THE “UNROARING 1920’S” Was the 1920’s really roaring?

ROARING 20’S As you recall, many changes had taken place during the 20’s, but it was not beneficial to everyone, especially: Labour Unrest Prohibition Visible Minorities Aboriginal people

WORKERS Employees worked long hours with no chance of promotion As other forms of energy became available, market for coal dried up –wages for miners were cut by a third [20-30 cents per hour) Violent strikes [Winnipeg Strike, 1919] We now have EI and welfare programs to help support us, but that did not exist at the time

Unhappy workers joined together to make a union LABOUR UNREST

PROHIBITION Women’s Christian Temperance Union [WCTU] worked to ban sale of liquor in Canada Prohibition [ ] outlawing the sale and consumption of alcohol –introduced as part of the war effort

…BUT It didn’t work, people who wanted to drink, still did it To obtain liquor illegally, drinkers went underground to hidden saloons known as “speakeasies” “Bootlegging” became a big business as a way to make money illegally By 1924, realized it might be better to legalize alcohol

PROHIBITION

CRIME Prohibition contributed to the growth of organized crime Chicago became notorious as the home of Al Capone – a famous bootlegger

VISIBLE MINORITIES Many visible minority groups faced political, social and economic discrimination Asian Communities: By 1920, B.C. already had a large Chinese population – came to build the railway. Smaller groups of Japanese and Sikhs settled around Vancouver/Victoria They were refused work, paid lower wages [resulted in them starting their own businesses –became a close- knit community]

Black Communities: Many had come from USA, others were escaped slaves They were given right to vote at Confederation, but were not treated as equals For example: Nova Scotia and Ontario set up schools for Black students, but did not fund them properly

ABORIGINAL PEOPLES Since the Indian Act 1876, lives of First Nations peoples had been bound up in strict regulations enforced by the RCMP Traditional ceremonies and dances were forbidden Could not vote unless they left their reserve Residential Schools, 1920 All First Nations children [aged 7-15] were required to live most of the year in a government funded school [80 in total] It was a way to assimilate[forcing someone to stop being who he/she is and become someone else] them into the Canadian culture Only speak English, abused, follow Christian ways

QUESTIONS Pg. 82 # 5, 6 Pg 85 # 8 Pg 88 # 10