Ms.

Cooze
Grade 11 Canadian History

The Great Depression Questions
Answer Key
1.
a. Bennett Buggy: vehicle created by people who could no longer afford gas, oil, licenses,
etc. They removed the motor from the cars, hitched horses to them- named after PM
Bennett.
b. Food vouchers: paper given to people on relief to exchange for basic food supplies.
Vouchers were used instead of money because it was assumed people would spend
money foolishly
c. Funny money: term used to ridicule Social Credit partys plan to give all citizens a credit
of $25/ month
d. On relief/ on the dole: receiving public welfare
e. Pogey- public relief; welfare
f. Pogey house- hostel for people with no place to live
g. Riding the rods: hitchhiking across Canada on freight trains by climbing onto the
undercarriage. Very dangerous. Most opt for inside the cars or the roofs
h. Soup kitchen: place giving free meals to the poor for relief- usually run by churches,
relief offices, or private charities.
2. 1 in 5 unemployed. 2 million on relief.
3. There were shifting norms at the time. Women were often ashamed to work because they
could take jobs from men (they were paid less), which challenged the archetype of the male
bread winner. If you were poor, it was engrained that it was your own fault- lazy people fail.
Often had to line up in public places to receive relief- shame.
4. Newspaper to line clothing for warmth, using soup bones for flavor, patching old clothes,
some people wore flour sacks. When jobs ran out, people often left town looking for work
across the country.
5. The price of wheat had dropped b/c of the GD in Europe (countries in Europe practiced
more isolationist economic policies during their GD). There was a 5 year drought. The dust
bowl caused problems. Lack of nourishment for people and animals. Dust storms.
6. People dressed in flour sacks, often went barefoot, burned wheat because it was cheaper, ate
grasshopper stew, and people gave up many of the goods they acquired during the 1920s like
the telephone, newspaper, and their cars.
7. Many were forced off of their land. The cost of farming made it no longer profitable. The
soil was so dry that the seeds planted simply blew away. Plagues of millions of grasshoppers,
which would blot of the sun and destroy laundry on laundry lines. It would take WWII to
make them profitable again.
8. Set up for drifters. Single men. They were meant to get drifters off the roads, out of cities,
and out of trouble. They would work 8 hour shifts building roads, digging ditching, and
planting trees. They would get clothing, a bed, food, and 20 cents a day. Run by the
Ms. Cooze
Grade 11 Canadian History

Department of National Defense. There was also a fear these men might be communists.
Small rooms and bunks. A cross b/w an army camp and a prison. They were denied the
vote- govn feared they might be communists.
9.
a. On-to-Ottawa Trek: After a strike in Vancouver 1953, 100 workers jump on freight
cars to head to Ottawa to complain to the PM directly. They were joined by other
workers along the way. July 1
st
, at Bennetts request, the RCMP were sent in to Regina to
stop the violence
b. King or Chaos: The liberals *Mackenzie King) had this slogan vs. Bennett. Liberals
won their victory by a landslide 1935 election.
c. Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF): 1933 Progressives, some Labour
reps, and other interested people meet in Regina to form the CCF. They believed in
socialism, and wanted the government to control much of the business and industry in
the country. Helped secure some civil rights
d. Social credit-1932 William Aberhart, known as Bible Bill the radio preacher, began to
talk about new political idea of Social Credit- a stimulus so people could buy the things
produced, buy more goods, and reinvigorate the economy. He proposed a monthly
social dividend of $25. In the 1935 provincial election, Social Credit won 56 of the 63
seats and he became premier of Alberta.