political responses to the great depression Flashcards
William Lyon MacKenzie King thought that it was the responsibility of the _________ to aid the citizens
provinces
William Lyon Mackenzie King wasn’t prepared for the depression (not many political leaders were) and so ____________________
he didn’t take an interventionist approach to the economy
which controversial comment was William Lyon Mackenzie King eventually openly criticized for?
his controversial comment that he wouldn’t give “a five cent piece” of relief money to any province that had a Conservative Government
who was R.B. Bennett?
leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
when did R.B. Bennett become Prime Minister of Canada?
July 28th, 1930
what was R.B. Bennett’s background?
originally from New Brunswick, grew up to be a self-made millionaire as a corporate lawyer and businessman in Calgary
what was R.B. Bennett’s system of belief and why?
capitalism and the free-enterprise system (i.e. leave the government out of the economy alone and everything will work out in the end) / because of his “rags to riches” beginning
how much did R.B. Bennett put towards emergency relief?
$20 million
what was R.B. Bennett’s solution to protect Canada’s industries from foreign competition and end the trade deficit?
raised the tariffs on imports to 50%
what was the trade deficit?
when imports exceed exports and currency flows out of country
what was the result of R.B. Bennett’s plan of raising tariffs?
made the depression worse as his protectionism cut off Canadian exports
many workers began to __________ in order to find work in other parts of Canada
ride the rails
The Regina Riot
people began to protest their work rights, and by the time the train reached Regina, Saskatchewan, the number of protesters had _______
doubled
The Regina Riot
fearing a huge protest in Ottawa, R.B. Bennett stopped the train in Regina and ___________________
tried to negotiate with the protestors
The Regina Riot
when did the Regina Riot break out and why?
July 1st, 1935 / the RCMP tried to arrest the organizers of the protest
The Regina Riot
what was the outcome of the Regina Riot?
a Regina police officer was killed and 130 protesters were arrested
The Regina Riot
what happened after the Regina Riot?
The On-to-Ottawa trek was officially over; men returned to their homes or the camps. The relief camps were eventually closed after the 1935 election.
what happened in 1935 to Bennett’s status?
the Canadian people had enough of Bennett who they blamed for prolonging the Depression
what was King’s 1935 election slogan?
“King or Chaos”
who won the election and what did the loser do?
King won; after losing, Bennett moved to Great Britain and remains the only Canadian prime minister to be buried outside of Canada
what did Bill Aberhart think caused the Depression?
people not having enough money to buy goods and services; especially farmers
what was Bill Aberhart’s solution to the issue?
give every citizen $25 per month “prosperity certificate” so people could buy more products and help the economy
what was Bill Aberhart’s party?
“Social Credit” Party
Bill Aberhart’s party was elected in 1935 in Alberta, but they never _______________
paid out the certificates
who was J.S. Woodsworth?
a “conscientious objector” during WW1 and worked as a minister in Winnipeg helping the homeless
what did J.S. Woodsworth believe?
the free enterprise system had failed the people during the depression and that the government needed to take a greater role during the depression
what did J.S. Woodsworth propose?
unemployment insurance, free medical care, family allowances and old age pensions; many of which have been adopted in Canada
what did The Union Nationale blame for the Depression?
many of Quebec’s industries were owned by Americans and English speaking Canadians.
Maurice Duplessis formed the Union Nationale so that ________________
Quebeckers would have more control over their economy
when did The Union Nationale win the Quebec election and how long did they remain in Quebec politics?
1936 / remained a force in Quebec politics for the next 22 years
