HIST 203 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Roaring Twenties, Ku Klux Klan, Dionne Quintuplets
Lecture 6 – May 10th
Study Questions
• Can the 1920’s be defined as a decade of adjustment?
• Some argue that regional fragmentation prevented any extreme political movement
from gaining national support in the 1930s. Do you agree?
• How was state intervention complex at this time of economic crisis?
• How did the family cope with the economic crisis?
Spanish Influenza
• Communities of young men living in close proximity were particularly affected
• The signing of the Armistice went virtually uncelebrated in some paces (ban on
public assemblies)
• 50,000 deaths from flu in Canada
• 20 million died worldwide
Dealing with Veterans
• Failure to plan for the reintegration of more than 500 000 veterans
• Soldiers returned home to high rates of unemployment, factories shutting down,
and a high cost of living
• Veterans organizations demands that they be treated not as objects of charity, but as
a group entitled to social benefits as a matter of right
• Winnipeg General Strike (1919) – better wages, better working conditions, 30,000
strikers, fear of revolution, return of veterans to cities with no jobs to offer
Union in the Prewar Era
• Between 1850 and 1890, labour unions took root in Canada, (local, dispersed,
specialized)
• Late 19th century, minority workers belonged to unions
• Generally, unions had limited success before WW1
• Between 1900 and 1911, 1000 disputes were recorded (construction, mining,
manufacturing industries)
• Unions themselves were divided. Union leaders were suspicious of one another.
• Unions had few rights, hostile managerial class
• Laurier General strike
Confrontation at Winnipeg
• Central Strike Committee vs Citizens’ committee of 1000
• Federal government intervention: Delegation of Canadian cabinet ministers headed
by justice minister Arthur Meighen arrive in the city
• The Winnipeg Free Strike
June 10: Open violence between police and demonstrators
June 16: RNWMP ordered by Meighan to arrest 10 of the strike leaders and instant
deportation of foreign-born radicals
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
June 21 – Bloody Saturday: Strikers organize silent parade in protest of arrest, violence
erupted, Mounties called to disperse crowd, establishment of military control of city
June 26 – Strike committee called off the strike (without gaining any of their objectives)
• Strikes had little effect in the 1920s
• Quebec Unions joined with Roman Catholic Unions
Women’s Suffrage
• WW1 Interrupted the suffrage campaigns and divided activists
• Local and municipal elections(1900s)
• Provincial level (1916-1922) except Quebec (1940)
• Federal: 1917 – Wartime Elections act
• 1918 – Women gained the right to votes as British citizens in Canada
• July 1919 women in the House of Commons, 1929 Senate
o Tied to the Persons Case defining women as persons allowing them to be
members of legislation
Everyday life for women
• Economic equality, like political equality, remained an elusive goal
• Pre-war belief that women should not compete for men’s jobs (limited by traditional
female jobs and inadequate wages)
• Nursing enjoyed a new rank of respectability and teaching and social work
• 1920s flapper
Growing connections between Canadians in the 1920s
• The automobile industry grew
• Demand for public roads
• Tourism grew and expansion of service sector
• Expansion of aviation (Air-mail service, opening of the North)
• Invention of the telephone
• Popularity of radio, movies(talkies) magazines
• Despite innovations and connections, Canada remained divided.
• Economy referred to as the roaring 20s, but artificial prosperity, it was unequal
prosperity between population
• Wheat farmers struggled (western prairies) and maritime protested against central
Canada (Ontario, Quebec) where Ontario was the only province with a self-
sustaining economy (automotive, mining, hydro) prospering.
o The farmers felt that central Canada was taking the money while they did all
the work – angry that the federal gov’t did nothing.
• Populous movements
• Pressure of a new national party (progressive party 1919) – want them to repeal
tariffs, many obstacles in becoming a national party
• The 2 political party way (Conservative vs Liberal) suffered and was challenged
over the time of the war with unions & Quebec nationalism
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Study questions: can the 1920"s be defined as a decade of adjustment? from gaining national support in the 1930s. Spanish influenza: communities of young men living in close proximity were particularly affected, the signing of the armistice went virtually uncelebrated in some paces (ban on public assemblies, 50,000 deaths from flu in canada, 20 million died worldwide. Union leaders were suspicious of one another: unions had few rights, hostile managerial class, laurier general strike. Confrontation at winnipeg: central strike committee vs citizens" committee of 1000 by justice minister arthur meighen arrive in the city, federal government intervention: delegation of canadian cabinet ministers headed, the winnipeg free strike. June 10: open violence between police and demonstrators. June 16: rnwmp ordered by meighan to arrest 10 of the strike leaders and instant deportation of foreign-born radicals. June 21 bloody saturday: strikers organize silent parade in protest of arrest, violence.
