Early 1900s In N. America Essay, Research Paper

Life in the 1900’s was depressing and was an era filled with

extremely hard and strenous work that didn’t offer any future for the

average canadian in doing better. If you were an average wage earner

you would be virtually stuck in the same job for the rest of your

life, while rich maintained their wealth mainly caused by the low

taxes. Living conditions were poor for average canadians and even

worse for the arriving immigrants. At this time some of the modern

convienences were just being invented and even if it were for sale

only the extremely rich had the option of purchasing the items. Sports

being very new, in the aspect of it being organized was small time

compared to present day.

Travelling required time and was uncomfortable. Only the rich could

have the luxurious accomadations for those long journeys. Many jobs

were available to most people but you were under constant scrutiny

while working and would have to be willing to do any thing the boss

wanted. I believe my friends and I would most likely resent and

despise it if we had to live in the 1900’s.

During the 1900’s horses played a significant role in the everyday

life. A horse drawn carriage would bring a docter to the house of

where a baby would be born. A hearse was pulled by horses to the

cemetery when somebody died. Farmers used them to pull their ploughs

while town dwellers kept them for transportation around town. Horses

puled delivery wagons for businesses such as bakery, dairy, and coal

company. Horses pulled fire engines through the streets in a fire

emergency.

The bicycle was widely accepted by canadians because of its easy

maintence compared to a horse. The bike allowed an option of

transportation. The bicycle also gave a sense of freedom to virtually

anybody willing to learn.

Henry Ford revolutionized the world we live in by inventing the

“horseless carriage”, if it had not been for him, instead of taking

the GO bus in the morning we’d be riding a horse named Wanda. Not only

did his invention offer a method of transportation to the public, but

it helped with our emergency services such as fire engines, police

cars, and ambulances. Now we have a large variety of cars to choose

from varying in size and price. He also brought a large profitable

industry to North America…The car industry. Back then there weren’t

many problems that they created. Today, we have our deteriorating

ozone layer, poisonous chemicals that come from exhaust fumes

(CO2)(Carbon Monoxide). Not to mention the traffic accidents, parking

problems and traffic jams in downtown Toronto.

11 years previous to WW I Orville and Wilbur Wright made a successful

flight in the first airplane at the beach of Kitty Hawk, North

Carolina. Although the flight only lasted 12 seconds it would change

the way we see the world.

The telephone allowed the houseneeds to be satisfied without leaving

they’re homes. Women received an oppurtunity to work as a a switch

board operator.

I don’t know if I can stress the importance of Marconi’s invention

enough. But I can say, that without it not only would there be no T.V.

or radio there would be a lot of unemployed people right now(even more

unemployed than now!!!). The reason for that is radio provides people

with jobs such as DJ’s, musical programmers etc. Also, radio is a

major form of advertising, without it there would not be as many

advertising agencies or as many positions in this field. Without T.V.,

advertising agencies would also face the same consequences. T.V.

provides millions of people with employment in commercials, T.V.

shows, and movies.

Baseball was the most popular sport in the United States where the

World Series began in 1903. Tom Longboat was born in Brantford,

Ontario and was known for outrunning a horse over a 19 km coarse. He

set a record of 2 hours, 24 min and 24 seconds when he ran the Boston

Marathon.

Jan 22/1901 Queen Victoria died at the age of 63 years. The Queens

reign stretched across the globe. With her death came modernization.

In the early 1900’s horses were being used extensivley for all

transportating duties and some manual labor jobs. A few years later

the bicycle hit Canada and presented the Canadians with a better

option of transportation mainly because of the simplicity of

maintence. During these other discoveries the automobile was being

perfected for use by the general public. By the 1920’s the automobile

was no longer a rich man’s toy and was being used by many people. 1903

saw the first succesful flight fo the airplane bh Orville and Wilbur

Wright at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. At about the same time Alexander

Graham Bell invented the telephone in Nova Scotia. By the turn of the

century telephones had uses increased from ordering household goods to

supplying jobs for women and men. 1901, Signal Hill in St.John’s

Newfoundland Guglielmo Marcone received the first radio signal sent

across the Atlantic Ocean. 20 years would elasped before radio

broadcasting becomes mass entertainment. First movies were seen in the

19th century. 20 years will pass till speaking films arrive. 1903 the

United States had their first World Series. In Canada, Tom Longboat

was a famous runner who was famous for running faster than a horse on

a 19 km course. Later to be proclaimed the worlds best marathoner. In

the early 1900’s modern covienences were just being available like

bathrooms, electric washing machines, sewing machines, electric

hearing aids, vacuum cleaners. The very fortuanate who could afford

these items would order them from the Eaton’s Catologue. All types of

goods could be ordered in the Eaton’s Catologue from fence posts to

fashionable hats. The time period between 1901 and 1911 almost 2

million people immigrated to Canada from Europe, Britain and the

United States. Due to the population growth, in 1905 Alberta and

Saskatchewan became apart of the Confederation. The railway boom in

1903-1904 helped elevate the employment. Materials needed to build the

railways and the transporting of the materials started the

industrialization. Urbanization led to a serious problem of

overcrowding. The three economic classes were the rich, average, and

the immigrants. With low taxes this allowed the rich to spend on

frivalous items such as horse and carriages. In contrast the average

would only use their money for the neccessities in survival. At the

bottom were the immigrants that were forced to live in unsanitary

conditions and dank, damp basements. Not only were there differences

of wealth or lack of but there was a difference in women and men’s

treatment. For example women did not have the freedom to enter pool

room’s, taverns and even bowling allies. Choices for women were

working in stores and factories. Even if you came from a rich family

your choices would have been nursing or teaching. Coming from a poor

family women tended to just become a domestic servent. Women didn’t

have the right to vote like the men. In 1876 Dr Emily Stowe formed

Toronto Women’s Literary Club(TWLC). The purpose of this club was to

inform women of their rights and to help secure women’s rights. This

group persuaded U of T to admit women in 1866. Also improved wages and

working conditions. Womens Christian Temperence Union(WCTU) their goal

was to combat problems created by alcohol in the society. A great

social speaker Nellie Mclung received her start in WCTU to lead in the

fight for equal freedom and for womens rights.

Conclusion

After discovering information about the 1900’s I have come to the

conclusion that in the 1900’s was both good and bad. It was good

because of the rising industries thus raising the economy. The main

industries working for Canada were the railways, and road building.

These industries provided needed jobs and the materials needed to

complete these projects helped Canada grow even more. Low taxes meant

you could pay for more important expenditures than paying to the

government. The bad part of the 1900’s was the three living standards

in how most people were the poor and very little were rich. The modern

convienences were not available to everyone in the early 1900’s

because these devices would have been very expensive caused by the

newness of the products. Even though were guys I can see how women

would have despised the fact that you were not able to vote or enter

any buildings without checking it if it’s not a tavern, pool room, and

a bowling alley. Due to these outsanding points that stuck first in my

mind I have changed my mind and believe it was both good and bad.

338