How Did Canada Roar In The 1920s

When World War I ended in 1919, it left most of the world in a post-war depression. However, this was not the case for Canada, the years ahead would be filled with substantial growth and change in several different ways. The 1920s were an exciting time in Canadian history due to Canada's growing autonomy and relationship with Britain, this pushed them to be a self-governing nation. Another reason would be the improvement of technology, which helped Canada flourish during the 20s due to innovations in communication, technology, and entertainment. Finally, the status and the role of women, including their contributions to society were eventually recognized. These political and technological changes made Canada roar during the 1920s. After

One of the first factors that were important for Canada’s autonomy was the Chanak Affair, in 1922. The Chanak affair showed that Canada was ready to make there own choices, regarding joining conflicts. The Chanak affair transpired when British troops were outnumbered by Turkish forces in Chanak. Since Britain was outnumbered, David Lloyd, the British prime minister, called onto Canada for help. However, Canada's prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, refused because he wanted parliament to decide whether or not to send troops. This event was an example of how Canada did not automatically get involved with British matters and one of their first steps towards increasing autonomy. Another factor that contributed to Canada’s independence is the treaty Canada had with the United States in 1923 called the Halibut Treaty. The treaty signed by both countries prevented overfishing and set limits on the number of fish that could be caught. Britain was expecting to co-sign the treaty, however, Mackenzie King said that the treaty had nothing to do with Britain and this only concerned Canada and the US. This situation meant that Canada changed their way of politics from focusing on the British empire to focusing more on themselves. The Halibut Treaty also demonstrated that Canada was ready to take independent

Women were gaining more recognition and were being seen as more than just equals to criminals. In 1927, the legal definition of “persons” was opposed by a group of women called the Famous Five. In 1929, the British privy council eventually ruled that women were “persons”(121). Women were finally getting recognized as people and we're getting closer to being seen as equals to men. Furthermore, women’s rights were improving and made the lives of several women better. Their rights were being matched to men. An example of this is the”Federal Divorce Act was changed in 1925 to permit women the same right to a divorce as a man - adultery” (Freeman 31). Women’s rights were changing, and their rights were similar to that of the men. This introduced an era where women were treated as equals to men. Lastly, women were getting involved with more significant work in society. This was demonstrated by the increasing number of “women [that] participated in the workforce and by 1929 made up 20 percent of its numbers” (Dunn and West). A woman that played a significant role in getting women into politics was Agnes Macphail. She was the first woman to be elected to parliament in 1921 (Cecillon 151-152). Due to Agnes Macphail being appointed into parliament, politics started to take a shift, and women were being heard.