1920s-1930s Flashcards
(39 cards)
Define the Winnipeg General Strike which occurred in 1919.
30,000 Canadian workers protested due to low wages and poor conditions due to inflation and post-war hardships. Workers shut down city services for 6 weeks, resulting in labor reforms.
Who was Mackenzie King? Describe his leadership.
Wiilliam Lyon Mackenzie King was a Liberal Party and served as Canada’s Prime Minister from 1921-1926, 1926-1930, 1935-1948. He avoided taking direct action during TGD, believing it would all blow over. He led Canada through World War II.
Who was Arthur Meighen?
Arthur Meighen was a Conservative Party Leader who replaced Robert Borden and served as Canada’s Prime Minister from 1920-21, 1926. He supported conscription, making him unpopular with workers and French Canadians.
Who did Arthur Meighen lose the 1921 election to, Robert Borden or Mackenzie King? Why?
He lost the 1921 election to Mackenzie King due to a lack of support from farmers and labourers. Farmers opposed high tariffs on machinery and felt ignored by his pro-business policies.
Define the King-Byng Crisis in 1926
Governor General Byng refused Prime Minister King’s request to dissolve Parliament and call an election after King’s government lost a vote of confidence.
Who were The Famous Five?
Emily Murphy, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, and Irene Parlby
Define the1929 Persons Case
Supreme Court ruled women were not persons in the eyes of the law, leading the Famous Five to appeal to Privy Council in Britain which was successful. This meant that women could now be appointed to the Senate.
Describe the Group of Seven
Canadian landscape painters led by Tom Thomson who loved the outdoors and drowned when canoeing in Algonquin Park in 1917. They were known for bold colors and unique depictions of Canada’s wilderness.
Describe Emily Carr
A Canadian artist and writer who was inspired by the Group of Seven after meeting them at an exhibition in 1927. She was famous for painting Indigenous villages.
Was Jazz well liked in Canada?
Jazz music was popular and well liked but received backlash from conservatives who deemed it too rebllious.
What were some affordable entertainments?
Dance halls, radio broadcasts, and movies
Define Flappers’ Women, were they well-liked by men?
Flappers were young women in the 1920s who challenged traditional norms with short skirts, bobbed hair, and bold makeup. They were opposed by men as they supported dancing, smoking, and drinking.
Define the Business Cycle, what did it affect?
The business cycle was the natural rise and fall of economic activity, divided into 4 stages (Prosperity, Recession, Depression, Recovery). It affected sales, wages, productions, unemployment, and business profits.
What are Economic Indicators? What do they represent? Give some examples
Measures of economic health used to predict trends, representing rising unemployment. Employment rates, stock prices, GDP, inflation, production levels.
Define Black Tuesday (October 29, 1929)
A stock market crash which occured due to constant shares being bought on margins. Millions lost their investments, resulting in bank failures.
What were some solutions to the Great Depression?
Relief Camps for unemployed men, public work projects to create jobs, and Bennett’s New Deal (minimum wages, unemployment rates).
Give me some of the impacts the GDP had on Unemployment & regions
Unemployment soared to 30% in 1933. Prairies were hit the hardest due to drought and constant dust bowls. Industrial cities such Toronto suffered as factories shut down.
Was Bennett’s New Deal inspired by Roosevelt’s New Deal?
Yes but it came too late, seeming like an election ploy.
Define Roosevelt’s New Deal
It was focused on relief, Recovery, and Reform. This plan included social security, job programs, and bank regulations. His deal was successful as it had more government intervention.
Who was John Maynard Kernes?
A British economist who believed government spending was necessary to boost the economy, advocating for deficit spending.
Define the Regina Riot
Occured during the On-to-Ottawa Trek where unemployed workers protested relief camps, wanting better wages. RCMP clashed with protestors, resulting in multiple arrests, injuries, and chaos.
Why was the Regina Riot significant?
Because it exposed the government’s harsh treatment of unemployed workers.
What is the contrast between the 1920s and the 1930s?
1920s - full of economic booms, stock market rise, consumerism and jazz.
1930s - filled with economic collapse, high unemployment, bank failures, and droughts.
Why did Bennett lose to King?
Because he heavily relied on high tariffs and limited government intervention which didn’t improve the economy. Mackenize King was able to capitalize on the public’s discontent with Bennett, promising a more effective approach to economic recovery.
