The Roaring Twenties!

“It was an era of new prosperity…. A social and cultural
revolution was evident in the new clothing styles,
changes in mass entertainment, growth of spectator
sports, increasing leisure, and mobility… Canada was
evolving towards political independence….

Yet the twenties was also a decade of trouble and
contradiction. The prosperity was not shared by
all….Immigrants continued to come [and] found
unexpected prejudices….Differences in attitudes and
values developed between young and old… [and] youth
responded to the new industrial culture brought to them
by advertising, radio, jazz, films, and the automobile.”

In short, for many the decade offered cause for
celebration; for others, the “Roaring Twenties” would not
live up to the hype.
The Roaring Twenties?

Use the Scrapbook to complete chart.
◦ Gather examples and evidence from primary
sources
◦ Use these to record reasons to celebrate the
decade
◦ What evidence can you find that might suggest
the decade didn’t live up to the hype.
◦ Have fun looking at the sources. For example,
talk of the decade, the cartoons, etc..
Investigating the decade
CANADA’S DIAMOND
JUBILEE EXPO
1927


The year is 1927 and the Liberal government of
Mackenzie King has decided to celebrate the
success of Canada as a newly recognized country
on the international scene. The celebration will take
the form of a two day exposition, with keynote
speakers, presenters, displays and entertainment,
the purpose of which will be to both educate and
entertain. It will certainly be an opportunity to
showcase the accomplishments of the young nation
and its people.
Like with any exposition focusing on national
accomplishments, there will be protests from
individuals and groups who may not share the same
optimism for the state of the country.
The context
Imagine that you are a member of the
organizing team for the Diamond Jubilee
expo.
 You’ll need to decide on:

◦ A keynote speaker
◦ 3 Presenters/ speakers to present on three key
developments in Canada during the 20s
◦ 2 Exhibits / Entertainment

And plan for the possible protests
◦ Not everyone will be in the mood to celebrate.
The Task

Option 1: Complete the booklet of
worksheets

Option 2: Use the rubric as a guideline to
create your own record of information and
details.
The research stage:
Researching the 1920s
• How successfully would Johnny Canuck
achieve a distinctly Canadian nation?
• What kind of nation would be developed?
– Society, culture, technology, equality, leisure
• How much did the decade roar?
Describe the changing roles of women in terms of
social, political, and economic change in Canada during
the 1920s (p.72-73 and scrapbook)
• How much did things really change for women?
• Key people, events/ terms:
– Agnes Macphail, Emily Murphy and the Famous Five, Persons Case,
flappers, domestic technologies (inventions for the home), fashion
Can identify and describe the significance of events contributing to cultural and economic
autonomy and national identity with reference to
- distinctive Canadian programs and policies taken to promote a distinct Canadian identity
- Impacts from foreign influences, programs and policies.
− important Canadian cultural and scientific achievements
(p. 63, 67-71, 84)
• Key ideas / event / issues
– How did the United States influence Canadian Society
• Economics? Branch plants and U.S. influence (pros and
cons), prohibition
• Society, culture and identity? Technology, transportation,
arts, leisure, literature, sports…
– How did new technologies impact society?
• Mobility and communication, inventions and inventors,
– Film and Marie Pickford, Group of Seven, Emily Carr,
magazines, sports
Can identify and describe the significance of events contributing
to national autonomyp.80-83
•
•
•
•
•
•
Autonomy
Chanak Crisis
Halibut Treaty
King/Byng Crisis
Balfour Report
Statute of Westminster
Can explain the challenges faced by minorities and Aboriginal
people in Canada, the impacts of these challenges and their
responses (p.74-76)
• Assimilation, residential schools, potlatch,
Aboriginal title, cut-off lands, Indian Act,
enfranchisement, self-determination, Chief
Deskakeh
• Discrimination, segregation, KKK
• Chinese Exclusion Act 1923, labour conditions
• "The Exclusion Act,
it affected my
family in a very
real way. During
that exclusion
period, my
grandfather did
travel to China
several times, but
he wasn't able to
bring my mother,
my aunt, my
grandmother over
until the Exclusion
Act was lifted in
1947."
Landy Ing-Anderson
Can define regionalism and relate it to alienation and the
changing political landscape of Canada p .77-79
• Maritime rights movement
• National Policy vs. free trade in the Prairies,
United Farmers Party, Progressive Party.
• Quebec and industry
• B.C. resources and the ports
• Choosing a new government and the impact
of the Progressive on Federal politics
• Old Age Pension Act 1927