The Ferocious Roar

This picture depicts the aura and feel of the 1920’s — which is also nicknamed “the jazz age”.

Approximately 500 000 African Americans moved to the northern parts of the United States in search of job opportunities. During the 1920’s, the African Americans heightened in the the music industry. The blues and Dixieland music became popular during this time.

This time was characterized by the Charleston dance, the style of music — blues and Dixieland, and the growing popularity of jazz — first in the United States, and slowly the other parts of the world.

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The jazz age indubitably “roared” because this period of time introduced different styles of music and the Charleston dance — both great factors to have at a 1920’s-worthy party.

This is a poster that symbolizes the alcohol prohibition that happened in the 1920’s.

As described by http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/prohibition, prohibition was an attempt to forbid by law the selling and drinking of intoxicating beverages.

However, even after the law was introduced, the sale of alcohol continued — illegal drinking establishments (called speakeasies or blind pigs) started springing up everywhere. The illegal sale of alcohol (called bootlegging) rose rapidly as the men’s desire for alcohol increased. Many men would pretend to be ill and buy alcohol to fulfill their drinking obsession.

However, Canadian governments noticed that the prohibition wasn’t working. Provinces stopped prohibition, and men were happy again. The province with the shortest prohibition was Quebec (from 1917 - 1921), and the province with the longest prohibition was Prince Edward Island (from 1900 - 1948).

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Overall, the 1920’s “roared” (for the men, at least) because prohibition was put to an end in some provinces during this period. However, for the women that hankered prohibition, it was not a happy time. But, in conclusion, the 1920’s “roared” with the decline of prohibition because men were allowed to drink again, and this allowed for better parties and a merry time.

This is a picture of Nellie McClung (a member of the famous five).

Nellie McClung was born in Chatsworth Ontario in 1873.

She was a teacher, a great public speaker, and she desired to be a writer. In her own words: “[I wanted] to do for the people around me what Dickens had done for his people. I wanted to be a voice for the coiveless as he had been a defender of the weak.” She wanted to ensure that everyone was treated equally…including women. Nellie was an influential activist for labor issues, workers’ rights, women’s suffrage, and women’s property rights.

In 1921, she fought for women’s rights and prohibition. In 1928, when the Supreme Court of Canada decided women were not “persons”, Nellie and four other women — known as the famous five —fought for women everywhere. This later became known as the Person’s Case. They fought their way to the Privy Council in Britain. Finally, in 1929, the Privy Council declared women as persons.

Apart from all the issues she fought for, she was also active in organizations including the Winnipeg Political Equality League, the Canadian Women’s Press Club, and various other suffrage and temperence organizations in Alberta.

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Nellie truly was a activist, and she fought hard for what she believed in. She contributed to the “roar” of the 1920’s by granting women their rights and allowing them to have fun and be happy.

(Source: et-melange)

This is a picture of the Balfour Report.

As according to Canada’s wishes, Canada gained independence from Britain. The report Britain and Canada — and several other countries were “autonomous Communities within the British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown, and freely associated as members of the British Commonwealth of Nations.” This report allowed Canada to make laws on its own, without Britain’s interference.

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The 1920’s “roared” for Canada as the nation was more or less independent of Britain.

This is a picture of Frederick G. Banting; in the words of the Library and Archives Canada, “one of the twentieth century’s most celebrated medical heroes”.

In the first world war, Dr. Banting served as a medical officer. He was awarded the Military Cross for continuing to treat war patients while he was wounded by a German shell.

After the war, he began to practise medicine and surgery in London, Ontario after finishing his training as an orthopedic surgeon. However, Banting was struggling — he had few patients, serious financial problems, and his girlfriend was threatening to leave him. To try and earn some more money, he got a $2/hour part-time job at the University of Western Ontario’s medical school. He even tried to paint in hopes of selling some to pay off his bills — but no one was interested.

One sleepless night on October 31, 1920, an idea suddenly occurred to this struggling doctor — if he could isolate the internal secretion of the pancreas, it could possibly treat diabetes! Dr. Banting travelled to Toronto to converse with J.J.R. Macleod - professor of physiology — about his idea, but Macleod wasn’t impressed. However, in May of the next year, Dr. Banting was given permission to proceed with his project. Dr. Banting and Macleod — and Macleod’s student research assistant Charles Best — started their work on May 17, 1921.

After hours of sweat and work, the insulin proved to be an efficacious and life-saving therapy for diabetes patients. Dr. Banting was now named Canada’s first Professor of Medical Research, and he became the most famous man in Canada by 1923.

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I would say that Dr. Banting contributed to the “roar” of the 1920’s because of his discovery. He helped diabetic people everywhere, and this brought much happiness and fun to their lives — which is what the roar is all about.

This is a picture of a family cuddling next to their radio. This picture shows the major role the radio played in the 1920’s.

The radio, in the 1920’s, was a modern — at the time — centrepiece for family gatherings. It brought everyone together to listen to various stations such as the news, storytelling sessions, and sometimes music.

Radios were so popular that manufacturers were overwhelmed by the demand. Customers would even stand in line to complete order forms for radios after dealers had sold out. 60% of American families purchased radios from 1923-1930. Radio station numbers grew just as rapidly as the radio’s fame. By 1922, over 600 radio stations had been set up around the United States. The radio was truly the post-war bandwagon.

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The 1920’s certainly “roared” with the popularity and usage of the radio. The radio was used not only as a means of bring the family together, but it also provided entertainment and leisure time for everyone.