1. The Twenties Growth and Change

2. Canada and the World
On New Year’s Eve, 1919, many Canadians must have felt relieved that a new decade was about to begin.
The previous one had been filled with troubles: the Great War, the Halifax Explosion, the Spanish Flu, and a wave of strikes that started in Winnipeg.
People hoped the 1920s would bring a fresh start.

3. Canada and the World
The dawning of a new decade saw a turning point in Canadian history.
Many of the old political leaders from the founding of Canada left politics, which gave way to a new crop of leaders and ideas.
Because of the war, societal norms began to change, and Canada took up a dominant role on the world stage.

4. Timeline: Canada Forges a New Attitude
Canada becomes one of the original members of the League of Nations, formed as part of the Treaty of Versailles to prevent further wars and encourage international cooperation.
Canada’s new prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, refuses to support Britain in a conflict with Turkey.
He makes it clear that he wants a more independent foreign policy, and that Canada will no longer automatically stand alongside Britain.

5. Timeline: Canada Forges a New Attitude
Canadian officials negotiate and sign the Halibut Treaty with the United States on their own.
King refuses to allow British officials to participate.
Parliament approves the use of a new flag.
The Canadian Red Ensign replaces Britain’s Union Jack on government buildings outside Canada.

6. Timeline: Canada Forges a New Attitude
Lord Byng, the Governor General appointed by Britain, refuses to allow Prime Minister Mackenzie King to call an election when the government begins to fall.
Instead, he appoints Conservative leader Arthur Meighen as prime minister.

7. Timeline: Canada Forges a New Attitude
Some see this move as British interference in Canadian affairs.
Meighen’s government lasts only days, and Canadians vote King and the Liberals back in. The incident becomes known as the King-Byng crisis.

8. Timeline: Canada Forges a New Attitude
King attends a conference in London, England, to discuss a report submitted by Lord Balfour, a former British prime minister.
The Balfour Report recommends that Britain recognize the independence of former British colonies such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

9. Timeline: Canada Forges a New Attitude
The statements of the Balfour Report become law in Britain in the Statute of Westminster.
The law establishes complete legal equality between the parliaments of Britain and Canada.
This is the closest that Canada has ever come to declaring its independence.

10. What do you think?
Choose one event from the timeline that you think were the most important in moving Canada toward independence. Justify your choice.

11. The Group of Seven
The Group of Seven were a group of Canadian artists who attempted to show how Canada’s unique landscape makes them feel
Initially their work was rejected as amateurish

12. The Group of Seven
But eventually it became recognized as the first truly Canadian style of art
Members of the Group of Seven include: Frank Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald, Frederick Varley
Tom Thomson was the artist that inspired the Group

13. Immigration to Canada
What are Push and Pull factors with relating to immigration?
The countries of Europe were still struggling to recover from the war
Many young people from Europe were eager to start a new life somewhere else.

14. Immigration to Canada Canada had not been directly affected by the war
Its economy was booming
There were lots of jobs, especially in the primary industries of Canadas north
What are primary industries?
Mining, Logging, etc

15. Immigration to Canada
However, once these new immigrants arrived in Canada they often found things to be different than they expected.
Immigrants received lower wages than non- immigrants, and after expenses, often walked away with next to nothing

16. Canada’s Immigration Policy
The Canadian Government actively encouraged people from Britain, Western Europe and the United States to come to Canada
However, other people were not allowed to come

17. Canada’s Immigration Policy
In 1923 Canada passed the Chinese Exclusion Act.
This act banned all new Chinese Immigration to Canada
This included wives or family of Chinese Canadians already in Canada
In 1928 another law limited Japanese immigration to 150 people per year

18. Canada’s Immigration Numbers
Year
Number of Immigrants
Number of immigrants
1920
1925
84 907
1921
91 728
1926
1922
64 224
1927
1923
1928
1924
1929

19. An Urban Way of Life
As steam and gasoline powered farm machinery slowly replaced much of human labour required on farms, less work was available in rural areas
Young people had to move to towns and cities to find jobs

20. An Urban Way of Life
Between 1871 and 1931, Canada’s population gradually shifted from being mostly rural to being mostly urban.
This process is called urbanization

21. Education Education changed with the growth in towns and cities
In the 1800s, eight years of education was considered enough.
Why?

22. Education
By the 1920s about 1/3 of students went to high school for two or more years
The amount of school varied based on proximity to the school, social status and gender

23. Education Many schools had separate entrances for boys and girls
Boys educations was directed towards business and trades
Girls education was directed towards secretarial work and home care

24. Employment During the 1920s jobs were plentiful for men
After 1918, most women either gave up their jobs, or were laid off
Job opportunities for women were limited

25. Employment
For most urban women, a paid job was a temporary stage in life between school and marriage
Most worked outside the home for only about 8 years

26. Consumerism
In 1910 the power of Niagara Falls was first used to create hydroelectricity in Ontario creating cheap electricity that was available in the home.
This lead to the development of many labour- saving devices and new consumer products

27. Consumerism
Electric stoves, toasters, vacuum cleaners, and washing machines became common
Radios and phonographs provided home entertainment for the entire family
Buying on credit also became very popular

28. Consumerism Owning a car in the 1920s was a real status symbol
By 1926 new production techniques brought the price of a new car down to where almost half of all Canadian families could afford one.
This created new jobs like gas attendants, mechanics, and travel and tourism

29. Sports
The new urban lifestyle of the 1920s created more leisure time for Canadians
The NHL, Major League Baseball, Professional Football, and the Olympics became popular forms of entertainment
Internationally Canada’s athletes had great success, creating what is known as Canada’s Golden Age of sport.

30. Women in Politics Hopes were high for political reform in 1920
5 women ran for office in the 1921 election, the first election after women received the right to vote

31. Women in Politics
Agnes McPhail was the only woman elected to parliament in the 1920s
She worked for minimum wage, social benefits, prison reform, and equality for women

32. The Persons Case
In the 1920s Canadas laws were based on the British North America act of 1867
The Act stated that only “fit and qualified persons” could be appointed to public positions, such as the Canadian Senate

33. The Persons Case
A group of women from Alberta, nicknamed the Famous Five, argued that “persons” included women
The group was Nellie McClung, Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louis McKinney and Irene Parlby
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that historically this was not the case and therefore women were not “persons”

34. The Persons Case
The women then took their argument to the Privy Council in England
In 1929, the Privy Council ruled that women were persons and could therefore hold public office
Cairine Wilson was appointed as Canada’s first female Senator

35. The New Popular Culture
In the 1920s, the flapper became the symbol of popular culture
A flapper was a young woman who dressed and acted unconventionally

36. The New Popular Culture
Flappers drove cars, did the Charleston, drank and smoked cigarettes
/watch?v=oizYj85IgHA

37. The New Popular Culture
In the 1920s radio was brand new
Developed for use during the war, it quickly became a popular form of entertainment
This was the beginning of American influence on Canadian culture

38. The New Popular Culture
Jazz music from the United States flooded the airwaves
Movie theaters popped up across the country to show silent films
In 1927 the first “talkies” were invented which revolutionized the film industry

39. The New Popular Culture - Slang
That was the Bee’s Knees
The Best
Can you spare a Clam?
Dollar
It’s the Fuzz! Move your Getaway Sticks or you’ll end up in the Cooler
Police, Legs, Jail
I have to go see a man about a dog
I need to buy some whiskey

40. The New Popular Culture - Slang
That guy is Ossified
Drunk
Could you pass the Foot Juice?
Wine
My buddy just got Handcuffed. He’s going to get Manacled soon too.
Engaged, Married
My brother just got out on Parole
Divorced

41. The End of Prohibition
During the war liquor was very cheap and problems caused by alcohol were common
People also felt it was wrong to drink when the troops were sacrificing so much

42. The End of Prohibition
The Temperance Movement worked to have alcohol banned
Between 1915 and 1917, every province, except Quebec, passed Prohibition laws banning the sale of alcohol

43. The End of Prohibition
After the war, many provinces canceled their prohibition laws
However the United States continued to enforce prohibition until the 1933
Rum Running between Canada and the US helped fuel the rise of the Mobsters in Chicago, including Al Capone

44. An Inventive Era Canadian inventions during the 1920s
Quick-frozen foods
Pablum baby food
Portable x-ray machine
Wire-photo transmitter
Show-blower
Alternating-current Radio

45. An Inventive Era - Insulin
Dr. Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovered how to use insulin to treat diabetes
They won a Nobel prize for the discovery
They could have made millions from their discovery, but decided to turn over the rights to the University of Toronto, keeping the information public

46. An Inventive Era – The Plug-in Radio
At 13, Ted Rogers won a prize for the best amateur- built radio in Ontario
In 1927 he obtained a patent for the worlds first alternating-current radio

47. An Inventive Era – The Plug-in Radio
Now Radios did not need batteries, they could be plugged-in
This allowed them to become smaller and more affordable
He also started the world first electric broadcasting radio stating in Toronto, CFRB