the eyes of the law?
Women and the Persons Case
The Famous Five (Emily
Murphy, Nellie McClung,
Louise McKinney,
Henrietta Edwards, and
Irene Parlby) put up a
huge fight to gain
acceptance for women in
the Senate and by
Canadian Law.
After a long battle, the Supreme Court of Canada
declared that the word persons did not refer to
women. Therefore, a woman was not a person and
thus not able to sit on the Senate.
Women and the Persons Case
Though discouraged, the Famous Five
appealed to the only court higher than the
Canada Supreme Court – The Privy Council in
Britain.
After three months, the Privy
Council announced its decision…
The word persons did indeed refer to
women as well as men. The Famous
Five had won!
Cairine Wilson,
from Montreal,
was the first
woman elected to
Senate.
Struggles of Native Peoples
Throughout the 1920s and 30s,
Natives struggled to keep their
own culture and heritage. The
government wanted them to
give up their traditions and be
absorbed into the Canadian
culture (assimilation).
•Traditional Native
ceremonies were banned
•Natives that tried to live
off the reserves faced
discrimination and
prejudice
•Given few good job
opportunities
Struggles of the Native Peoples
1920 – League of Indians formed by Fred Loft.
This draws attention to the economic and social
problems of the Native peoples. This league
demanded that Natives should have the right to
vote without giving up their status.
1921 – Some west coast Natives were thrown in
jail for taking part in a potlatch ceremony.
Masks and other sacred items were seized by
the police.
1931 – Native Brotherhood of British Columbia
was created to defend Native land and fishing
rights.
From the 1920s to 80s children were sent to
special boarding schools hundreds of kilometers
away from their homes. Their own traditions
were not taught and they were not allowed to
speak in their own native language. This caused
many Native children to lose touch with their
traditions and families as well.
The Automobile
One of the most
obvious signs of
prosperity in the
1920s was the
growth of the
automobile.
It was one of the
biggest changes
to the way of
living in the
1920s.
The Automobile
Henry Ford wanted to make cheap,
affordable vehicles for everyone. He
applied car manufacturing mass
production, and set up an assembly
line. Each worker on the assembly
line had a different job. Each car had
all the same parts, so all were the
same.
The Automobile
The automobile also brought on many problems. It polluted the air,
caused traffic jams, and caused death to thousands each year.
In addition, criminals also took advantage
of the automobile.. They could now make
faster getaways after a robbery.
Entertainment
Jazz moved north from New Orleans and was
made popular by such musicians as Duke
Ellington and Louis Armstrong.
Charleston was the dance of decade
that emerged out of African American
culture.
Entertainment
“Talkies” arrived in Canada in 1927. The
stars of these films were idolized (Charlie
Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino, and Greta
Garbo). Mary Pickford was called
“America’s Sweetheart”, and she came to
represent the wealth the film industry
brought to it’s stars.
By the end of the decade, there were more
than 900 movie houses across Canada.
Going to the movies was the most popular
form of entertainment at the time.
Radio
Radio was the number one
form of entertainment still.
Families would sit around
the radio after dinner and
listen to music or radio
plays. The radio brought
the outside would to
Canadians.
Many towns only had American stations to
listen to, which contributed to the
‘Americanization’ of Canada in the 1920s.
Fads and Fashions
One fad was the Chinese game, Mahjong.
To accentuate the experience, many people
ordered Chinese furniture, robes, and other
Chinese items. This fad wore off around
1927.
Another craze was crossword
puzzles. Dictionary sales
soared, and some railways
had them to entertain
passengers.
Dance marathons were
also quite popular.
Fads and Fashions
Women of the 20s wore “flapper” dresses. In the winter, they wore
galoshes with buckles unfastened. They wore dresses above the
knees (oh my!) and their stocking were rolled down. They also wore
their hair in a “bob”.
Fads and Fashions
Men wore baggy pants, bright, snappy hats, and
bow ties. Their hair was greased down, and
parted in the middle.
Canada’s Growing Independence
In 1926, all the countries of the British
Empire met at an Imperial
Conference. At this conference,
Canada and the other dominions
were declared self-governed, while at
the same time remaining a part of a
Commonwealth of Nations.
By the statute of Westminster,
Canada became fully independent
in all but two legal details. Canada
still had to ask the British
Parliament to amend the Canadian
constitution.
After the fun times of the 20s, the stock market crash of 1929
led Canada, and the rest of the world, into the Great
Depression.