History: Canada- 1890-1914 Assignment

Wages- Workers worked for more than 55 hours per week only earning 13-35 cents per hour

Child Labour- Factory owners liked hiring children because they did not need strength to power machines and they are cheaper to employ than adults. Children were punished by spanking and sometimes put in dark cellars if they were caught not being productive. Poor families could not survive with one source of income, so children often went to work instead of school

Sweatshop- A factory or workshop that is especially dangerous, with particularly horrible/strict working conditions, low wages and long hours

2016

1890-1914

Life as Women

Life on Farms vs. Life in Cities

Impact of New Technologies

• Most women were married and stayed at home taking care of children while the husband worked, and they did the domestic labour
• They did not have many job opportunities, but if they worked they were often teachers or nurses
• If they worked in factories, they were paid less than men and usually worked in textiles
• They had access to education, although were not allowed to learn alongside men
• The literacy rate for women began to surpass men and they even had college educations
• Women began to challenge traditional roles and fought for equal rights, such as the right to vote and fair wages

Technology has made a great impact on society today. The development of simple machines made difficult tasks easier and more efficient, and is now used for entertainment purposes. Things such as calculators and typewriters were some of the first major machines that made work easier. Machines in factories replaced humans in manufacturing goods and tractors took place of manual labour on farms. Cars and airplanes changed the way we travel and revolutionized transportation. Electricity made peoples lives much easier and it quickly began replacing other energy sources. Without it, lots of things would not be able to work and would not be invented.

• Horses were the main way of transportation, later, electric streetcars became popular
• Taller buildings became more common
• The industrial revolution made many people move to cities and work in factories rather than depend on agriculture
• Families were often crammed into an apartment with multiple other families

• About half of the population lived on farms
• The roles of men and women were very specific, men worked outside and did physical labour, women worked in the kitchen and took care of the children
• Maintaining crops was difficult and most labour was manual

Introduction

Life during 1890-1914 was very different than now, and the 1900s was even named the 'Age of Hope'. Because of the urbanization, education, politics and peace during this time period, life was changing for Canadians - and for the better.

Social Conditions

Factory Work

Working Conditions and Labour Unions

Because of the Industrial Revolution, many factories were being built. Although factories produced goods more efficiently, the working conditions were very poor. They were often dangerous as the machines were unsafe and had no protective covers on the systems of belts and pulleys. Workers did not have protective gear and it was easy to make critical mistakes due to the bad lighting, little space and fire hazards. It was also unhealthy because of the dirty environment and easy to become ill because it was too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.

Education

• More available
• People learned how to read and about politics
• New inventions
• Created jobs (instead of agriculture)
• Better futures

Politics

• U.S. had a working democracy
• Political justice began to happen
• The government began granting rights
• Women fought for equal rights and the right to vote
• Workers protested for better wages and working conditions (labour unions)

Health

• Good hygiene and clean water was only available for the wealthy
• Poor families only had unsanitary water that was mixed with sewage, and often got sick from it
• Poor houses were dirty and unsafe
• Doctors were only available to those who could afford them

Alexander Graham Bell

Bell was always interested in inventing. At a young age he built small devices that helped tedious tasks become easier. He found an interest in telegraphs and transmitting the human voice over wires. With the help of his assistant, Thomas Watson, he soon began to bring his ideas to life and started experimenting the transmission of the human voice by electrical connections. He successfully transmitted understandable sounds by wire during a demonstration in Brantford, Ontario. This led to the development of the first telephone, which gained popularity in the 1890s.

Generally, working conditions during this time were poor and wages were unfair, but things were changing. With the development of labour unions, conditions began to improve and more rights benefiting workers were granted.

Labour Union- A group of workers that unite to improve working conditions

The Canadian Government did not like labour unions because they thought it was bad for business, therefore labour unions were even illegal in some places. People avoided joining unions as they were afraid to lose their jobs.

Labour unions did improve working conditions, and in 1914, the Workman's Compensation Bill was passed. The bill provided a pension to workers who were injured on the job, enforcing safety and protecting workers.

The Telephone

examples:

Railroad

Social Conditions

• Alexander Graham Bell was credited as the inventor of the telephone and was given the patent for the invention
• Around March 10, 1876, he was finally successful and began promoting the telephone in North America
• The telephone helped businesses easily communicate to each other
• It made long distance communication much more convenient
• The development of the telephone has improved so much and the technology has become much more advance

Smaller house

• Mostly Chinese workers
• Very dangerous conditions, blasting tunnels with explosives on rocky terrain and high cliffs
• Back-breaking and difficult work
• Severe weather conditions
• Wages were approximately $28 a month

By: Nicole and Timothy 8B

Forestry

unique-classique-chuchoter

• Foresters did not have a very prestigious social status
• Deforestation was very widespread and environmental consequences were not considered
• The forest industry was a staple in the Canadian economy, lumber turned into building materials and paper products
• They did not have powered tools such as chainsaws, and mostly used hand-held tools such as axes, therefore it was very difficult to cut down large trees or cut down many trees

Because of urbanization and the constant evolution of everyday objects, the lifestyles of Canadians were constantly changing. The advancement of technology created new and improved inventions that made tasks become easier and more efficient.

• Electricity Popularized: Used for lighting, cooking, heating and for fun, such as amusement parks and films
• Transportation Improved: Cars were becoming more common, the first successful flight (airplane)
• Industrialization: More jobs, factories produce goods more efficiently

BEST ICE CREAM IN CANADA

Electric Generator c. 1900

Automobile c. 1900

Mining

Glacée Avec "Class-ay

• It was very dangerous because the supports that held up the mine roof were weak and sometimes there was methane gas in the mines
• There were many problems with ventilation because underground it is very humid and workers constantly breathed in gases, dust and dirt
• Illness among the workers was common, as it was cramped, damp and rats were everywhere
• Lighting was poor, workers used candles and lamps made from animal fat, if the flame went out they had to work in darkness

Wealthier house