The Roaring Twenties

Canada in The Post War Years

Politics

The divisions that existed prior to the war and made worse by the war effort continued to be a major theme in Canadian politics

Imperialism - Continentalism -Nationalsim

A new found confidence and voice for Canada in the world

Politics

Prime Minister William Lyon MacKenzie King

Longest serving prime minister in Canadian history (over 21 years in office)

The Liberal party had nearly been torn apart by the divisions caused by the First World War (Military Service Act)

Helped establish Canada’s place in the world as a “middle power”

Independence

After the sacrifices of W.W.I Canada sought its own voice on the world stage

Canada demanded more autonomy

We began to make our own decisions about following Britain into war and insisted on signing our own treaties and having separate representation on the League of Nations

The Chanak Incident 1922

An incident occurred in Chanak Turkey and Great Britain called on the colonies to assist

This time Canada refused to do so without the consent of Parliament - a signal that Canada was no longer at war on Britain’s demand!

The King-Byng Affair 1926

King wanted to dissolve parliament and call an election - the Governor-General Lord Julian Byng refused

The first and only time in Canadian history the Governor-General used this power - it caused a constitutional crisis

King used the crisis and the growing sense of nationalism to win the 1926 election

The Persons Case 1929Huge Victory for Womens' Rights in Canada

The Persons Case

Women were not allowed to become senators in the federal government,

Women were not considered “eligible persons”

Louise McKinney, Henrietta Edwards Nellie McClung , Irene Parlby and Emily Murphy disagreed!

Even the Supreme Court of Canada opposed considering women “persons” - they had to fight all the way to the Privy Council in England

Prohibition

In January 1920 alcohol was made illegal across the USA

Prohibition was never popular in Canada- lasted a few years during WWI

Canada became a source for “bootleg” liquor for U.S based gangsters

Arts and CultureA uniquely Canadian art movement developed shortly after the war

The Group of Seven moved away from copying European styles and created a uniquely Canadian vision

All That JazzMusic, Fashion and Dance Crazes

Arts and Culture

• Movies, radio and jazz were all new to most Canadians in the 1920’s

• Canada introduced its first radio station in 1922

• On Mar 22, 1923, Foster Hewitt made the first radio broadcast of any hockey game

• Silent movies were replaced by “talkies”

• Canadian women conquered Hollywood, including Mary Pickford, (‘America's Sweetheart,' born Gladys Smith in Toronto. Pickford )

• Mary Pickford and her husband Douglas Fairbanks were amongst the founders of the United Artists Studio.

Canadians Go to the Movies

FashionFlappers, Jazz and the Charleston

Women Challenging Traditional Roles

Scandalously high hemlines, bobbed hair, cloche hats, and “unfeminine” shapes typified the new fashions of the 1920s.

These women were called ‘Flappers’, a put down by men who said women were like baby birds trying to break free of their control.

Moralists strongly disapproved of ‘Flappers’, who smoke, drank and swore. They loved fast cars and all-night dance clubs.

A Changing EconomyTechnology, Labour Unrest and a Growing Confidence

The Economy - Boom and Bust

15% unemployment early in the 1920’s

Maritimes and Prairies lag behind

By mid-decade the economy had returned to a boom

Increases in Canadian exports and prices

USA replaces Britain as Canada’s largest trading partner

A New Prosperity

After the short post-war slowdown, Canadians enjoyed an massive improvement in the standard of living

The “boom” was uneven but Canadians lives changed for the better

Consumer credit introduced new spending habits

Luxury goods became common in almost all households and increased leisure time

Let the Good Times Roll…

Electricity became part of everyday life in 1920’s – electric stoves, washing machines, irons, vacuum cleaners, and toasters made housework much less time consuming and efficient

the average family annual income was over $2000

This provided a more comfortable life in the 20’s than Canadians had ever experienced

The Roaring Twenties…but dark times on the

horizon