History of Canadian Peoples

This paper explores the Canadian government's motivation for citizens to buy Victory Bonds, gender relations during the war, and the significance of investment in children's future.

Running head: HISTORY OF CANADIAN PEOPLES
History of Canadian Peoples
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
This paper is based on how the Canadian government motivated and encouraged the
citizens of Canada to buy Victory Bonds to win the world war, how the gender relations were
portrayed and the significance of investment in the children’s future. This thesis statement of the
paper is that Victory Bonds helped to motivate the Canadian citizens to win the war, gender
relations failed during the war and the investment played a vital role in the children’s future.
Article 1
The Government of Canada used to sell Victory Bonds to the citizens of Canada, secret
corporations and different organizations so that funds can be raised for the war. The victory
bonds were a credit to the Canadian government, which could be redeemed within 20 years with
interest and was released between years 1915 to 1919, during five various campaigns. The
posters used to be usually pretty large and printed in bright colors on low quality paper, and
frequently in considerable numbers. For instance, the poster named “VICTORY BONDS WILL
HELP STOP THIS” had a print of about 60,000 ("Canadian War Poster Collection :: Search
Detail" 2019). The posters continually persuaded everyone in Canada to buy bonds. Women used
to save money apart from their housekeeping activities and children were motivated to collect
thrift stamps, which could be gathered until adequate, had been saved for buying a Victory Bond.
In 1918, the Victory Bond campaign had been one of the most victorious raisings over $600,000
in just three weeks (Finkel 1993). Another campaign was organized to focus on the theme of
“Bring Our Boys Back” and the requirement for raising funds for the therapy of the returning
soldiers. The Victory Loan Flag was designed to prize those communities, which donated

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majorly to the campaigns of Victory Bond. The population of the city or town should have
bought a definite value in Victory Bonds and if upon attainment of that target, the Canadian
citizens were honored with a Victory Loan Honor Flag. In the year 1919, a new flag had been
specially made for the campaign of that year and it was decided to include the shielded arms of
Prince of Wales, into the design of the flag. In 1919, the Prince had visited Canada and raised the
flag at the Parliament. During World War II, the campaign of victory bond was reestablished so
that Canadians could continue the habit of savings that Victory Bonds had recognized.
Therefore, this is how the Canadian government mobilized Canadians not only to invest in
Victory Bonds and to win the war, but also to inspire hope in a better world in the future.
Article 2
During the Second World War, women of Canada had made major contributions to the
war on the military, home front and industrial. However, though huge war mobilization occupied
women at unparalleled levels, their involvement in what was considered as unconventional
gender roles led to discomfort amongst both Canadians citizens and the government. However,
in equivalent to massive mobilization, the government had introduced a propaganda campaign.
Posters were vital to this propaganda campaign. They were economical to print and give out
within a short period; the government also realized that the posters could communicate messages
to the common public more powerfully and effectively than the written or spoken words. The
posters used to depict customary gender roles as the basis for the war. The posters during the war
that focused on women distinguished the connection as the polar opposite between femininity
and patriotism (Parr, Joy and Gunilla 1996). For instance, in the poster “Keep these hands off!
Buy Victory Bonds”, in spite of being fearless while fighting the opponent, a mother and her

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baby were shown as helpless and weak in the expression of the enemy ("Canadian War Poster
Collection :: Search Detail" 2019). The mother has been depicted as drained in soft tones
depicting gentleness. The baby in her arms has also been portrayed as drained in innocence and
soft tender touch gentleness. However, the enemy is picturized as gross hands ready to steal
away the baby from its mother. Therefore, in this poster womanhood was defined as nurturing
while at the same time weak and vulnerable. Similarly other posters such as “Whatever your job
may be: Fight” emphasized how the role of men as bread earners converted into soldiers fighting.
While posters such as “Your Shopping Basket Savings, Save More to Lend More” stressed on
the significance of women as conventional homemakers and economical consumers. According
to Roach Pierson, the huge mobilization of Canadian women during the war had failed to safe
them an equal place in the postwar common world. After the war, the old woman, the desolated
wife, or the husband of the woman who earned too little or was jobless remained in unsteady
positions. The Canadian government returned to customary gender roles during post war as if the
involvement of women in the war was a vision. Therefore, gender relations in posters had failed
during the war.
Article 3
The infant in the poster of ‘HELP FINISH THE JOB’ resembled the epitome Gerber
Baby, in 1931 had been adopted as the baby food company's official trademark ("Canadian War
Poster Collection :: Search Detail" 2019). The poster signified to some of the qualities of a little
baby: innocence, wholesomeness and purity. However, it also spoke to the values Canadian
citizens must be ready to protect their home, family, and children's future. Canadians responded
enthusiastically. During the campaign, children united in by accumulating Thrift Stamps that

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they could use to buy victory bonds. The communities that had raised noteworthy amounts of
money were granted reward with a Victory Loan Honor Flag Investment is a gift in the children's
future. As parents, the citizens had to consider traditional and worthy ways to invest in their
future and protect them. It is the duty and responsibility of the parents to secure their child’s
future and during the wars buying the thrift stamps was one of the ways to invest by rewarding
certain amount of money. A savings plan that helped mothers or fathers to save apart from the
money used in household chores, to put money aside to buy bonds and earn prizes for better
future for their family. It is necessary to start investing early for children rather than wasting time
as time passes away quickly with the blink of an eye and then the parents do not have time to
think about future investments for their education, career or marriage. Buying victory bonds was
one of the best possible ways to save as well as earn money and it made the children sensible and
mature enough to invest for the betterment of their country and their future. The rewards and
honor ship encouraged them to buy bonds and help the soldiers during the war. Therefore, it is
needed to be prepared beforehand before everything falls apart. Hence, buying victory bonds had
a significant role in the investment of the children’s future.
Conclusion
Therefore, it can be concluded from the above paper that Canadian citizens were
encouraged to buy bonds through poster campaigns for the betterment of the future. Although,
during the war, women were not treated as equal as men which failed to depict gender equality in
the posters. The investment in buying victory bonds also encouraged children to accumulate
money by winning rewards thereby helping the soldiers to win the war and for the future of the
country.

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References
"Canadian War Poster Collection :: Search Detail". 2019. Digital.Library.Mcgill.Ca.
https://digital.library.mcgill.ca/warposters/search/searchdetail.php?ID=13827&version=e.
"Canadian War Poster Collection :: Search Detail". 2019. Digital.Library.Mcgill.Ca.
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"Canadian War Poster Collection :: Search Detail". 2019. Digital.Library.Mcgill.Ca.
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