Flashback Canada: Unit 3

Chapter 17: Women Demand Change

Terms

1. Women’s Christian Temperance Union- the WCTU intended to address the issues created from rampant alcoholism such as domestic abuse and the deterioration of the family

     Toronto Women’s Literary Club- the TWLC  promoted literacy, women’s rights, improved working conditions, medical schools for women, and social change

     Women’s Institute- Adelaide Hoodless and women who grew up on farms met to learn and promote scientifically based ways to improve nutrition, health, sanitation, child-care, and household management; the institution and its ideas spread

      suffragist- a person who is promoting equality and the right to vote

      suffrage- the right to vote

      Person Case- the legal recognition of individuals of their rights and their independence rather than their dependence on others

      Famous Five- Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Henrietta Edwards and Irene Parlby collected signatures to allow a woman to be appointed by the prime minister of Canada to the senate, but the B.N.A. Act did not legally recognize a “woman” as a person but a ward of the state or government. The Privy Council of Britain, the highest court in the British Empire, recognized women as “persons”.   

      opinion interview – people are randomly approached on the street and are surveyed about various issues in order to collect data

Questions

2. What roles did women play in Canada at the turn of the 20^th century?

Regardless of their roles, women were not permitted to have the same roles and rights as their male counter parts.  They were second class citizens in their own homes where they were expected to perform domestic duties and to raise children.  Women from wealthy families had more opportunities to pursue leisure activities or perform charity work.  As the demand for labour increased and new technologies were invented, such as the telephone, women began to enter the workforce but did not share the same wages or opportunities for promotion.  Post secondary schools were reluctant to admit women.  When they were admitted, women mainly pursued careers in health and education.  Over time, women played a crucial role in promoting equality, literacy, changes in school curriculum, health, and numerous other  laws which improved Canada.

3. What did women decide they would have to do if they wanted to change their conditions? What were some of the ways women worked to achieve this goal?

Women used satire or theatre to bring attention to their plight.  This was demonstrated by their Mock Parliamentary Debate.  They also founded organizations such as the WCTU, the TWLC, and the Women’s Institute.  Other legal pursuits, such as winning the right to vote and the recognition of women as person’s, greatly changed their conditions.   Overall, women mobilized themselves into articulate, organized, efficient, and vocal groups that advanced both themselves and society as a whole.

4. How did the methods used by the suffragists differ from those used by the suffragettes?

The English suffragettes were willing to risk being arrested, commit vandalism, and sacrifice their lives.  One woman was willing to fling herself in front of a horse in front of the King of England in order to draw attention to their plight.  Canadian suffragists were equally passionate yet they more so engaged in theatre, interest groups, and legal avenues in order to achieve their means rather than more radical forms of protest.

*Fun Fact: Prime Minister Borden of Canada, the man on the back of $100.00 bill, allowed women to vote in 1917, but he only permitted women who had a male family figure to vote on the referendum (a public vote on one issue) regarding conscription (all able bodied men must participate in war).   He knew that women would likely vote for conscription since they already had a member of the family who had volunteered or sacrificed himself for the war effort during W.W.I..*

Twenty Main Chapter Points

1) In 1914, Nellie McClung organized a well received play or mock parliament at the Walker Theatre to criticize Premier Roblin of Manitoba’s comment that “ Nice women don’t want to vote!”

2) Women could not vote, be elected to levels of government, make decisions for the family income, aspire to life beyond the household, input into family decisions, claim homesteads, regulate laws regarding alcoholic consumption or pursue post secondary education.

3) Strict manners applied to women.  See page 265.

4) When women did enter the workforce, there was a disparity in wages and few opportunities for promotions.

5) Wealthy women had opportunities to pursue certain interests or charity work. 

6) Clothing was very restrictive for women in the 1800’s.

7) When post secondary schools accepted women, their roles were restricted to teaching and nursing.

8) Technology and the demand for labour fueled the demand for women to enter the workforce. 

9) The WCTU intended to address the issues created from rampant alcoholism such as domestic abuse and the deterioration of the family.

10) Emily Stowe, originally a principal, later became a doctor in the U.S.A. and returned to Canada to practise medicine, despite threats from Canadians.

11) Stowe found the TWLC to promote literacy, women’s rights, improved working conditions, medical schools for women, and social change.

12) Adelaide Hoodless promoted health reform by promoting life skills, health and other subjects in the school curriculum.

13) The YWCA (the Young Women’s Christian Association) supported Hoodless to promote changes in the school curriculum.

14) Adelaide founded the Women’s Institute to promote skills that made women better mothers.

15) In England, women who promoted equality were suffragettes. 

16) Suffrage does not mean to suffer but to gain the right to vote.

17) In Canada, women who promoted equality were known as suffragists.

18) Women in England were willing to get arrested or damage the property of the prime minister in their nation.

19) Manitoba was the first province in 1916 that allowed women to vote whereas women in Quebec could not vote until 1940.

20) The Famous Five -Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Henrietta Edwards and Irene Parlby- collected signatures to allow a woman to be appointed by the prime minister of Canada to the senate, but the B.N.A. Act did not legally recognize a “woman” as a person but a ward of the state or government. The Privy Council of Britain, the highest court in the British Empire, recognized women as “persons”.    *The senate in Canada consists of appointed not elected members like the United States.*