Political Responses to the Great Depression The Politicians offer their Solutions J.S. Woodsworth...
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Transcript of Political Responses to the Great Depression The Politicians offer their Solutions J.S. Woodsworth...
![Page 1: Political Responses to the Great Depression The Politicians offer their Solutions J.S. Woodsworth “Bible Bill” Aberhart “R.B. Bennett Maurice Duplessis.](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022020920/56649ccf5503460f9499b288/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Political Responses to the Great Depression
The Politicians offer their Solutions
J.S. Woodsworth
“Bible Bill” Aberhart
“R.B. Bennett
Maurice Duplessis
![Page 2: Political Responses to the Great Depression The Politicians offer their Solutions J.S. Woodsworth “Bible Bill” Aberhart “R.B. Bennett Maurice Duplessis.](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022020920/56649ccf5503460f9499b288/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Political Responses to the Great Depression
• The effect of the Great Depression
• Prime Minister Bennett’s response
• The “On to Ottawa” Trek
• William Woodsworth and the CCF
• Bill Aberhart and the Social Credit Party
• Maurice Duplessis and The Union Nationale
Homeless Canadian family in WesternCanada during the heart of the Depression
![Page 3: Political Responses to the Great Depression The Politicians offer their Solutions J.S. Woodsworth “Bible Bill” Aberhart “R.B. Bennett Maurice Duplessis.](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022020920/56649ccf5503460f9499b288/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
The Effect of the Great Depression• In Saskatchewan, over 200,000
people are forced to leave their farms. 70% of their population was dependent upon social assistance (very basic).
• Overall in Canada, the incomes of families fell by over 50%
• Imports fell by 55%; exports by 25%.
• Out of a total population of 10 Million, 2 million Canadians were living off relief handouts (e.g. soup kitchens).
• Canada’s unemployment rate went from 4% to 27% (1 in 4 Canadians were out of work)
A “Soup Kitchen” during the Depression
What do you think about when you see this picture?
![Page 4: Political Responses to the Great Depression The Politicians offer their Solutions J.S. Woodsworth “Bible Bill” Aberhart “R.B. Bennett Maurice Duplessis.](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022020920/56649ccf5503460f9499b288/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
How did the Government Respond?
• At this point in Canadian History, the social programs that we know of today such as Employment Insurance and Welfare did not exist.
• How will those Canadians most seriously affected by the Great Depression make ends meet?
• What would the government of Prime Minister MacKenzie King do?
27% Unemployment
MacKenzie King
![Page 5: Political Responses to the Great Depression The Politicians offer their Solutions J.S. Woodsworth “Bible Bill” Aberhart “R.B. Bennett Maurice Duplessis.](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022020920/56649ccf5503460f9499b288/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
King’s Response to the Depression
• MacKenzie King thought that it was the responsibility of the provinces to aid their own citizens.
• He wasn’t prepared for the depression (not many political leaders were) and so he didn’t take an interventionist approach to the Economy.
• King was eventually openly criticized for his controversial comment that he wouldn’t give “a five cent piece” of relief money to any province that had a Conservative Government He won’t give “a five cent piece”
![Page 6: Political Responses to the Great Depression The Politicians offer their Solutions J.S. Woodsworth “Bible Bill” Aberhart “R.B. Bennett Maurice Duplessis.](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022020920/56649ccf5503460f9499b288/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Enter “Bonfire” Bennett• R.B. Bennett was Leader of the
Conservative Party of Canada• He had the nickname “bonfire”
because of his bombastic (loud) speaking style.
• On July 28th, 1930 R.B. Bennett became Prime Minister of Canada.
• Originally from New Brunswick, grew up to be a self-made millionaire as a corporate lawyer and businessman in Calgary.
• Given his “rags to riches” humble beginnings, he believed in capitalism and the free-enterprise system (i.e. leave the government out of the economy alone and everything will work out in the end)
Prime Minister R.B. Bennett
![Page 7: Political Responses to the Great Depression The Politicians offer their Solutions J.S. Woodsworth “Bible Bill” Aberhart “R.B. Bennett Maurice Duplessis.](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022020920/56649ccf5503460f9499b288/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Bennett’s Response to the Depression
• He put $ 20 Million dollars towards emergency relief
• He raised the tariffs on imports to 50% in order to protect Canada’s industries from foreign competition and end the trade deficit.
“Bonfire” Bennett
![Page 8: Political Responses to the Great Depression The Politicians offer their Solutions J.S. Woodsworth “Bible Bill” Aberhart “R.B. Bennett Maurice Duplessis.](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022020920/56649ccf5503460f9499b288/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Canada’s Reaction
• R.B. Bennett’s plans made the depression worse as his protectionism cut off Canadian exports.
• Many Canadians could not afford to put gasoline in their cars. Instead, their cars were pulled by horses!
• Canadians called these cars “Bennett Buggies”
The “Bennett Buggy”
![Page 9: Political Responses to the Great Depression The Politicians offer their Solutions J.S. Woodsworth “Bible Bill” Aberhart “R.B. Bennett Maurice Duplessis.](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022020920/56649ccf5503460f9499b288/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
The On to Ottawa Trek
• Many workers began to ride the rails in order to find work in other parts of Canada.
• 1000 relief camp workers climbed aboard freight trains and headed for Ottawa to protest their working conditions
Riding the rails: The “On to Ottawa” Trek
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The Regina Riot• When the train reached Regina,
Saskatchewan, the number of protesters had doubled.
• Fearing a huge protest in Ottawa, R.B. Bennett stopped the train in Regina and tried to negotiate with the protestors.
• On July 1st, 1935 a riot broke out as the RCMP tried to arrest the organizers of the protest.
• A Regina police officer was killed and 130 protesters were arrested.
• The On to Ottawa trek was officially over.
A riot breaks out in Regina as the Government tries to stop the On to Ottawa Trek
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The Return of King
• In 1935, the Canadian people had enough of Bennett who they blamed for prolonging the Depression.
• Running under the slogan “King or Chaos”, King won the election.
• Bennett ended his final days in Great Britain and remains the only Canadian prime minister to be buried outside of Canada.
He’s Back Again
![Page 12: Political Responses to the Great Depression The Politicians offer their Solutions J.S. Woodsworth “Bible Bill” Aberhart “R.B. Bennett Maurice Duplessis.](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022020920/56649ccf5503460f9499b288/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Other Political Parties offer their solutions
• Bill Aberhart was a preacher and school teacher from Alberta
• He thought that the Depression was caused by people not having enough money to buy goods and services; especially farmers.
• His idea? Give every citizen $25 per month “prosperity certificate” so people could buy more products and help the economy.
• His party was called the “Social Credit” Party.
• His party was elected in 1935 in Alberta, but they never paid out the certificates. The party was a major force in the west and stayed in power until the 1970s in Alberta. It was also a major force in BC politics
Social Credit Party leader“Bible Bill” Aberhart
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The CCF• He was a “conscientious objector”
during WW1 and worked as a minister in Winnipeg helping the homeless.
• He believed that the free enterprise system had failed the people during the depression and that the government needed to take a greater role during the depression.
• He proposed: Unemployment insurance, free medical care, family allowances and old age pensions.
• Many of his ideas have been adopted in Canada.
• His Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) Party later was renamed the NDP in 1961. J.S. Woodsworth
![Page 14: Political Responses to the Great Depression The Politicians offer their Solutions J.S. Woodsworth “Bible Bill” Aberhart “R.B. Bennett Maurice Duplessis.](https://reader030.fdocuments.net/reader030/viewer/2022020920/56649ccf5503460f9499b288/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
The Union Nationale• Maurice Duplessis blamed the
existence of the Depression on the fact that many of Quebec’s industries were owned by Americans and English speaking Canadians.
• He formed the Union Nationale so that Quebeckers would have more control over their economy.
• The Union Nationale won the Quebec election in 1936 and remained a force in Quebec politics for the next 22 years
Maurice Duplessis of the Union Nationale