Essay/Term paper: Life in the 1900s

Essay, term paper, research paper:  World History

Life in The 1900s


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 th e 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.