1. Unit 3 Chapter 5 STUDY GUIDE
Socials 9
Unit 3
Chapter 5
STUDY GUIDE

2. Key Questions:
What are the factors that led to economic conditions in the 1920’s?
How did new technology impact life in the 20th century?
What were the causes of the Great Depression?
How did the Great Depression affect society, politics, and the economy in the 1930’s?

3. TERMS Branch plants Tariff Assembly line Primary industries
Secondary industries
Installment Plan
Stock market
Share
Stocks
Dividend
Victory bonds
Interest
Stock exchange
Public relief
Public works
Balanced budget
TERMS

4. Economic Prosperity (Growth)
Happened in British Columbia, The Prairies and Central Canada.
Agriculture production increased in Prairies
Mining activity increased in British Columbia, Manitoba and Central Canada
Trade with the US increased (Mostly for Central Canada)
American companies built branch plants in Canada
Technology such as electricity was available in urban areas.
Introduction of the assembly line allowed good to be produced faster

5. Economic Decline Happened in the Maritimes
Shipbuilding declined, even before WW1
Ports were unable to modernize as quickly as other parts of Canada, therefore lost business.
Government increased railway freight rates which led to higher priced goods, which then made industries lose customers, which then made industries cut workers.

6. Economic Decline
Hydroelectricity was slower to develop than in the rest of Canada
Couldn’t buy or use the new technologies
US raised tariffs on the imports of primary resources.
Coal, iron and steel industries in NS declined because of new technology (ie electricity)
People had to go to other parts of Canada and the US to find work

7. Newfoundland Economy NL was not yet part of Canada
Forestry and mining expanded, but didn’t create more money for the average worker
People still left to find work elsewhere
The money from the companies wasn’t reinvested in NL because the people who owned the businesses lived outside the country
The price of fish and newsprint declined
NL had a huge debt to repay due to WW1 and the railway construction

8. New Technology The Haves
Credit system was introduced - farmers could buy machinery; people could buy cars
Installment plan/monthly payments/layaway plans
Cars made travel easier
Telephones made communication easier
Advertisements became important – what type of media were there advertisements in?

9. New Technology The Have Nots
These were the working poor, African Canadians, people of Asian descent
Women lost their jobs when the soldiers returned, they were expected to be wives and mothers
The women who did work were paid less than men who did the same job
Children still worked, but due to child labour laws they now had to be 14 or older to work in the mines and factories.

10. Aboriginals The government wanted to assimilate the Aboriginal people
It was compulsory for the Aboriginal children of ages 7-15 to attend school
The government thought schools were the best way to assimilate the Aboriginals
In NL there was no assimilation policy
Moravian missionaries and contact with traders influenced NL Aboriginals
The League of Indians of Canada was created, but the Department of Indian Affairs countered that by making illegal for Aboriginals to form political parties or hire a lawyer to represent them

11. Leisure
Inventions such as the radio and motion picture opened up new experiences and music
People could now attend sporting events such as hockey, baseball, football, boxing
Women’s sports now became more important, but they still have different rules than men sports.
Nightclubs became popular.
Fashions changed, but could only be worn by the people who could afford them.

12. Causes of the Great Depression
Stock market crash (October 29, 1929)
The value of stocks began to drop, people tried to sell their shares, without investors, the stock market crashed
Spending and buying habits (credit)
People bought a lot of things on credit and could not afford to pay it off
Manufacturing practices – supply and demand – too much supply
Companies had to pay for the goods, the people to make the goods and then did not sell enough to make a profit
Trade with the U.S. and world slowed
Countries increased tariffs on imports
Companies were forced to lay off workers which led to widespread unemployment

13. Effects of the Great Depression
R.B. Bennett became prime minister (Conservative party)
Introduced public relief in 1930 (aka welfare, pogey, the dole)
Began public works (building bridges, roads)
Unskilled laborers, small business owners, farmers, young people could not find work
The conditions of disadvantaged groups (poor, women, 1st Nations and visible minorities) worsened
Diseases from malnutrition and diet related (scurvy)
There was no Medicare, UI or child tax credits
Unemployment rates rose:
1929 it was 3%, 1933 it was 30%, 1938 it was 12-13%

14. Escape from the Hard Times
Radio and movies provided relief – movies now had colour and sound
Children were forced to be creative in their toys and making up games
Several political parties arose:
Communist Party – believed all people should share in society’s prosperity
CCF – believed in public ownership of utilities and transportation, government funded pension, health and welfare insurance, children’s allowances, unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation
Social Credit Party – Believed the government should give every person $25 credit
Union National Party of Quebec – proposed reforms to end unemployment and the hardships of the Depression