Unit 3 Canada in the 1920s

Unit 3 Canada in the 1920s

Economic changes after the war Canada s wartime economic boom ended when weapons manufacturing stopped in 1918 Over 300,000 workers in munitions factories became unemployed

Canada was in an economic slump The role of women changed - men returning from war & taking their jobs It was expected that women should return to doing housework.

Soldiers returning from Europe thought there would be jobs and a good economy. There was animosity against those who stayed home and profited from the war After sacrificing so much at war many soldiers found no work and grew increasingly frustrated

Those lucky enough to find work had low wages

Those with a job had to deal with inflation What is inflation? When prices rise while wages don t change The cost of living more than doubled from 1914 to 1919

Many had difficulty finding housing and rents were high Workers and veterans around the country were forced to strike for higher pay

Disillusioned Canadian soldiers marching in protest (Toronto).

Labour unrest swept across Canada Churches & workers demanded social responsibility from government & business This is the idea that ALL people should benefit, not just the rich and powerful.

Policies that promote this are Old-age pensions Living (fair) wages Public ownership of essential services

Some workers saw the 1917 Russian Revolution as a guide to changing Canada Groups like the OBU and the IWW were formed, both favouring General Strikes

In 1918 and 1919, many workers all across Canada went out on strike. Winnipeg, 1919

The Winnipeg General Strike, 1919 The biggest strike in the country. With over 40,000 workers off the job, the city was paralyzed. Some politicians thought it was the beginning of a communist revolution June 21 - Bloody Saturday Violence The Mounted Police charged the protesters, and fired on the people.

When the police moved in to break up the strike, one protestor was shot and killed.

Workers were ordered back to work. New laws were passed to prohibit any further strikes While the workers lost out in the short term, in the long term many of the union leaders were elected to office and began changing Canada s political landscape.

After the strike, a Royal Commission investigated and reported the causes: 1. the cost of living was too high 2. working conditions were poor 3. low wages had caused workers to take extreme actions

Growth of the Canadian economy By the early 1920s the effects of war were disappearing More investment from foreign countries came into Canada The economy had returned to a normal peace-time level

Primary industries were still very important and growing. Forestry boomed Wheat farmers had good prices and bumper crops Mining was strong Papermaking Canada produced more than all other countries combined hydropower and oil

Secondary industries (manufacturing) increased production such as: cars, household appliances (eg. irons, toasters, etc.) This led to the rise of mass consumer culture

Economic Boom, Economic Problems Farmers: Uneven Prosperity Not all farmers were successful, but many wheat farmers were, due to the high wheat prices. Even those farmers were faced with problems; increasing machinery costs which cut into their profits.

Economic Decline in the Maritimes After 1927, the Maritime economy increased (pulp & paper) but only in a few regions. Elsewhere, the economy was in decline.

Coal miners were laid off and the steel industry was hit with stiff competition from central Canada and the U.S.

Preferential railway rates were also stopped by the Federal Government, causing transportation costs to increase. Many thousands of people had to leave the Maritimes for work elsewhere.

The Roaring Twenties 1925+ New inventions made the world seem smaller

The radio was a new invention. Families would listen to programs together

For a few pennies Canadians could see black & white silent movies, news reels. By the late1920s new movies were introduced where the actors actually spoke!

Mass production of cars

Air travel

These inventions were increasingly accessible to more people. Wages increased - Canadians were living in a "modern age" More people had moved into cities and begun work in the service industry (tertiary).

Credit: buying items and paying for them later. This was called the installment plan. People bought SHARES (stocks) on the stock exchange that led to an economic BOOM.

Culture and Society in the 1920s Dramatic change was due mainly to 3 influences of WWI: 1. WWI created an industrial base that was responsible for huge economic prosperity 2. Canadians could now access the world through advances such as radios, cars

3. The roles of women during the war gave them more confidence and independence

People in rural areas were less isolated thanks to radio, movies, cars, and airplanes With higher wages and a shorter work week, there was more free time

New forms of entertainment, inventions & lifestyles appeared Flappers

Jazz music The Charleston

Babe Ruth Ford s Model T

Social inequality in the 1920s A. Women: Were under-represented in government They were not considered "persons" under the law (until 1929)

Training schools for girls were mostly preparation for family living or secretarial work. Women were seen as "temporary employees" (once married, they often lost their jobs.)

B. Children: After 1929, children under 14 could no longer work in factories or mines. So many more children stayed in school The Home Children Children from Britain (orphans or from poor families) were sent to Canada to start a new life. Their work was often exploited. (hardwork, very low wages, abuse). This ended in 1930.

C. Immigrants: Racism had long been a problem in North America and Europe. Racism grew in the 1920s (Some restaurants refused service to black people) The infamous Ku Klux Klan had 15,000 members in western Canada.

D. Aboriginal People: Government official policy was ASSIMILATION = forcing indigenous people to lose their culture & language and become Canadian

children were sent to Residential schools & forced to forget their own language and culture.

Those who tried living off-reserves were victims of discrimination and prejudice. It was difficult to find good jobs Many were forced to live in terrible poverty

Those living on reserves did not have the right to vote By the 1920s and 1930s, indigenous people like Deskadeh, began to organize to fight for their rights.

PROHIBITION

Prohibition = sale & consumption of beer, liquor was made illegal In Canada prohibition laws were set by the provinces, but ended in 1919.

But in the US, the Volstead Act banned alcohol from1919-1933. Organized crime boomed as gangsters smuggled contraband (illegal rye, rum) from Canada

Al Capone the famous gangster

Politics in the 1920s Farmers in many provinces formed their own party The United Farmers They wanted lower tariffs and social welfare like old age pensions. In Ontario, Alberta, & Manitoba the United Farmers formed the government. In 1920 the farmers formed a new national party The Progressives

In the 1921 election the Progressives came second to the Liberal s William Lyon Mackenzie King Canada s longest serving prime minister close to 30 years

The Maritime Rights Movement Maritimers felt that they had little power in Confederation and formed the MRM They wanted: reduced rail freight costs Gov t help developing Atlantic ports.

Women and Politics Women could vote, but few ran for office So few were elected. Agnes Macphail was the first female MP and was the only one from 1921-1935.

The 'Persons' Case Emily Murphy took the federal government to court in 1927 because it would not allow female senators because they were not 'persons' under the BNA Act.

In 1929, the Privy Council in Britain (the highest court) ruled that women were indeed persons. The first female senator, Cairine Wilson, was appointed in 1929.

The King-Byng Crisis In the 1925 federal election Liberals under King won fewer seats (101) than the Conservatives (116) under Arthur Meighen, but King would not step down as PM.

He argued that under the rules of responsible government & with support of the Progressives (who had won 24 seats), he had a majority. Minority government -When one party has less than a majority of seats (50% + 1) but is supported by another party to govern Libs (101) + Progs (24) =125 out of 245 total So 125 > 116

So with the support of the Progressives, King stayed on as PM. In 1926, due to a corruption scandal, the Progressives stopped supporting King. Rather than lose a vote in Parliament, King went to the Governor General (GG), Lord Byng, and asked him to dissolve Parliament so a new election could be called.

Byng refused, so King resigned and Byng asked Meighen & the Conservatives to form the government. Meighen lost a vote in the House of Commons and was forced to ask the GG to dissolve Parliament and hold yet another election. King and the Liberals won a majority in this election and again stayed in power with the help of the Progressives.

Significance - first time a GG had refused the request of a PM to dissolve parliament. This changed the role of the GG, not only in Canada but in all other dominions of the British Empire.

Canada's growing Independence Canada continued to seek more independence internationally. In 1921, Prime Minister Meighen (Conservative) opposed an alliance between Great Britain and Japan, choosing to back American opposition to the treaty. The Chanak Affair - in 1922, Canada decided not to help the UK in its dispute with Turkey regarding the rights to the Dardanelles and access to the Black Sea.

Canada's growing Independence Canada became an independent member of the League of Nations in 1920

The Halibut Treaty (1923) Canada signed an agreement with the US to govern fishing rights. This was the first time a Canadian, not a British representative, signed an international agreement.

The Imperial Conference of 1926 It was in this conference, under pressure from Mackenzie King, Canada signed the Balfour Report -

This marked the end of the old imperialism of GB and the beginning of an association of equal nations, linked by common interests and their loyalty to the British sovereign (the British Commonwealth)

Statute of Westminster, 1931 A law in the British Parliament that legalized the Balfour Report and gave Canada full authority over its external relations.

Canada, as a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, was fully independent of Britain for the first time in its history.