Changing Social Attitudes

1920’s & 30’s

Changing Social Attitudes - 1920’s 1920’s : Years of contrast, conflict and

change

After the post-war recession Canada’s economy seemed to boom

New inventions, new forms or entertainment – challenged old values and led to often defiant and bold attitudes and outlooks

Changing Social Attitudes - 1920’s

1900-1919 fashion1920’s fashion

Social Problems Gap between rich and poor remained large

Immigration increased creating a backlash of intolerance and a challenge to national identity

Women earned the right to vote and hold office although they had to go to Britain to ask permission to do so

Canada’s Native Peoples forced into a program of assimilation

Prohibition 1915-1917 all provinces except Quebec had

prohibition – as part of our War Effort. Prohibition ended in most provinces by the early 1920’s

In the U.S. – Prohibition – 1920-1933

Prohibition reduced alcohol by 80%

Illegal distilling, sales and consumption of alcohol took off!

Created tension between Canada and the U.S. as prohibition laws are hard to enforce

Prohibition

King Byng Affair 1926 – Conservatives accuse Mackenzie

King of taking bribes from run-runners – smuggling alcohol into the U.S.

Liberal party looses support and coalition government fails

Kings asks Governor General J. Byng (British appointed) to dissolve parliament and call an election

King Byng Affair cont. Byng refuses, and makes Meighen’s Conservatives the

government. Within days they are defeated and an election is called

King resigns– protesting against a British appointed Governor General rejecting the request of a PM

1926 King wins the election – Promises to loosen ties with Britain – Never again will a British appointed GG over-ride a Canadian democratically elected PM

King Byng Affair cont.

Lord ByngGovernor General

William Lyon Mackenzie KingPrime Minister

Jazz U.S. Radio – broadcast

up-to-date music, fashion and cultural trends up to Canada

Jazz – African American music from Louisiana

Jazz night-clubs popped up in all major cities (Montreal)

Jazz cont. New dance crazes –

Charleston, Fox Trot, Lindy

Flapper – fashionable young women who defied the old conventions of proper “famine” behaviour They scandalized the public by abandoning Victorian era clothing

Flappers wore beaded dresses to their knees, cut their hair short and smoked, drank and danced in public

Immigration: Backlash and Necessity 1919, 20%

population were immigrants

during post-war recession, jobs were scarce – backlash against immigrants (perceived as taking jobs)

Immigration: Backlash and Necessity – cont.

Immigration Act 1919 – preferred list. Those who had “peculiar” customs, language and habits were undesirable – seen as difficult to assimilate

1. White, English speaking Britons and Americans2. Northern Europeans3. Central and Eastern Europeans4. Asians, Blacks, Gypsies and Jews

Those that benefited from cheap labour protested the Act (president of CPR)

Residential School and Native Resistance Government policy: To protect / to

assimilate

Native self-government not recognized

banned cultural expression: Potlatch 1884-1951, cultural dress, dance

Residential School and Native Resistance

Residential School and Native Resistance Residential School: Prepare Native

children for assimilation

- far from children’s communities- students forbidden from speaking their

native language- severely punished for defiance- hair cut, uniforms (no individuality)- Christian, white value, curriculum- Taught menial skills, max grade 5 level

Residential School and Native Resistance Schools under funded:

quality of diet, health care, sanitation

Horrendous abuses - went unchecked

Outcome: Students graduated not belonging to their native or white communities – displaced

Residential School and Native ResistanceResistance Frederick Ogilvie Loft –

Mohawk chief and WW1 veteran. Attempted to get government to do something about conditions faced by First Nation’s Peoples

Helped establish League of Indians in 1920 – pushed for the right of Native peoples to vote, without losing their Indian status

Can. Gov. Apology – June 2008 Residential SchoolP.M. Stephen Harper:

"Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country,“

"The government now recognizes that the consequences of the Indian residential schools policy were profoundly negative and that this policy has had a lasting and damaging impact on aboriginal culture, heritage and language," Harper said.

Getting the Vote and Winning OfficeFederal

Enfranchisement in Canada:

Spearheaded in 1917 with the War-Time Elections act.

By May 24, 1918 all women in Canada would have the federal vote.

The Person’s Case 1928-1929 1928, Despite being able to vote, women

are still unable to hold public office (appointed positions)

1916, Emily Murphy is appointed Alberta Police Magistrate (judge). Male lawyers challenge this position. As a woman, they asserted, Murphy was not a “person” under British Law. Murphy joins with Louis McKinney to fight this law

Person’s Case continued Federal Government fails

to appoint even one female senator during the 1920’s. Angered by this, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Irene Parlby and Nelly McClung join Emily Murphy and Louis McKinney to form the Famous Five. Together they push the “Person’s Case” all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Person’s Case continued 1928, The Supreme

Court of Canada agrees unanimously that under the BNA Act women were not considered persons.

Person’s Case continued 1929, The Famous Five

take the “Person’s Case” to the British Privy Council – the highest court of appeal. The Privy Council agreed with Murphy and ruled that “not only were women persons under the Constitution, but to exclude women from appointed public office was a relic of days more barbarous than ours.”

Person’s Case continued Feb 20, 1930, P.M.

Mackenzie King appoints Cairine Wilson, a Liberal supporter, as Canada’s first female Senator.

Cairine Wilson 1885-1962