The three events that have had the greatest impact on defining Canada are The Battle of Vimy Ridge, The Conscription Crisis and lastly, The Great Depression. The Battle of Vimy Ridge, was one of Canada's finest battles of the war, as Canada fought together for the first time. The Conscription Crisis was a defining moment for Canada as this was the first time women could vote and men were also forced to join into the war. The Great Depression was also another defining moment for Canada as Canada independately dealt with their economic issues without help from abroad. These three events all had their parts in shaping Canada as it is today. The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a defining moment in Canada’s history as it represents the “Birth Of A Nation” …show more content…
In 1917, Robert Borden created Conscription to assist in the war effort. Under the Military Service Act, passed in late August 1917, all men aged between nineteen and forty-five were required to enlist in the war. This Act divided the French and English speaking Canadians. It later led to an independence movement for French Canadians, who were against both Conscription and the English Canadians, who were for Conscription. This independence movement by the French speaking Canadians is still evident today in Canada. In 1917, the Wartime Elections Act was passed. It gave wives, mothers and sisters of soldiers the right to vote. It also denied immigrants of certain “enemy countries” the right to vote. (2.) Robert Borden, a member of the Conservative Party, thought by allowing soldiers’ families to vote he would receive more votes and support, assuming that they would be in favour of Conscription. So this led to harsh feelings by certain ethnic groups towards the Conservatives. It also defined how women’s rights would change in Canada. By 1929 women were allowed to be elected to senate and the contribution by women to the war effort changed how people view women. Women were good for more than just looking after children, cooking, cleaning, and so on. This movement began the road toward equal rights between men and women …show more content…
In October 1929, the stock market crashed in the United States. It may have just crashed in the States, but it affected most of the world, including Canada. The crash caused the 1930's to be a period of great depression for citizens and brought the economy into a state of panic. To boost the economy, Canada decided to cut back on military, Canada even reduced it to as low ws 5,000 full - time military personnel. They cut back on military, which then let them to focus more on family and jobs. Well clearly, this was not enough, because The bank of Canada was also established. It established a minimum floor price of wheat. Agriculuture now, had become the most regolated and subsidized in many developing countries to control the problem of the low prices, and income. The International wheat Agreement outlined quotas to control the prices. The Bank of Canada did this because they feared of another depression, so, this was then used to help prevent another one from happening. The Great Depression was such a defining moment for Canada, because Canada dealt with the issues, without looking for financial aid from abroad. Canadians also learned that, in order to keep the economy stable, the country has to take care of its own political, and economic standings. The events that have had the greatest impact on defining Canada are The
The government and the general populace realized how hard the woman had worked for the sake of Canada, and this earned woman the respect that they had longed for from the general populace and the government. Furthermore, this very sense of respect was proved when the government under Prime Minister Borden approved the War measures act on September 20, 1917(“Woman’s right to vote in Canada”). This very act was a prime gesture from the Canadian government that illustrated how winning the respect of the people resulted in the destruction of the misogynistic sentiments of that era. Furthermore, many historians regard the “War Times Act” as a gesture that was carried out in order to acknowledge the efforts that women had done in order to aid in the war(“Suffrage in Canada”). As said previously, woman raised funds for war, they volunteered as nurses overseas, worked endless hours in factories in order to build munitions, and provided countless other services for the benefit of the economy and the government. Moreover, they simultaneously kept their families together,”while men went overseas”(“Woman get the vote”), and kept war efforts moving through funds raised by various non-profit organizations run by women. The government witnessed this and rewarded the services of such woman by granting them the right to vote. Furthermore, the fact the government wanted to integrate women into the Canadian political system reveals that the long arduous toiling that woman had done for the nation was finally beginning to reap rewards for their own battle for gender equality.. Although, the right to vote was only bestowed upon those who were related to soldiers fighting overseas, it nonetheless
One of Canada’s largest military endeavors was the battle of Vimy Ridge during World War One. It was a fierce battle between Germans and Canadians. Canada was trying to take over the German controlled ridge, which ran from northwest to southwest between Lens and Arras, France. Its highest point was 145 feet above sea level, which was exceptionally helpful in battle because of the very flat landscape. Already over 200,000 men had fallen at Vimy, all desperately trying to take or defend this important and strategic ridge. As a result of its success in taking the ridge, Canada gained a lot more than just the strategic point. Canada was united as a nation, and the victory changed the way other counties viewed them. Canadians no longer
World War 2 had a great impact on every aspect of Canada Today. Money became stronger, our power was at its peak and we were an independent country
There was a time, post-World War II when Canada had changed quite a bit. Canada’s population went up rapidly because of the boom and the veterans. The economy developed and there were no economic hardship so students did not drop out of school. It was booming, new technology, thousands of immigrants and new houses especially in the suburbs. New inventions such as the television caused consumerism and cars were being sold rapidly. The television also affected Canada politically. Teenagers with their fashion and rock ‘n’ roll music such as Elvis Presley had a big influence on the society. The baby boom, new technology and the many veterans returning home had a huge impact on Canada socially and economically.
The first major event that impacted Canada’s legacy, as a whole, was the sacrificial battle of Vimy Ridge. Vimy Ridge was proven to be essential to the foundation of Canada as it signified the birth of a new nation and it was considered to be the greatest battle fought, in World War One. Firstly, the Battle of Vimy Ridge established Canada’s emergence as a newly born nation from under the shadow of Britain and gave a verification of Canada’s prominence on the international level. For instance, after successfully regaining the ridge, it displayed to the British superpower, that Canada are worthy of independence, that must be granted upon as a reward for a significant victory (Fonseca). As a result, the Battle of Vimy Ridge, marked the end of British soldiers commanding Canadian troops, as Canada showed tremendous resilience internationally, and also proved that we are independently, capable of leading a well-organized attack against other countries (Fonseca). This milestone was a huge accomplishment for Canadians, as eventually this was the catalyst for total autonomy of Britain (“History Now”). Secondly, the Battle of Vimy Ridge gave Canada justified independence on the international stage. As a result of winning the complicated battle, Canada was deservedly permitted to their own independent seat and signature at the peace talks after the war. This then allowed Canada, to participate in voicing their thoughts, and plans as a newly independent country. This was seen to be,
One of such events that affected Canada economically is the Drought in the Dust Bowl. The Prairies became the worst place to live in Canada because the price of wheat has dropped from $1.60 per bushel to $.38 per bushel and because of that many farmers abandoned their farms to look for other jobs. Drought returned in 1933 and was five years long with limited amount rainfall which also caused the topsoil to turn into dust and caused dust storms due to too powerful winds. Because of the right conditions thousands and thousands of grasshoppers were born and damaged 80% of crops that remained. It was bad for Canada because it just lost the people who produced on of its primary products wheat and now the Canada has no choice but to buy wheat from other countries and those can price it for whatever they want because Canada is in need. Secondly, the Stock Market Crashed on October 29, 1929 “Black Tuesday.” Many people invested large amounts of money into the stock market because as the value of the stock increased the more money they made when they sold it and to many it became like an easy way to make money. For example, Canadian Marconi, a radio company should have sold at $1 but sold for $28 because the market value inflated. Canada was affected by this because when the Stock Market crashed people who invested hugely into stocks lost large amounts of because they sold them for a fraction of the what they purchased it. People took
In my opinion, Vimy Ridge is a defining moment in Canadian history because it gave our whole country a sense of nationalism for one of the first times ever. This part of our history was all about World
Through the eyes of many, the 1920s had a major impact on Canadian history. It was a time of change and the beginning of a new era. The standard of living for Canadians was reshaped, Canada’s chief trading partner changed, and the Canadian resources grew which all contributed to the growth of the economy during this time. Women’s role in Canada drastically changed through the Person’s Case, the Federal Divorce Law and The Dominion Elections Act. Canada’s autonomy from Britain was a result of The Halibut Treaty, The King-Byng Crisis and The Balfour Declaration. The 1920’s had a positive impact on the development of Canadian society because of the economic changes, the evolution of women’s role in society and the autonomy
Once the Military Service Act was put in place, the problems began that made the Conscription Crisis of 1917 so significant. Almost immediately Quebec anti-conscription riots broke out all over Montreal. The province of Quebec was totally opposing the fact of serving in World War One. The fact that forcing young men to fight and die was thought to be an outrage in Quebec. Never minding the fact that the Canadian Corps was nearly in Complete English. During the riots nearly forty percent of the Québécois conscripted men did not report for their duty in the war. The views French-Canadian's between the majorities of the English Canadian's were basically utterly opposed to each other causing the relations between the two the lowest ever within Canadian history. In both the elections of 1917 and 1921 seventy percent of the Quebec Population voted liberal for the loss of trust from the conservatives due to this event. "The 1917 Election was the most bitter in Canadian history, viciously fought on both sides"- said
The source clearly communicates a perspective that is in favour of conscription. The source starts off by portraying their opinion through the key term ‘to maintain the contribution of Canada’s fighting force.’ Conscription was a way to build up a stronger force for Canada because more soldiers became involved this way. This was seen as ‘necessary’ according to the source because as stated in the beginning, “Canada would not back down from the commitment it made to Great Britain.’ The key words in the context ‘in order to protect freedom and democracy,’ are in correlation to Canada’s determination to defeat in battle and to keep their force strong. This term demonstrates that Canada’s morals were for the better of our country and how conscription
The Wartime Elections Act proposed by Robert Borden weakened Canada politically as a country. This act that was passed in 1917 took the vote away from citizens who had emigrated from enemy countries. In addition, the act only gave army nurses and close relatives of soldiers the right to vote. In 1918, women living in Canada were given the right to vote, but they could
Throughout human history, war has permeated the lives of billions of people. From early conflicts such as conquests to control vast swaths of land by Alexander the Great and Cyrus the Great to modern, global wars such as the World Wars, the concept of war has been at the forefront of humanity’s mind for centuries. However, in recent years, opposition to war and lack of participation in the military has become a common theme in many countries, including the United States. To help alleviate the troubles caused by lack of participation, the United States instituted a law allowing for the conscription of its citizens. Conscription, which can also be referred to as a draft, is defined as the compulsory drafting of citizens into military service (What). The Draft has been utilized throughout US History in a couple of prominent wars; however, opposition has manifested against the Vietnam War and the draft, rightfully stemming from ethical opposition to the war and hatred for what the war and the draft stood for.
The first way that the Women’s Movement significantly impacedt Canada’s history was economically, in WWI. This was the first time the role of women in society and their contributions to the economy
The GI Bill also provides assistance with career advancement. Entrepreneurship training helps veterans start their own businesses, flight training allows veterans to become airline pilots, and funding for license and certification testing helps servicemen and women become certified mechanics, therapists, web developers, and attorneys (“Education Benefits”, 2017).
Whatever democratic rules are used by a nation and whatever votes are based on standards are thought to be pervasive in its general public, the conscription is a titanic stride towards the disorder and oppression of a free state. It will leave its signature on everything. That is the reason why no general public can see itself as a free country. These two ideas are contrary and nothing may legitimize uniting them.