Changing Lifestyles

Urbanization, Consumerism, Radios, Automobiles and Buying on Credit

Urbanization
Manufacturing companies came to the city jobs people
Cities grew, built tall buildings (sky scrapers)
Suburbs were added Suburbs were added
Technological innoation! streetcar, road systems linked
the suburbs to the downtown area, telephones and
telegraphs communication connected city dwellers
Canadians were no longer self sufficient
"e#uired the city for groceries, clothing, housing,
education, healthcare
Canadian Households in the 1920s
By 1929...any Canadian !amilies"
Had limited a##ess to ele#tri# lights $less than 20% o! rural
households ha&e a##ess to ele#tri#ity'(
)id not ha&e inside running *ater $less than +,% o!
households in small to*ns(
)id not ha&e a##ess to a re!ridgerator $less than hal! o! the
households in urban #entres had re!ridgerators'(
)id not ha&e indoor !lush toilets'''' $-ess than 10% o! rural
households had a !lush toilet(
Consumerism
A!ter .aying bills, buying gro#eries .eo.le still had
money le!t o&er this *as ne* !or many .eo.le.
Com.anies s.ent a lot o! time and money ad&ertising in
magazines and magazines and
ne*s.a.ers.
1
st
#atalogues .rinted and shi..ed
a#ross the #ountry.
C/01U2R31
ad&ertising $image &s. utility(
buying on #redit
#hain stores #hain stores
Consumer Consumer
Debt, Debt,
1920 1920 1931 1931
General Electric ad (Picture Research Consultants & Archives)
Fashion
Swimwear in the 1920s
A11 CU-4UR2"
o&ies
o&ie 5.ala#es6
5tal7ies6 $1928(
9ill Hays 9ill Hays
(Billy Rose Theatre Collection, The New York Public
Library)
Radio
ore .eo.le #ould a!!ord radios
:eo.le e&ery*here *ere listening
Ad&ertising o! .rodu#ts on the radio !ueled
#onsumerism
Ad&ertising o! .rodu#ts on the radio !ueled
#onsumerism
1928; 9illiam -yon a#7enzie <ing" .arti#i.ated in
Canada=s 1
st
#ross #ountry radio broad#ast to
#elebrate the )iamond >ubilee o! Con!ederation
<ing *as im.ressed *ith this ne* medium and
#ontinued to address the #ountry *ith the radio
4he Automobile
1 in 2 Canadian !amilies had a #ar by 1929
2&olution o! high*ays, streetlights, tra!!i# management
Communities are #onne#ted Communities are #onne#ted
Cdn. Car manu!a#turers $ie. #-aughlin otors(
ha&e di!!i#ulty #om.eting *ith Ameri#an Co.s
)e.endan#e on .etrol $gas? oil .rodu#ts
begins(
Automobiles @ Consumerism
Copyright Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved
<< Ford ad: Ford ad: Every family -- with even the most
modest income, can now afford a car of their own."
Every family should have their own car. . .You live
but once and the years roll by quickly. hy wait for
tomorrow for thin!s that you ri!htfully should en"oy
today#"
(Library of Congress)
Dodge advertisement photo, Dodge advertisement photo,
1933 1933
Automobiles @
3ndustrial 2A.ansion
Henry Bord
Assembly lines
1913: 14 hours to build a new car
1928: New Ford off assembly line every 10
seconds
1913: car=2 yrs
wages
1929: 3 mos wages
Trying out the ne assembly line $etroit, %&%'
(enry Ford )%*'+-%&,-.
seconds
Buying on Credit
U. until no*, #redit *as only gi&en !or a short term loan; !ood,
!uel
)emand !or #onsumer goods .rom.ted mer#hants and ban7s
to lend money !or more durable goods, li7e household to lend money !or more durable goods, li7e household
!urnishings and #ars
2A.ensi&e items *ere bought *ith .ayba#7 as an installment
.lan.
Household debt in#reased dramati#ally
A&ailable e&en to .lay the sto#7 mar7et
$%&'(S )**M T+M,S
4he Rise o! the 2#onomy
-rowing ,conomy
192C; e#onomy *as stronger
)emand !or Canadian .rodu#ts *as gro*ing
2uro.e *as re#o&ering !rom 991 2uro.e *as re#o&ering !rom 991
Created Dobs in Canada; .rodu#ing #onsumer goods
Beginning o! the odern *ay o! li!e; #ars,
radios, tele.hones
-rowing ,conomy
3ndustries de&elo.ed mass .rodu#tion te#hniEues
Assembly lines" more .rodu#t, more Eui#7ly !or less
money
:rodu#ts *ere #hea.er to buy :rodu#ts *ere #hea.er to buy
Fehi#le o*nershi. *ent !rom +00 000 in 191G to 1.9
million in 1929
2le#tri#al .o*er re.la#ed #oal#hea.er
-arge hydroele#tri# .o*er stations
,.porting -oods
High demand !or Ra* materials
2A. :ul. and .a.er industry eA.anded be#ause it
su..lied the U1 *ith .a.er !or ne*s.rint
9heat eA.orter 9heat eA.orter
H #ountries eA.orts at beginning o! 991I
by 1920" in#reased 2,0 .er #ent.
Bor#es that hel.ed in#rease *heat eA.orting"
Jro*ing number o! !armers in the :rairies
0e* te#hnology to in#rease .rodu#tion
9asn=t B//30J e&ery*here
aritimes *ere struggling
Coal mines #losed do*n; many *ere le!t *ithout Dobs
Joods .rodu#ed in the aritimes *ere more
eA.ensi&e than !rom /ntario and Kuebe# eA.ensi&e than !rom /ntario and Kuebe#
C2 .er #ent o! manu!a#turing Dobs disa..eared in the
1920=s and .eo.le had to loo7 !or *or7 else*here
Trade "elationships
Britain *as Canada=s main trading .artners until the
1920=s
U1 e#onomy be#ame strong, Canada started trading
*ith themI *hile trade *ith Britain de#lined. *ith themI *hile trade *ith Britain de#lined.
/ear 01S1 )ritain *ther
191, 28% L9% C%
1920 CC% ,+% +%
192, ,L% C1% +%
19+0 L1% +L% +%
19+9 L0% +L% C%
Estimates of foreign investment in Canada, 1915- 1939
The 0S needed Canada
Ra* materials shi..ed to U1
anu!a#tured goods shi..ed ba#7 to Canada
2ree Trade 3rrangement" Canadians *anted it.
Jo&ernment $-iberals, Conser&ati&es did not(
Unha..y !armers started a ne* .arty" :rogressi&e :arty
:rogressi&e .arty *on the 2
nd
highest number o! seats in the
ele#tion o! 1921
:arty *as not strong enough by the 19+0=s disa..eared
2oreign *wnership
Ameri#ans *ere in#reasing in&estments in Canada
Bran#h .lants" set u. in Canada but o*ned by
Ameri#an #om.anies. $Bord and J *ere eAam.les(
Allo*ed Ameri#an to sell to Canadian #onsumers Allo*ed Ameri#an to sell to Canadian #onsumers
*ithout the high #osts o! trans.ortation, or .aying
im.ort tari!!s
Canadians *ere di&ided on the idea o! Bran#h :lants
being good
Re!le#t and Re&ie*
Jreat time to be Canadian
Cities *ere gro*ing
>obs *ere being #reated >obs *ere being #reated
:eo.le *ere ha..y
oney *as being s.ent M .eo.le *ere able to buy luAuries
$radios, #ars, !iner things in li!e(
:artnershi. *ith Ameri#ans