Dirty Thirties Flashcards
What did adversity do?
Brought people together (sandlot baseball, curling, football, picnics, berry picking, horse riding, swimming, school plays, etc.)
Who starred in King Kong?
Alberta actress Fay Wray
Major technological advances
Radio, telephone, air travel, automobiles
First victims of Depression
Women, Black Canadians, Aboriginal people, unemployed people, single men (already marginalized / could be fired easily)
When was Statute of Westminster made? What is it?
British Parliament passed in 1931. Gave Canada and other British Commonwealth countries control over relations with other nations (foreign affairs)
What did Depression demonstrate?
Canada’s limitation of independence. Our economy was tied too closely to conditions in Europe and USA
Major cause of Depression? (Besides Wall Street) Give an example
Much of prosperity of 1920s was based on production and sale of primary resources (80% of this was sold in international markets). Canada and other countries were producing more goods than market could absorb. E.g: production of newsprint had increased 350% in 1920s and prices crashed in 1927 (more newspaper was being made than could be sold. supply > demand)
What did many countries do to protect economy?
Raised tariffs to protect domestic markets from foreign competition = decrease in international trade
When did GER pay off debt?
October 3, 2010
How was Canada affected?
Loss of both foreign and domestic markets for wheat, lumber, pulp and paper, fish and minerals affected all parts of economy
What did Mackenzie King think of Depression?
Thought crash was temporary and after recession would rebound towards economic prosperity again. Did not increase taxes or borrow money to help poor
What did R.B. Bennett campaign?
(CONSERVATIVE) high tariffs (like USA) to protect Canadian goods. Promised millions of dollars to build projects for relief of unemployed and families
How was CAN suffering in 1930s?
Prices low, unemployment high
What were results of 1930 election?
CONSERVATIVES WON w/ MAJORITY (134 seats)
What happens after election of 1930?
Tariffs raised, laws passed to grant $20 million to provinces for relief and public work
What did R.B. Bennett believe?
Keeping balanced budget (not sending gov’t into debt) but efforts were not good enough. Unemployed pop. received little or no relief at all
What did R.B. Bennett create?
Relief Camps for transients (single, homeless men) run on tiny budget from Department of National Defense
Where were relief camps set up?
In Canadian wilderness
Purpose of relief camps?
3 meals, work clothes, medical care and 20 cents per day per person (44h per week) and they built infrastructure, cut trees, dug ditches, etc.
What does “living on the pogey” mean?
Slang term for getting gov’t vouchers for food, boots, clothing, coal and shelter
Explain relief payments
Kept lower than lowest paying jobs to discourage ppl from applying for relief
“On-to-Ottawa Trek” started on…?
June 3, 1935 when 1500 men from BC relief camps went on strike and started to protest towards Ottawa in boxcars
What were ppl from BC demanding for?
First aid equipment, workers compensation, right to vote in federal elections and repeal of section 98 of criminal code
When did workers reach Regina, Saskatchewan?
June 14, 1935. Only trek leaders went to Ottawa to speak w/ PM
When did delegates come back to Regina?
June 26
When was meeting held? What happened?
July 1, 1935 where 2000 ppl attended. Police charged crowd and arrested 120 trekkers. REGINA RIOT
