Judy Chen
Canada at the Turn of the Century ( 19th century- 20th century)
1. Canadian History Factfile
Key Terms
horseless carriages
Meaning
Literally, a carriage that can
move without the need for a
horse to pull it – the early
equivalent of our modern
automobile. Named the
“horseless carriage” due to its
similarities in looks and functions
compared to a carriage.
Historical Significance
Allowed people to travel further
distances in shorter amounts of
time without the high cost of
sheltering and feeding a horse
but a longer lifespan, although
introducing increased accidents.
Caused a need for paved roads.
Komagata Maru
A Japanese steamship (normally
used for transporting coal)
known for once carrying
340 Sikhs, 24 Muslims, and
12 Hindus on board when it
docked in Vancouver in 1914.
None were allowed off, and the
ship was forced to turn back
upon entering.
Showed the extent of exclusion
laws and discrimination that
Canada had at that time,
designed for keeping unwanted
immigrants from entering the
country.
Aerial Experiment Association
A Canadian aeronautical
research group formed in 1907,
comprised of Alexander Graham
Bell, Frederick Walker Baldwin,
Douglas McCurdy, and Glenn
Hammond Curtiss.
Renowned for establishing the
possibility of flight by humans
with the use of aircrafts, and
propelling later developments by
acting as a starting marker.
urbanization
Due to industrialization, more
and more people were
transitioning from rural areas
into urban settings (cities).
Many no longer were required to
farm, and were able to pursue
other work, such as in the
myriad of factories that were
being established. This meant
that things which families were
used to making by themselves
(clothing, toys) were able to be
bought.
Silver Dart
The first “heavier-than-air”
aircraft which allowed controlled
flight, built by the AEA; its debut
flight (1909) only making a
distance of half a mile.
Acted as a huge step for manmade flying machines, and
guided the path of future
improvements to them.
suburbs
A residential district on the
outskirts of a city, where urban
areas expanded into the rural
due to increased demand for
land and houses. Usually not as
busy, nor as crowded.
Due to new immigrants arriving,
cities had to expand to
accommodate the increased
population growth.
immigration
Moving permanently to a
country that is not where you
are currently.
Contributed substantially to
Canada’s modern image and
identity as a whole – and
especially to the population.
Immigrants introduced a wide
range of cultures, languages, and
lifestyles.
unions
“An organised association of
workers formed to protect and
further their rights and interests”
Formed strikes to demand their
rights, and had power in
numbers.
Working conditions at the time,
especially in factories, were
unsafe, and workers felt that
they lacked fare wages. Unions
helped people raise their voices
and take a stand for fairness in
the workplace and other rights.
Anglo-conformity
The assimilation or prevention of
“foreign” (at that time, meaning
those not of Anglo-Saxon
decent) immigrants entering the
country.
Because of the government
wanted to enforce this, schools
in Canada were forced to teach
in English anything else was
against the law. Children were
not allowed to learn practises
from their original countries.
Head-tax and other restrictions
were placed to discourage nonEuropean immigrants from
settling in Canada.
mutual aid societies
An association of people – often
sharing ethnic background,
religion, occupation, or a
location – that provides
resources, services, and general
aid, which benefits everyone
within it.
With the vast number of
immigrants entering Canada,
mutual aid societies were a
home away from home. They
helped new immigrants settle
and brought together people
with similar interests, holding a
comfort for them.
2. a) bicycle:
The biggest impact this had is on the lower class. Those whom were not able to afford means of
transportation (such as horse-drawn carriages and automobiles) other than their own two feet now
gained mobility and speed. They could get places faster in shorter amounts of time, allowing them to
live further away from their workplaces, and also reducing social barriers between the upper classes and
the lower classes since it was so affordable. In addition, riding the bicycle changed the way people
(especially women) dressed. Many got rid of their long, tight skirts in exchange for slit ones that allowed
them to pedal comfortably. Another effect the introduction of the bicycle caused is the construction of
more pathways – bicycles were not like horses, and required relatively flat ground to be operated.
b) airplane:
The invention of a working, controllable airplane reassured people of the extents that could be reached
with science, proving that what was once thought to be impossible (flying) could be done. Though not
implemented for public use until later, the airplanes then were bases for expansion, and would soon
allow people faster transportation (of both goods and people), communication, and play a part in
military missions.
c) automobile:
On its release, very few people could afford this fast luxury. Once more people had them, roads had to
be paved and highways were built to accommodate. Accidents sprouted far more often than with horsedrawn carriages, considering that the automobile had no mind of its own. However, people could now
travel long distances at reliable speeds, without tiring themselves or their horses. A negative drawback,
though not known at the time, was the huge impact these early cars made on the environment.
d) telephone:
Allowed quick communication, without the need to physically be there, which was especially useful for
those whom lived on isolated farms. Information could easily be transferred over long distances. The
usefulness of this was eventually brought to businesses and industries for things such as ordering
merchandise from stores, along with telemarketing.
e) silent movies:
These quickly became the predominant source of entertainment of the time, almost replacing many
costly-to-host live performances such as cabarets and plays, or the self-entertainment methods at the
time (mainly instrument playing). In fact, silent movies brought the beginning to a new industry, and a
new era of entertainment. Silent movies allowed people to reach great heights in fame and popularity,
and the first big-screen celebrities were discovered. At the start, these films were short in length,
though eventually became longer and more elaborate.
3. a) The government wanted to attract new immigrants after 1896 because the settlement was
heavily concentrated in the east, yet the western parts of Canada had been left mostly untouched.
b) Clifford Sifton used the allure of promised free land, called “homesteads” to attract people to
Canada, along with the ability to additionally buy adjacent lots for a very low price.
c) A majority whom came to Canada were from Great Britain, since Canada was still considered a
colony and they had a slight dictation in who entered Canada. Americans and other Europeans were also
welcomed, especially if they were skilled in farming or would contribute to the economy. However,
groups such as Ukrainians, Doukhobors, Africans, and Asians were not. The darker the skin of the
immigrant, the more they were regarded as “foreigners”, to a point where they were sometimes denied
entry into Canada for reasons such as a belief that they would have an inability to adapt to the cold
weather since (according to the Canadian government). Also, it was thought that they would be harder
to assimilate, and they aroused suspicion, since the settlers blamed most crimes and bad luck on them.
4. People moved to cities at the turn of the century mainly due to the introduction of better
technologies, which made it possible for fewer people to produce the same (or a larger) amount of crop
much more easily, while new factories being made were in need of more workers. Many youths decided
to move to the city in hopes of making their fortunes.
5. At that time, the differences between the rich and the poor were a lot more severe than the gaps in
the social structure nowadays. The poor worked day and night to get their everyday necessities such as
food, clothes, and water. They had to grow, make, and collect everything on their own, or try to buy
what they lacked with the little money they had. However, the rich could afford to pay for these or hire
others to acquire them. In addition, they had all the newest inventions coming out at the time, such as
indoor plumbing, running water, indoor lighting, sewing machines, vacuums, washing machines,
refrigerators, and other commodities while those whom could not afford these had to hand-sew,
scrub/make their own clothes, grow/preserve food, collect (often unhygienic) water from wells/pumps,
and live by candlelight/kerosene lamp. Essentially better living conditions, and larger living spaces.
6.
Transportation
Entertainment
Beginning of Century
Today
Railway, steamboat, “horseless
carriage” (automobile), bicycle,
foot
Airplane, train, subway,
boat/ship, bus, car, foot
Silent films, toys (checkers,
jump-rope, dolls, cards), radio,
dancing, television, stage shows
(plays, magic shows), reading
books, etc.
Movies, toys (very similar,
though some have additional
improvements/modifications,
videogames, moving parts),
stage shows (concerts,
orchestras, plays, musicals),
radio, television, reading (books,
blogs), social networking, etc.
“Simpler” forms of
entertainment, in a way of
speaking. Most of these objects
had a specific use, eg. jump-rope
was for skipping and had no
significant purpose other than
that.
Sports
Baseball, horse racing, boxing,
hockey, soccer, cycling clubs,
golf, tennis, polo, basketball, etc.
Faster, smoother travelling,
safer, more comfortable
Slightly more complex and more
diverse in terms of things to do
and how you do them, eg. a
computer can serve as a
communications device, while it
can also be used for playing
videogames, reading and other
functions.
Baseball/softball, basketball,
hockey, soccer, volleyball,
lacrosse, tennis, badminton,
table tennis, football, rugby,
Inventions
Not immensely different from
the sports of today, though the
safety when playing these at the
time were low, due to a lack of
helmets and other gear use for
protection. Sports proved to be
great entertainment even at the
turn of the century; people
made wagers on which
team/which player would win,
watch the sports games, and
even played sports themselves
occasionally.
cricket, golf, swimming, skating,
boxing, MME, e-sports (name
given to competitive videogame
tournaments), etc.
Indoor plumbing, aircrafts,
automobiles, bicycles,
telephone, silent movies, etc.
Electronics for entertainment
(eg. music player, videogames),
cellphones, improvements to
older inventions, etc.
Considered “scientific
breakthroughs” at the time, and
caused lots of awe when they
came out, due to the fact that no
inventions of similar use.
Fashion
Men: waistcoats, blazers,
morning coat, tall collars turned
over, stiff fronts on dress-shirts,
bowler hats, top hats, flat straw
boaters, trousers, etc.
Women: (often changed
exponentially) corsets, hourglass
figures, feather-trimmed hats,
tight sleeves with ruffles, bellshaped skirts, fluffy hair, etc.
Distinct and defined features for
men’s and women’s wear.
Though mostly the same, variety
of new sports have sprung up
due to advancing technology and
better equipment. More
competition is included, eg.
Olympics, major sports leagues,
etc.
Many are improvements/
innovation on earlier inventions,
making them more efficient than
they were already.
T-shirts, jeans, sweatpants,
hoodies, jackets, sweaters,
accessories used for aesthetics
(eg. scarves, earrings),
sunglasses, capris,shorts, etc.
More ambiguity in clothing
(both male and female can
wear). Most of the time, it’s
comfort over looks.
7. The cellphone, though derived from the telephone, is a modern invention that has affected our lives
a lot. Instead of hoping that the person you need to contact is at home or at a place where they can
access a phone, you have a quick, easy, and sure way to convey your message to them. This also works
the other way around. One no longer has to wait at home for a call when they can receive it virtually
anywhere in the world. Cellphones now even have features a computer normally has (and some that a
computer doesn’t!), providing entertainment and information on-the-go.
8. a) Restrictions were placed on these groups because the government believed them to be hard to
assimilate. Those already living in Canada considered it to be a British country, most of them immigrants
from Great Britain itself. They wanted to keep the way of life they were used to, and were afraid that
the Black and Chinese immigrants would be very influential towards it.
b) I’m sure that to the government at the time believed their reasonings to be very justified, for the
“greater good” of Canada. However, though they were made with good intentions for the country’s
well-being, the restrictions were unfortunately based on misguided information (that the Blacks and
Asians would act as liabilities rather than assets and their other claims), and far from justified. One of
their goals was to preserve and maintain a single cultural identity for Canada, though to achieve this,
they segregated many ethnic groups and created tension between races.
c) Contrary to popular belief at the time, skills (especially those of farming or those that can
contribute to the economy) have no correlation with ethnicity at all. Their thoughts of Blacks and Asians
being incapable of working and having to be babysat in cities (since their ideal immigrants where
farmers)
d) Very few Blacks and Asians were allowed into Canada. In the odd case where one would be
accepted, only that person would enter – excluding their wife and children, leading many families to be
separated. While in Canada, there were most likely many social pressures from those whom were of
Anglo-Saxon decent, often associated with blaming of or superiority towards them daily.
In the infamous event of the ship Komagata Maru, coloured immigrants bypassed the rule about
travelling from India to Canada in one continuous trip meant to stop them from entering and docked on
the port of Vancouver. They were immediately denied and sent back home.
e) In our diverse and accepting society today, the measures used to restrict immigrants appear
extremely harsh, and unfair to the potential immigrants of other nationalities. Even back then, I’d
imagine that they seemed unfair, especially to the immigrants themselves.
9. a) By “born on the soil”, Sifton meant that he wanted immigrants whom were knowledgeable in
farming (because being born on the soil indicates having a connection with nature, which leads to
growing crops) and hardworking (since life, being born on soil, is hard and uncomfortable, allowing one
to develop perseverance through it).
b) Sifton wanted these types of immigrants because there was a lot of available land in the west,
which was decent farmland, yet everyone was condensed in the eastern parts. The demand of crops
such as wheat was exponentially increasing. With the prices soon breaking the roof, Sifton saw the profit
to the economy of Canada in wheat. He wanted them to be hardworking so that, with a piece of land
and many children to assist him, the farmer and his family would be self-sustaining and would not have
need of any additional support from the government.
c) His view was not justified, due to the fact that, aforementioned in the above question, race and
farming ability have no correlation. Those with coloured skin could have very well been experienced
farmers in their homelands, while the Europeans may have not all been skilled in farming. Even going by
his opinion that they would not be good farmers, his view is still not properly justified: should they move
into cities, they would still be contributing greatly to Canada’s economy, especially in work that needed
to be done but not many wished to do. To turn away potential assets to the thriving of Canada was a
terrible judgement call on his part.
d) Sifton believed that his views were different from the average person because most rejected
non-Europeans altogether. He promoted the fact that the immigrants Canada should have were
farmers, regardless of ethnicity. However, he still had the mindset that those of a non-Anglo-Saxon
decent were inferior in skill to those whom were, making his view on the same level as the average
Canadian at the time. Most Canadians originating from European countries, immigrants from Europe
were well accepted and welcomed with open arms.