Women on the home front
• Women were expected to sacrifice for the war effort
• Women rationed food (especially meat), made
vegetable gardens and sewed their own clothes
• Also, women knitted socks for men in the trenches
• The white feather campaign was a tactic used by
women to shame men into enlisting
War on the Home
Front
Women’s Rights
The Conscription Crisis
The Election of 1917
Women’s work
• Before the war, women
were expected to stay at
home
• Women who did work were
usually single and could
only get jobs as teachers,
nurses or secretaries
• Also, women’s fashion was
very constricting
• Women were expected to
wear long dresses at all
times, covering up arms,
ankles and neckline
Women during the War
• With thousands of young
men leaving to fight in the
war and the huge demand
for food and war material,
women were asked to join
the work force
• For the first time, women
took on jobs like bus
driving, factory work, and
farm laborer
• Factory production and
efficiency went up with
female workers
• In addition, thousands of
women went overseas as
Nursing sisters
Women and Prohibition
• Canada was a hard drinking
country
• Many men would waste their
money at bars and saloons
• Also, the rate of domestic violence
was very high
• Women’s group had been pushing
for laws against alcohol for years
• During the war, the need for public
safety and increased food
production caused many in
government to listen to women’s
concerns about alcohol
• By 1918, production, distribution
and consumption of alcohol was
illegal
The Struggle for Women’s Rights
• Since women were doing so much for
the war effort, they wanted a share in
making decisions about the country.
• Women who fought in the women’s
right movement were called
suffragists.
• Women fought for the right to vote
(suffrage), work for political equality to
men, and equal opportunities in
employment.
• Nellie McClung was Canada’s leading
suffragist at the time.
• The movement was so strong the
Canadian Government allowed some
women to vote in the 1917 election
Key points
• Women had few rights in Canada before WWI
• During WWI, women took on new jobs, wore
new clothing and discovered new confidence
• Women were most responsible for passing
prohibition (no alcohol)
• Some women gained the right to vote in 1917
Conscription
• Conscription: all
able-bodied men
would be required
to join the army.
• The war had dragged on much longer than
everyone had expected. As a result, casualty
numbers rose and volunteer enlistments dropped.
Because of these numbers…
• Borden was convinced
by military officials
that the war could not
be won without more
reinforcements.
• He asked parliament
to pass the
conscription bill.
4 Corners Activity
• Imagine yourself living during WWI knowing what
you know now about the war efforts overseas
and at home.
• Would you be…
1.
2.
3.
4.
•
•
100% in favour of Conscription
Leaning toward conscription
Leaning against conscription
Completely against conscription
Move to the corner where your choice is posted
Discuss with your classmates standing with you
your reasons for your choice
Conscription Debate
• After hearing the points of views of your
classmates, would any of you like to change
your position?
A Country Divided
• Talk of conscription caused much uproar and
essentially divided the country, especially
between English and French Canadians.
• There was much protest in Quebec.
• English-Canadian newspapers accused Quebec
of not doing their part because they sent the
fewest volunteers in proportion to its
population.
Conscription Crisis: Comparative Chart
Your Identity in 1917
• Based on your identity card, decide how you
would vote in the upcoming election using the
comparative chart.
Union Government = For Conscription (2)
Opposition (Laurier) = Against Conscription (3)
CAST YOUR VOTE!
Soldiers' Ballot.
Broadsheet produced by the Union government showing soldiers how to cast their
votes in the 1917 election. This leaflet notes that a vote for the Union government is a
vote against slackers.
George Metcalf Archival Collection
Conscription is Law
• In summer 1917, Borden passed the Military Service
Bill making conscription law:
– Military service was compulsory for all males between the
ages of 20 and 45. Only men in vital wartime production
jobs, those who were sick, or conscientious objectors
(those for whom fighting was against their religion or other
beliefs) did not have to join.
• Conscientious objectors were also known as Pacifists:
those against war based on religion. (Mennonites and
Quakers who came to Canada to escape military service
in their own countries and for religious freedom.)
Swaying the Vote
• Two more bills were passed in winter of 1917,
both to strengthen Borden’s position on
conscription.
• The Military Voters Act: allowed soldiers
overseas to vote
• The Wartime Elections Act:
– gave the vote to female relatives of soldiers
• The War Measures Act:
– took the vote away from people born in enemy
countries or who spoke the language of an enemy
country, and conscientious objectors.
Does your vote count?
• Based on the Military Voters Act and the Wartime
Elections Act, does the vote you cast based on
your identity count?
If yes…put a  on your ballot
If no…put a  on your ballot
Submit your ballot at the polling station!
Let’s Count the votes!!!
The Election of 1917
• Borden and the union government won by an
overwhelming majority.
• 153 seats to 82 seats
• In Quebec, however, Borden only received 3
seats to Laurier’s 62.
Did Conscription Work?
• By 1918, only 45 000 conscripts reached the
battlefield.
• They was a huge divide in the country.
• Many say that national unity was a high price
to pay for 45 000 soldiers.
Aftermath
• Borden wins the election in every province
except Quebec
• French men are specifically targeted for
conscription
• Massive Riots in Quebec City and Montreal!
• Canada was divided just as Laurier feared
Key Points
• The Canadian Army was Shrinking and needed
more men
• Sir Robert Borden wanted conscription
• English Canada supports conscription
• French Canada doesn’t
• Borden wins the 1917 election by using the War
Measures Act, Military Voters Act and Wartime
Elections Act
• Quebec Riots and has negative feelings towards
English Canada that never go away!