Life In The 1900s Essay, Research Paper

Life in The 1900s

Thesis

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 th e 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.

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