The Great Depression and its Relevance

The 1920's and the 1930's are two decades that changed the course of Canadian history. The transition of these decades caused Canada to have a great downfall in its economics. During the Great Depression, people had to change the lifestyles they were living in the previous decade. Also, the role of women differed greatly between these two decades. Although the 1920's and the 1930's had some similarities, they were different in term of economics, the lifestyles that people lived, and the role of women.

Firstly, Canada's economics decreased when the "Roaring Twenties" came to an end. One chance that was seen was the unemployment rates of the country. For example, in 1925, the unemployment rate was 7% and in 1933, it rose to about 26.6% (Horn, 11.) This shows that the 1930's was a difficult time for Canadians because the majority of people lost their jobs. One industry that suffered when Canada entered the new decade was the agricultural industry. For example, the agricultural imports in 1928 was about $783 million, but it dropped to about $253 million in 1932 (Horn, 11.) Many farmers were struggling to produce and sell their products, especially in the Prairies because they had been hit by a drought (Bain, 124.) In addition, the immigration laws changed in the thirties. For example, in 1921, immigrants were allowed to live in Canada and made up almost 50% of the population (Bain, 17). On the other hand, in 1931, the government put a stop to immigration because they believed that immigrants were taking the small amount of jobs intended for Canadian citizens (Bain, 126.) The immigration laws changed when Canada entered the decade of the "Great Depression." During the 1930's, Canada saw a downfall in its economics.

Secondly, people were forced to change their lifestyles during the 1930's. Many people could not longer enjoy the nice living conditions they had in the twenties. For example, a family that had their own house, nice furniture, and ate well in the twenties lost their business, house, and savings in 1932 (Bain, 110.) This shows that people had to get used to toughter living conditions in the thirties. Also, people could not longer depend on the methods of survival they had in the 1920's. For example, when a man that worked twelve years as a butcher and a farmer lost his job in 1930, he had to turn to the government for help (L.M. Grayson, 3.) Despite their efforts to earn an honest living, many people had to turn to stealing, while others sod their furniture and went to work camps ( .) IN addition, Canadians could not enjoy the hobbies they loved to do in the twenties. For example, when a young girl said, "Twenties we did fine..."we belonged to a skating club..."By 1932, we weren't doing so well at all," it shows that people could not spend time on their favourite activites because their priorities changed (Bain, 110.) Instead of doing what they liked, many people worried about staying alive. When the 1920's moved into the 1930's, the lifestyles of Canadians changed drastically.

Lastly, the role of women was not the same in these two decades. The influence of women in politics increased in the thirties. For example, women were not allowed to be part of the political system in the twenties because they were not considered "person," but after the Persons Case of 1929, more women decided to participate in the political system (Bain, 120.) As a result, women were given more respect in the 1930's. In addition, the way that women were spending time in their homes also changed. For example, in the 1920's, middle-class women completed most of their household tasks by hand, but because of new inventions in the following decade, they spent less time on household activities (Bain, 120.) Because of this change, women spent more time taking care of their husbands and children. Furthermore, the social status of women in the 1930's differed from their social status in the 1920's. For example, women were more assertive and four for laws of inequality in the twenties. However, during the "Great Depression," the dominant image of women waas as dedicated housewives, while the men worked to keep their families alive ( .) The social status of women in the twenties allowed them to have more freedom. Therefore, women's role in the twenties and the thirties had many differences.

In conclusion, Canada experienced many differences after entering the thirties such as economics, the way people lived, and the important role of women. Canada experienced a decline in economics during the "Great Depression." This also had an affect on the way people lived because they had to adjust to new lifestyles. AT the turn of the decade, the role of women in society changed. Thus, these two decades impacted the lives of many Canadians and changed their views on what is important in life.