WWI and WWII

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WWI and WWII

• African Canadian Roles

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Brainpops

• WWI
• Harlem Renaissance
• Causes of the Great Depression
• The Great Depression
• Causes of WWII
• World War II

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What was WWI?

• It was known as First World War, the Great War,
  and "The War To End All Wars
• It occurred in Europe between 1914 and 1918.
• Nine million soldiers died
• Had a major impact on the
• 20th century.
• Canada fought for Britain

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Black Recruitment in WWI

• When WWI broke out Blacks attempted to join the
  military but they were rejected.

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Black Soldiers In WWI

• There was a resistance and reluctance on the part
  of the Canadian military to accept blacks into
  the armed forces. They did not think that white
  soldiers wanted to fight along side black
  soldiers.
• Despite these obstacles,
• blacks volunteered and urged
• other blacks to join.
• Right Recruiting office
• in Canada

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• This later turned into a problem as more soldiers
  were needed. Due to the humiliation of
  rejection, it was hard to recruit black soldiers
  when needed.
• The white officers had the mentality that this
  was a white mans war. They were in charge of
  choosing who was allowed in, therefore many
  Blacks were not allowed in.
• Not ALL blacks who attempted to enlist were
  rejected. Many quit their jobs and left their
  families only to be rejected by the white
  officers. They would harass them and send them
  back home where when they arrived they would have
  to try and pick up the pieces of their life.

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We dont want a checker board Army

• Was a comment made by many in the army stating
  that they did not want an integrated army.
• As Colonel Ogilvie reported in a letter to
  Council Headquarters, Several cases of coloured
  applicants for enlistment have been reported on
  by Officers Commanding units and the universal
  opinion is that if this were allowed it would do
  much harm, as white men here will not serve in
  the same ranks with negroes or coloured persons.
• This displayed the attitudes that were prevalent
  in the military and society at the time.

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Construction No. 2 Battalion

• Black Leaders started to put pressure on the
  government to form an all black battalion.
• In 1916, The No. 2 Construction Battalion was
  formed.

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No. 2 Construction Battalion

• The No. 2 Construction Battalion was the first
  and only all Black Battalion.
• There were approximately 1000 men in this
  battalion. 500 of the men were from Nova Scotia.
  Later some Americans joined.
• It was based out of Truro/Pictou.
• From 1917-1919 they spent time building railroads
  for the final attacks against Germany.

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No. 2 Construction Battalion

• They were not allowed to fight but rather help
  make fighting easier for whites with
  construction.
• They did meet many important needs of the war.
  i.e. providing lumber to reinforce the trenches.
• The battalion disbanded in 1920. Battalions are
  not separated on race or ethnicity anymore.

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No. 2 Construction Battalion
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Conscription

• In 1917, there were many causalities in France.
• It was clear that the troops overseas needed more
  reinforcements and Ottawa passed the Military
  Service Act.
• The Military Service Act became law, which was
  conscription.
• Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of
  citizens for military service.
• This act made every British subject between the
  ages 20 45 liable for service in the Canadian
  Military, black or white.

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Conscription

• Was seen as a slap in the face to Blacks as they
  had previously tried to enter the military but
  were not allowed. Now they were being forced to
  enter.

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Nova Scotia Conscription

• I was around 18 years of age and I had gone to
  Dartmouth with my horse and wagon to pick up some
  groceries. The conscription officers grabbed me
  for the army. My brother-in-law, Harry Sparks,
  told them I was too young. They took both of us
  to Halifax. My father came in and they let me go.
  Harry Sparks was conscripted into the army and
  ended up overseas. - John Crawley of North
  Preston.

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• In Sydney, after the war started, quite a few
  Blacks volunteered for active service and were
  told point blank, we dont want you, this is a
  White mans war. However, around 1917, the
  Canadian Army was up against it, they had lost a
  lot of men in France. At that point they were
  willing to take anyone. Conscription came in and
  they took Blacks and Whites. You had no choice
  you had to go. - Issac Phills.

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1920s-30sRoaring 20s and Dirty 30s

• In the 1920s Canada was in a state of economic
  growth.
• Many Blacks started to move to cities where there
  was strong Black Pride and less fear of racism.
• One of the issues that arose of that Blacks were
  unable to afford the high cost of rent and had to
  share homes with many families in run down areas.
  Ghettos began to develop.

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1920s

• The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
  banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation
  of alcohol.
• Many people from the USA started to take the
  train to Montreal on weekends for entertainment.

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Montreal

• In the 1920s, black musicians and dancers became
  very popular around the world. Louis Armstrong
  was the most popular musician amongst white and
  black fans.
• Because of prohibition in the USA, popular black
  entertainers started to perform in Montreal.
• Montreal was then referred to as Little Harlem
  or The Canadian Harlem
• Video Clip http//www.youtube.com/watch?vvnRqYM
  TpXHcfeaturePlayListp784FD56A29DE725Bindex0
  playnext1

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Montreal

• Blacks entertainers played at white only night
  clubs that did not allow black fans.
• However, black night clubs started to open up and
  became very successful.

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The Great Depression
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The Great Depression

• In the late 1920s, Canadas economy and stock
  exchanges were booming. From 1921 to the autumn
  of 1929, the level of stock prices increased more
  than three times. But these days came to a swift
  end with the stock market crash on Black Tuesday,
  October 29, 1929, in New York, Toronto, Montréal
  and other financial centres in the world.
  Shareholders panicked and sold their stock for
  whatever they could get.
• Overnight, individuals and companies were ruined

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• The crash set off a chain of events that plunged
  Canada and the world into a decade-long
  depression. It was the beginning of the Dirty
  Thirties.The problems of the Great Depression
  affected virtually every group of Canadians. No
  group was harder hit than African Canadians. By
  1932, approximately half of black Canadians were
  out of work.

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• Black Canadians were first to lose their jobs and
  the last in line to receive items from food banks
  and shelters.

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Black Canadian Porters

• A porter was one of the best jobs for a Black
  Canadian. It gave them pride and respect in the
  community. This was because it brought steady
  money in.
• They were also regarded as leaders in the
  community for their ability to unite people
  across the country.
• They were the least powerful people on the
  trains. Every white employee on the train had
  the ability to fire a Black person.
• White people brought their racism on the trains
  and treated Blacks as inferior
• Many porters were fired for punching passengers
  in the mouth for treating them rudely.
• They developed a union and gave themselves power.

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Video Clip http//www.youtube.com/watch?vyOgATGa
TSrM
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KKK

• By 1929 the KKK was in most provinces in Canada.
• They had newspapers and supported campaigns of
  white supremacist politicians. They also used
  direct action, such as burning crosses to
  intimidate Black people.
• 1926 the KKK used dynamite to damage a Church in
  Barrie, ON. This caused a public outrage and the
  KKK fell apart in Barrie.
• The KKK also fell apart after the Great Depression

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World War II

• 1939-1945
• It was a war of racism
• Conflict on all continents except for the two
  Americas
• Most widespread war ever experienced
• Over 100 million soldiers from 61 nations

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• In WWII, the units were integrated but racism was
  very evident.
• The Second World War didnt end racism. In fact,
  many black soldiers went overseas to fight for
  their country only to return and be denied their
  old jobs.

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WWII Irony

• There is a very noticeable case of irony in the
  efforts of Canadian soldiers fighting in WWII.
• Although they were sent overseas to fight against
  racism and tyranny of Adolf Hitler, they were
  actually leaving a country in which racial
  problems still existed.
• The black soldiers left their country to fight
  for the freedom, while nobody was fighting for
  their own freedom.

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CONCLUSION

• Black Soldiers have played an important role in
  the history of Canada.
• Watch Movie Honour Before Glory about the No. 2
  Construction Battalion.