The Roaring Twenties: A Time of Prosperity and New Hope

Roaring means loud, noisy, busy, active, deafening, or thunderous. That one word sums up everything that happened in the 1920's. Some call the 1920s the roaring 20s. I personally think so because the war had just ended and many soldiers were returning. As the soldiers were coming back from the war, people had a sense of settling down and enjoying life. The significance of this time period was that it affected the way we live today. Our lives have changed because of women's rights, new inventions and entertainment of the "roaring" twenties. The 20's were very prosperous for businessmen, their employees and the liberation of Canadian women. Sports, movies, and jazz became big in the recreational times of the 1920s. The "Roaring Twenties" were times of the second industrial revolution. It took place at the end of World War I. A great invention that had a huge effect on the economy was the automobile. The automobile, which was a very significant invention of the 1920's, changed the way people lived. For so long Canada had been a silent colony of the mighty British Empire. After World War One, who would deny us a little roaring? Canada was a proud and strong nation - and we were all ready to cheer ourselves on.

By the mid-1920s, the economy started to turn around in Canada. Farmers enjoyed bumper crops from 1925 to 1928. In the 1920's there was a huge demand of newsprint in America. The production of newsprint became the Canada's largest industry after agriculture. Export of Canadian pulpwood equalled total pulp export s from rest of the world. To cope up with increasing demand of electricity Canada increased its production. Also in October 1924, oil resources were explored in Alberta. In 1920s large deposits of copper were found in the Canadian Shield near Noranda and at Flin Flan in northern Manitoba. At Sudbury, Ontario, by 1929, Canada was producing almost 80% of world's supply of nickel. Kimberley, in British Columbia produced lead and zinc in one of the world's largest mines. All these factors changed the scenario of Canada and the world, mainly Britain and America started looking Canada as an important investment country. During the 20s with the boom in economy people invested their money in the stock market bringing the economy in full drive. New businesses were found which created more jobs. The people had more money to spend and created a high demand on a lot of products such as cars, newspapers etc. Some other businesses that brought the economy in an upswing were oil, gas, hydro- electric power, newsprint, and mining. There was a great demand for oil and gas since cars became more common and less expensive. Some of the new inventions and technology of the 1920s include radios, telephones, and airplanes fascinated people to enjoy. The invention of the assembly line was also a big success as it made production much cheaper and faster. The world also benefited from this time when Frederick Bunting from Toronto discovered insulin which still helps a lot of people from diabetes. People bought land, shares of stock, cars, radios, furniture, and appliances on credit. Higher wages and lower prices led to a higher standard of living. Entertainment made the 1920's "roaring" by its style and sense of difference. At this time some sports were flourished like hockey, baseball, basketball and football. The Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup with the NHL in 1922. All in all the twenties were positively deemed "roaring". With women's rights, new inventions and different forms of entertainment, how could anyone not be happy?

Although the 1920s may appear to be all-positive, there is also a darker side of the 1920s. Due to the prohibition laws, alcohol was illegal. The 1920s gave birth to bootleggers and gangsters, which is still a problem to this date. Gangsters based their businesses on bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, and drugs. They destroyed families and made many people alcoholics and drug addicts. Everyone did not enjoy these prosperous times. In fact, the Maritime Prairie provinces faced just the opposite. After the war the demand for fish, lumber, coal and iron significantly decreased, as a result the unemployment rate went up, resulting in an uncertain economy. The Situation for the farmers wasn't much different. They invested money they didn't have to purchase tractors to help keep up with the demand for their harvest. Unfortunately, after the war wheat prices dropped 60%, and the farmers were in debt. In closing, the 20's went out with a bang and that was the New York stock market crash of October 24 1929, also known as Black Thursday. The economy peaked and then hit an all time low. The end of this glorious era was gripped with the panic and suicides of many grief stricken investors.

Although there are some negative impacts of the 1920s in my opinion it was still a time of prosperity and new hope, new businesses being created along with new jobs. New technology and pioneering the beginning of these new inventions made life in the 1920s much easier and interesting. The stock market also created opportunities for people to invest in companies and many people did become rich overnight. Therefore "The Roaring 20s" suits its time as a time of new energy and prosperity. The 1920's were the "era of good feelings" because everyone seemed to prosper due to the soaring economy. New inventions, such as cars, provided new jobs. In each year there were more business growth, higher wages, and increased stock market trading. This coupled with the new assembly line, responsible for creating many new jobs and higher wages. Also, because of the assembly line and mass production, the price of items formerly reserved for the rich suddenly became affordable to the middle class. Canada has been through many tough times in our history, but we always pull through. The Great Depression of 1929 and the 1930s had us caught in its grip, but we never lost our sense of independence and playfulness. Now we live in a country with a solid economy and a welcoming community. We publicly, loudly, and proudly, roar through the media and in our every day lives.