The Roaring The Roaring TwentiesTwenties

1921 Election MacKenzie King – leader MacKenzie King – leader

of Liberal partyof Liberal partyBelieved in the middle Believed in the middle

pathpath Arthur Meighen – leader Arthur Meighen – leader

of the Conservativesof the ConservativesBelieved in principles over Believed in principles over

compromise; didn’t care if compromise; didn’t care if he offended anyonehe offended anyone

Liberals elected 117 Liberals elected 117 seats; Conservatives 55 seats; Conservatives 55 seats; Progressives 64 seats; Progressives 64 seatsseats

Mackenzie King

Meighen

Economic Boom Canada’s economy was struggling Canada’s economy was struggling

as it entered the 1920’s, but soon as it entered the 1920’s, but soon began to rise began to rise

During the 1920’s the US started During the 1920’s the US started investing in Canada’s economy.investing in Canada’s economy.

Ex. US Companies set up ‘branch Ex. US Companies set up ‘branch plants’ such as auto plants, which plants’ such as auto plants, which operated here but were controlled operated here but were controlled by American business men (by American business men (so that they didn’t have to pay tariffs to ship cars to Canada)

US enriched Canada’s economy by US enriched Canada’s economy by extracting or harvesting raw extracting or harvesting raw materials (primary resources)materials (primary resources)

Materials were transported to US for Materials were transported to US for processing and manufacturing processing and manufacturing (secondary resources)(secondary resources)

Economic Boom (cont.)With the increase With the increase

in employment and in employment and economic economic prosperity few prosperity few Canadians Canadians questioned the questioned the long term effects of long term effects of American American involvement.involvement.

PM King & US President Roosevelt

Bootlegging Across the Border The Women’s Christian The Women’s Christian

Temperance Union (WCTU) Temperance Union (WCTU) pushed prohibition into pushed prohibition into legislation in Canada and the legislation in Canada and the US.US.Prohibition: the sale,

manufacture, and transportation (bootlegging) of alcohol was illegal.

Eventually, after plebiscites (votes on a public issue) Canada adopted liquor outlets that the government controlled. By1921, many provinces had regulations instead of banning product

The US, however, enforced it The US, however, enforced it until 1933. Canadians sold until 1933. Canadians sold illegal alcohol over the border illegal alcohol over the border for about 10 years. This was for about 10 years. This was known as known as “Rum-running”.

Poster supporting prohibition

The Twenties’ Woman After the tumult of World

War I, a "new breed" of young women came about:

Short skirts, bobbed their hair

Disliked “acceptable behavior”

women were becoming more independent and achieving greater freedoms (the right to vote, greater employment)

Chicago 1926

The “Flapper” a "new breed" of

young woman came about: the Flapper.

A Flapper was an emancipated young woman who embraced the new fashions and urban attitudes.

Short skirts, bobbed their hair

Disliked “acceptable behavior”

New Roles for Women

The fast-changing world of the 1920s produced new roles for women. Many women entered the workplace as nurses, teachers, librarians, & secretaries. However, women earned less than men and were kept out of many traditional male jobs (e.g., management) and faced discrimination.

Early 20th Century teachers

Agnes Macphail began her career as a country schoolteacher. Interested in agricultural problems, she became a member and active spokesperson for the United Farmers of Ontario.

1921 - was the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, and one of the first two women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

1929 - she became the first Canadian woman to be sent as a delegate to the League of Nations in Geneva, where she was an active member of the World Disarmament Committee.

The Persons Case

The Persons Case 1929

Emily Murphy appointed as magistrate in Alberta

This was challenged on the basis that only “persons” could hold office under the BNA Act – women were not “persons” under the law

“Famous Five” fought to have PM Mackenzie King appoint a female senator

The Persons Case 19291928 – Supreme Court of Canada ruled

that women were not “persons”“Famous Five” appealed to the Judicial

Committee of the Privy Council (Britain)October 18, 1929 – JCPC declares

support for the women: The exclusion of women from all public

offices is a relic of days more barbaric than ours... To those who ask why the word [“person”] should include females the obvious answer is why should it not? (p.60)

Growth of Regionalism

Regionalism: concern of various different regions of the country with their own local problems

Maritimes population is a small region, therefore they had fewer seats in parliament

Oil replaced coal, yet Maritimes had coal as their focus industry –> so, economy slows down

They want the federal gov’t to help

Maritimes Rights Movement formed

Regionalism (cont.)

Thomas Crerar

There were also regional challenges from Prairies and OntarioFarmers angered by National Policy because of tariffs/duties placed on foreign goods imported into Canada(this policy benefits manufacturers, not farmers) Foreign goods become too expensive for Canadians, so they have to domestic goods. As a result, farmers can’t get cheap machinery from America.They protest: Farmers wanted free trade, abolish tariffs and allow them to buy cheap machinery from U.S. They also wanted more representation at the federal level, and were displeased at the lack of control over their own products1919 federal Thomas Crerar created the 1919 federal Thomas Crerar created the Progessive PartyProgessive PartyWanted a new National Party based on free Wanted a new National Party based on free trade and ownership of railwaystrade and ownership of railways