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Chapter 3 The Twenties
Lesson Ten: Problems After the War
Of course, there was celebration (new Jazz music, dramatic fashion changes, modern lifestyles…) in Canada when the war ended, but the early 1920s was a difficult time:
 Wartime industry was no longer needed, and soldiers arrived home to few jobs.
 No pensions, welfare, employment insurance, no medical services for the injured.
 Cost of goods soured while wages remained at low wartime levels. Many families could not cover the cost of rent and groceries.
 Some regions were struck harder than others. This was especially true in the Maritimes and with farmers on the Prairies and in Ontario
 Meanwhile, many industrialists had gotten rich during the war. The differences between rich and poor were great.
 Both federally and provincially, new parties and stronger unions were challenging government.
Workers Unite!
 Workers began to demand higher wages, better work conditions, as well as right to form unions.
 This results in numerous strikes, sometimes long and bitter (pg.49)
 When riots became violent, employers demanded that police break them up.
 In Western provinces such as BC, unions were especially socialist, influenced by the Bolsheviks and the
Communist Revolution in Russia (Communism argues that factories, farms and transportation- the means and distribution of production- should be publicly (either indirectly through government or by the workers directly) owned and not privately.
 Western labour unions join in One Big Union (OBU), representing all workers (called collective
bargaining), and call for a peaceful general strike.
 In Winnipeg, 30,000 workers walked out on their jobs. There were no firefighters, and postal, telephone, and telegraph services were all shut down. The mayor had the union leaders arrested.
 This resulted in a parade that armed police on horseback confronted. It ended in a violent clash known as
Bloody Saturday (June 21, 1919).
 In the long run, the government began to listen to the unions. Some of the union leaders who were arrested became well known politicians who fought for social reform (also formed a party, now known as the NDP).
Lesson 11: Finally, Things Began to Improve…
Before the war, Canada mainly traded with Britain, but the war left Britain deep in debt and the US emerged as the world’s economic leader. In the 1920s, US investments in Canada increased creating jobs:
 Pulp and paper mills and mines. The majority of the resources were shipped back to US industries (75% for newsprint).
 Metal mining. Most of the metal found itself in US products (cars, radios…)
 US investors set up branch plants (factories in Canada but controlled by US corporations). By making products in Canada for the Canadian market, US companies avoided paying tariffs at the border!
 By end 1920s, US corporations owned all automobile factories, 70% of oil businesses, 45% of machinery and chemical industries, and over half of rubber and electrical companies (see: Fig. 3-6 for graph of US investments in Canada).
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Question: Can you foresee any long-term consequences of US investment in Canada, despite the increase in jobs and booming economy?
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Canada’s recognition as a sovereign (independent) nation also improved:
 In 1922, new PM Mackenzie King refused to support Britain’s plans to invade Turkey.
 In 1923, he insisted that Canada could sign international treaties without a British signature to guarantee it.
 In 1926, publicly challenged Britain’s interference in Canada’s politics (see: King-Byng Crisis pg. 55).
 At the Imperial Conference of 1926, Canada, Australia, N. Zealand, and S. Africa requested autonomy
(freedom to govern themselves). Britain responded with the Balfour Report (which became law in 1931), which formally turned the British Empire into the British Commonwealth. Canada and the other former colonies were now considered equal to Britain and allowed to make their own laws. Canada would still be restricted in two ways; it still was legally bound under the British constitution. Also, judicial appeals had to go to Britain (until 1949).
Short term Prosperity: A Time of Inventions and Consumerism
 Continuing trend of modernization, industrialization and urbanization (see: p.59)
 Young people break away from the strict moral values of Victorian Age
 Called the Roaring Twenties: radio, cinema (the first “talkies” 1927), Jazz, new dance styles, rebellious fashions (compare photos pp. 61 and p.6)
 Canadians heavily influenced by US media and tourists (see: p.61)
 Mass produced cars improved transportation (see: p.62)
 Radios help isolated communities keep up with the news and trends; telephone becomes a standard home appliance (see: p. 64 for more inventions)
Not Everything Was Perfect For Everyone
 See: Treatment of Aboriginals and Immigrants (including African- Canadians) pp. 69-71
 See: Prohibition: The Alcohol Black Market pg. 58
Activity One: Read pp. 69- 71 and Answer #1-4 pg.72
Ch. 3: The Twenties Study Questions (note: not all these questions are answered in Preview course)
1.
Why was there labour unrest after WW I?
2.
What were workers’ demands re. working conditions?
3.
What is regionalism? How was it expressed during this period? (see: pp. 53-54)
4.
How did Canada become more independent from Britain?
5.
How did US investment impact Canadian economy?
6.
How did industrialization affect city life?
7.
How did new technology influence lifestyles in the 1920s?
8.
What signs were there in the 1920s that might indicate why the stock market crash of 1929 (see: pg 72) would lead to a global economic depression in the 1930s?