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BELLWORK1. During the war, Great Britain
and the U.S. invested a lot of money in Latin America. What was this money used for?
2. What was Latin America’s major role in the global economy?
3. List five reasons why Latin America went into a recession following the outbreak of WWI.
4. Describe “The Tragic Week.”5. How did Latin America’s
economy change post-WWI?
6. THINKER: At the Pan American Financial Conference in 1915, the U.S. made the point that the outbreak of war highlighted the problem of relying on European countries economically and suggested that “a more hemispheric approach was desirable.” What do you think the U.S. means by this? If they want economic influence in the region, would this create the same problems as European influence?
Discussion
• Now that you know how WWI effected Latin America’s economy, make a prediction What do you think happened to the Canadian and U.S. economies post-WWI?
• The U.S. came out of WWI a wealthy nation, while Britain was in debt! This change in economic power heavily effected the dependency of the Americas on the U.S. economy!
Canadian Economy post-WWI• Pre-WWI: dependent on
imports from Britain.• Due to wartime demand and
the decline of British imports, textile and chemical production expanded.
• War accelerated Canadian manufacturing
• Canada went through a similar recession as Latin America immediately after war
• By the mid-1920’s the Canadian economy boomed, mostly due to trade with the U.S.
Canadian Economy Post-WWI• Pre-WWI: Traded
primarily with Britain• Post-WWI
– Britain in debt– U.S. is the new
world economic leader
– U.S. investment in Canada increased
– Trade with U.S. increased (ex: 75% of all paper produced was exported to U.S.)
Canadian Economy Post-WWI
• Mid-1920’s: Recovery!
• Wheat was important export
• Huge growth in exploitation of natural resources– Paper mills– Mining– Forestry
U.S. and Canadian Relations
• Instead of lending money to Canada (like Britain did)….. U.S. investors set up Branch Plants in Canada
• Branch Plant: businesses owned & controlled by U.S. companies, but operated in Canada– Benefit for the U.S.: they did not have to pay taxes to
import products into Canada…. Because these products were produced in Canada
– EX: Car Companies (GM, Ford, Chrysler) replaced all Canadian car makers…. And did not pay a tax in Canada)
U.S. and Canadian Relations
• Canadians happy with U.S. investments– No one really considered long-term
consequences
• Canadian economy based on Primary Industries (raw materials – mining, lumber, fish, etc.)
• U.S. used these raw materials to make new products
Timber: Quebec City
To transport goods, the Canadian
government expanded the
railroad(British
Columbia)
Urbanization of Canada
• The growing economy & industries caused more people to move to the cities for jobs
• Huge wave of immigration post-WWI to Canada• Less labor needed in agriculture (replaced by
machinery)• Modern Canadian cities formed at this time
(Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal) • Problems brought on by urbanization: slums,
poverty, pollution
Discussion
• How do you think the changes in the Canadian economy effected their status as a Canadian dominion/commonwealth?
U.S. Economy Post-WWI
• 1920’s America saw a dramatic change in business and industry; including:– New industries– Higher wages– Better working
conditions– More corporations
Americans as Consumers• In the 1920’s America’s standard of living
improved as necessities and luxuries were more affordable.
• Higher wages and buying on credit contributed to this trend.
• Products were mass produced• This concept of mass production was
started by Henry Ford.
Henry Ford• He was one of the first industrialists to act on
the realization that each worker is also a consumer.
• In an era where $2 a day was considered a good pay, Ford paid his workers $5
• Reduced the workweek at his plant from a 48-hour, 6-day week to a 40-hour, 5-day week.
• Ford was able to do this because his methods of production made tremendous profits. ($264,000/day)
• He was the first to use the assembly line to mass produce his Model-T cars.
MODEL-T
Assembly Line• A method of mass
production in which every employee has a specific task.
• With the assembly line, workers with fewer skills were able to operate specialized machines designated for specific tasks.
Automobile’s Effect on America• The car defined the U.S. in the 1920’s.• IN 1927, Americans owned 4 out of 5 of the world’s
cars, averaging 1 car for every 5.3 persons. • The Model-T transformed the car to an item moderate-
income families could afford.• The booming automobile industry created a rise in
other industries: steel, gasoline, glass, rubber, garages, restaurants, tourism, and camps.
• At the end of WWI, the U.S. had only 7,000 miles of roads. By 1927, U.S. had 50,000 miles.
Consumerism
• Consumerism: increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable
• Contributors to consumerism:– Radio– Advertising– High Wages– Buying on Credit
Discussion• Compare/contrast the post-WWI
economies of Latin America, Canada, and the United States.
