Essay/Term paper: Early 1900s

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Humanities Essays

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 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.