Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is now prevented by vaccine, but in the early 20th century it was still a surge that affected farmers and gardeners. Popular belief is that rust causes tetanus. It doesn’t, but the bacteria that causes the disease is found in soil, manure, dust and saliva. The bacteria enters the body […]
Canada’s Wartime Elections Act of 1917
Canada passed the Wartime Elections Act in September 1917. The act was part of the Conservative government’s efforts to win the federal election later that year. The act, however, was not without controversy. The act followed the nation’s conscription crisis that split the country between those of English decent, who favored conscription, and everyone else, […]
What is Victoria Day and Why Do Canadians Celebrate It?
In my novel, Angel of Mercy, Hettie’s birthday and her marriage to Geoffrey Bartlette correspond with the celebration of Victoria Day. If you’re American, you may be unaware of this holiday or why Canadians celebrate it. The holiday commemorates the birthday of Queen Victoria who was born May 24, 1819. It did not become a […]
Henri Bourassa: Early 20th Century Political Influencer
Any discussion of Canada during the early 20th century would not be complete without including Henri Bourassa. Bourassa was outspoken and not afraid to fight for his beliefs. Bourassa was born in Quebec in 1868, a little more than a year after the formation of Canada. He entered politics in his early 20s and was […]
Sir Robert Borden: Canada’s Wartime Prime Minister
Robert Borden is the prime minister who led Canada through the contentious years of World War I. An attorney by trade, he entered politics in 1896 and quickly rose to leader of the Conservative Party. Borden became prime minister following the nasty 1911 federal election that split the nation between those who were for and […]
Sir Wilfred Laurier: Canada’s First Modern Prime Minister
Hettie Bartlette, the main character in my novel Angel of Mercy, was born in Ontario in 1892. Despite being 27 at the end of the third novel in the series, Adjustment Year (publishing April 2021), she has memories of only two prime ministers. The longer serving of which was Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Laurier was Canada’s […]
Domestic Servants at the Turn of the 20th Century
Having a family member “in service” or being in service yourself was common before the end of World War I. Domestic servants were needed to run the expansive homes of the upper middle class and wealthy prior to the invention of many electric conveniences. While today we may think of working as a maid, for […]
Happy Birthday to You: The History of Birthday Traditions
How did you celebrate your last birthday? Chances are you had a party that featured a cake decorated with candles. Did you ever take time to think where these traditions got their start? If you guessed in the Victorian era, you’d be wrong. Most are much older. Let’s examine the origins of some of our […]
This Week in History: New Year’s Day 1920
One hundred years ago today, people were celebrating the start of what would be dubbed the Roaring 20s in the United States. What should have been a cause for celebration was slightly tempered. This was the last New Year celebration before Prohibition would go into effect on Jan. 16, 1920. In Boston, revelers gathered at cafes […]
Christmas Shopping in a Bygone Era
The commercialization of Christmas began during the Victorian era. Retailers encouraged consumers to shop for the holidays instead of giving homemade gifts, and shop employees also decorated their shop windows with lavish displays to attract passersby. The tradition of Christmas shopping was born. So what were the popular gifts in this bygone era? Let’s find […]
Early 20th Century Dentistry: More Modern Than You Think
Dreading that next trip to the dentist? You’re not alone. Patients a century ago, equally dreaded the visit, but thankfully, dentistry had modernized considerably by the early 20th century. At least, you could reasonably expect pain medication and a speedy drill. Let’s take a look at early 20th century dentistry. Dental schools got their start […]
School Kids in 1903 Explain Why Thanksgiving Turkeys are Important
Kids Say the Darndest Things may be a television show, but kids have been saying what’s on their minds – and amusing adults – for centuries. In 1903, the Sioux City Journal in Iowa asked the city’s school children to pen an essay on Thanksgiving turkeys. A sampling of the essays were published on Nov. […]