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The Ford Model T was the first mass-produced automobile, first released in 1908, there was a huge production line. Over 15,000,000 models T's were sold, they were very reliable and widely used up until the great depression, when it became more costly to maintain the vehicles. -
British Columbia was the first province to ban the sale and recreational consumption of alcohol. This was because the working world and industry were slowing down, and the government thought banning alcohol would help productivity. Though it helped initially, many underground bars known as "Speakeasys" popped up, and alcohol had to be smuggled, causing a rise in organized crime aswell. -
An estimated 500 million people in the world had this virus. It originally started during WW1 and was discovered by the Spanish because the French and English were at war, hence the name. By the end of it, 50 million people had died. It had a big impact on people going into the 1920s and can be compared to the more recent COVID-19 pandemic. -
During the Winnipeg General Strike over 30,000 workers left their jobs in factories, stores, and city services and marched the streets, demanding better working conditions. It was significant in that it brought together the working class in Canada. Though the protests did end in violence and bloodshed after "Bloody Saturday"
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On June 21st, 1919, the Winnipeg General strike got violent. Business owners hired thugs to beat protesters to try and get them to give up on their efforts. On top of that, the Royal North-West Mounted Police showed up on horseback and also began assaulting protestors. The strike officially ended 4 days later. -
As discovered by Fredrick Banting, Insulin has since been used to help diabetic individuals. Banting sold the patent to the University of Toronto for a mere $1. It has been used and saved lives for the past century. -
The radio was an extremely impactful invention that brought the world ahead. Suddenly rural communities were brought closer to the rest of civilization with things like talk shows, news, and sports, all over the radio. AM or FM radio is still widely used today, and because of its stability and reliability (radio waves) it will still be used in the foreseeable future. -
The 1920s 1930s were the most popular decades for jazz. Some big names like Louis Armstrong ruled speakeasys. Louis Armstrong made his debut on April 5 1923 when he earned his first solo on Chimes Blues. Jazz was heard everywhere and very often performed live in public places. -
"Flappers" were women who cut their hair short, wore short skirts, and drank and danced. The 20s were popular for partying, but women were expected the behave. Flappers, however, were women who broke the rules. They were significant because they showed that women didn't have to follow the rules and could have their own individual thoughts and control their own actions. -
The Jazz Singer was the first ever film with dialogue, a genre that later gained the name of "Talkies". Theatre was a very popular form of entertainment throughout the 20s, and until this, all films were silent starring actors like Charlie Chaplin and his famed role "Little Tramp". -
The great depression affected the entire globe and was a bad time filled with bankruptcy, unemployment, and scarce resources. The depression in Canada was mainly caused by things like their limited natural resources, high international trade tariffs, and dependence on the United States of America.
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Most historians would refer to Black Tuesday as the start of the great depression. Wall Street was sent into a panic as people began to sell everywhere and the stock market dropped 50%. Banks were going bankrupt and so were people. The stock market had only recently become popular, and millions of people lost finances. -
Richard Bedford Bennett was elected as the Canadian Prime Minister in 1930. When he began doing things that hurt international trade like high tariffs, the public got mad. He did not do a good job helping Canadian citizens during the great depression. A "Bennett Buggy" was a car stripped of its engine, pulled by a horse. A mockery of the prime minister. -
Children from aboriginal families aged 5-15 were taken from their homes, stripped of personal belongings, had their hair cut, and were beaten for speaking their own language. The goal of the schools was to "Beat the Indian out of the child" which meant destroying their culture and forcing them into the Christian religion. Many children died at these schools and the ones that didn't, suffered from lifetime trauma. -
With more free time, people had begun to take up more sports like basketball and hockey. Professional athletes like Babe Ruth were able to play multiple sports professionally, and this brought popularity to the sports, especially when they became popular alongside the radio, so fans could tune in to the play-by-play commentary. On October 1st, 1932 Babe Ruth scored a home run in the third game of the world series. -
1,500 members of the government's relief camps went on strike in BC, they first headed to Vancouver but then realized Ottawa was the real destination. They traveled there by train cars. By the time they reached Regina, they were 2,000 strong but quickly got shut down, and arrested. They didn't go quietly, there were riots.