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Prohibition
Many women groups in the 1918-1919 campaigned to get alcohol banned in the United States. The women believed that the wheat that was used to make the alcohol should be used to feed the soldiers and civilians, rather than make the alcohol. During the war just a few years earlier, the federal government implemented Prohibition which banned the production, import, and transportation of any alcohol/liquor across the country. However due to this new law this started a new crime called bootlegging. -
The Winnipeg General Strike
The Winnipeg General Strike was massive protest that many Winnipeg citizens contributed to. The building and Metal Trades Councils voted to go on strike in Winnipeg. They asked for three requests: decent wages(85 cents per hour), an eight-hour day, and the right to bargain collectively for better working conditions, which were not given. Winnipeg was split into 2 hostile groups in this strike that dragged on for 37 days. One day that stuck out from the rest would be known as Bloody Saturday. -
Bloody Saturday
This day was part of the last days of the Winnipeg General Strike. Rioters filled the streets in protest of better working conditions. The mayor of Winnipeg was fearing trouble and called in the Royal North-West Mounted Police. As the crowds swarmed the streets, they flipped over a streetcar. The police charged the crowds with shots being fired. One man was killed with another 30 being injured. Hundreds were arrested. Five days later, workers were order back to work. The general strike was over. -
Radio
The radio was invented in 1895 but didn't become widely popular until around the 1920s. In the 20s, the radio was a great communication product. Voices, news, etc. was now able to be broadcast across the country using radio signals. People who lived in the rural sections of the countries were able to be connected to the cities of the nation. Radios brought an inexpensive entertainment to the home. In 1925, a way of plugging the radio directly into household electrical current was discovered. -
Flapper
Flapper was a young woman who dressed outrageously compared to the past fashion. Women would wear dresses that went only to the knees instead of all the way down. the women would have their hair cut short instead of having it long. In the winter they would also wear galoshes with buckles tat were unfastened. Flappers were outrageous due to them trying to show the sexual freedom that women rightfully deserved in the 1920s. -
Residential Schools
Residential Schools didn't become popular until around the 1920s. All students were indigenous children from ages 7-15 and were ripped away from their families. Many children were beaten, physically, emotionally, and sexually. The kids were also beaten if they did anything relating back to their religion. Children were ill-treated and only few children received a good education. The schools were used to "kill the Indian" in the kid. They weren't worked of the countries until the 1960s. -
Insulin
In the year 1921, over a million people had diabetes. Thousands died each year from this disease. A year later, the discovery of Insulin was introduced at the University of Toronto. Frederick Banting was the main reason that the discovery happened in the first place. J.B. Collip, Charles Best, and J.R.R. Macleod also helped with this amazing discovery. By late 1922, Insulin was made available to treat diabetes. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
The Chinese Exclusion Act was an act that banned all Chinese except students, merchants, and diplomats from entering Canada. Only eight Chinese people were admitted into Canada between the time that the act was enforced until it was repealed in 1947. Much of the racial discrimination came from out west in British Columbia. Many only found jobs within their own communities or got paid lower wages than other workers for the same job. To Chinese Canadians, July 1 1923 is know as "Humiliation Day" -
Model T and the Assembly Line
The creator of the Model T, Ford, also created a new way to increase efficiency in the work place, the assembly line. The assembly line ran from one end of the factory to the other. It was like a train ride that had multiple stops. The conveyor belt technique would add parts onto the car at each stop. Stops would include adding the tires or adding the engine. By the end, the car would be assembled and ready to drive. When the Model T first arrived the average price to get one was around $395. -
Talkies
Talkies were first shown in Canada in 1927. Talkies being movies with sounds provided excitement that many people lacked in their lives. Talkies were a great source of entertainment for the peoples daily lives. One of the most famous actresses was Mary Pickford in Canada. -
The Person's Case
The Persons Case underlined the inequality women still faced. The first female judge,Emily Murphy, was challenged by a lawyer in her courtroom stating that no woman was a "person" in the eyes of the law. Over the next several years, women would fight for their spot to be allowed to sit in the senate. The Famous Five fought to get their seat in the senate. Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Henrietta Edwards, Irene Parlby were the Famous five. They won the right to sit in the senate. -
Relief
Relief became big in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Relief was emergency financial assistance given to some of the unemployed to keep them from starving. Many people who struggled would file a reasoning to why they needed relief. Due to many people being out of jobs people would hitch onto asking for relief checks from the government. However, the only person that helped with giving relief was R.B. Bennett. Due to P.M. King stating that any non-liberal would get nothing. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn the country has ever faced. Many people believed that the stock market crash was the main cause of the depression however the stock market crash was nearly a symptom of the Great Depression. Some of the main causes were the over expansion and over production, the dependency on a few primary sources(like wheat), the dependence on the USA, the High Tariffs, too much credit buying, and buying on margin. -
Bennett Buggies
The Bennett Buggy was a contraption that was made up by the citizens during the great depression when their cars lacked the proper fuel. Citizens would take out the engine of the car and hook up farm animals to pull the car instead. These contraptions were named the Bennett Buggy to give the Prime Minister at the time R.B. Bennett the constant reminder of how he dug Canada into an even deeper hold during the depression. -
Five Cent Speech
The Five Cent Speech was a speech that was spoken by Mackenzie King. During his reign of Prime Minister just before the Great Depression,Mackenzie King made a speech that talked about how he would not give a single five cent piece to any province who didn't have a liberal government. He also insisted that social welfare( which included providing relief) was the responsibility of the provinces. Due to this speech King got voted out in the 1930 election and R.B. Bennett got voted in. -
On to Ottawa Trek
The On to Ottawa Trek was a protest that was made by thousands of men in British Columbia to protest the relief camps and unfair working conditions. The trekkers made it all the way to Regina in Saskatchewan where they got stopped by the mounted police. Bennett claimed that the trekkers were disobeying the law and arrested most of the trekkers. Due to this a riot broke out, where a dozen people were injured and a police officer was killed.
