Wartime Recruiting Poster
Document
Image
Video
Audio
Activities
LOOK
Look closely at this recruitment poster and complete the following sentences:
- I see… [describe what you see in the poster]
- I think… [describe what you think about the poster]
- I wonder… [describe what you wonder about the poster]
LOOK
What symbols do you see in this poster? What do you think the artist is trying to say by including these symbols? To verify your answer, read the Historical Context below.
THINK
Take the perspective of a French Canadian. Do you think the Union Jack symbols would be meaningful to them?
THINK
What is the goal of this recruitment poster? What is its target audience? Do you think it is effective in achieving its goal? Explain your answer.
Details
Date 1914–1918
Materials - Paper
- Ink
Transcript
WE WILL UPHOLD THE PRICELESS GEM OF LIBERTY
‘For Gold the Merchant Ploughs the Main
The Farmer tills the Manor
But Glory is the Soldier’s Prize
The Soldier’s Wealth is Honour’
SHALL WE HELP TO CRUSH TYRANNY? APPLY AT RECRUITING STATION
Printed by GAZETTE PRINTING CO. LIMITED, Montreal, Canada
Historical Context
Choose one of the three levels below to match your needs.
- From 1914 to 1918, Canada participated in the First World War.
- During this time, the government adopted measures that prioritized the war effort and national security over individual freedoms.
- Recruitment posters like this one used patriotic symbols to encourage thousands to join the military.
From 1914 to 1918, Canada was engaged in the deadliest conflict in its history: the First World War.
During the state of emergency that followed the declaration of war, the Canadian government adopted unprecedented measures prioritizing the war effort, national security, and social order. These measures were often to the detriment of individual rights.
Recruitment posters like this one encouraged thousands to join the military. Canadian and British patriotic symbols, such as the maple leaf and the Union Jack, were familiar images on recruitment posters.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with Britain and the other British dominions in this quarrel […] to uphold principles of liberty, to withstand forces that would convert the world into an armed camp.”
— Robert Borden, Prime Minister of Canada, August 19, 1914
From 1914 to 1918, Canada was engaged in the deadliest conflict in its history: the First World War.
During the state of emergency that followed the declaration of war, the Canadian government adopted unprecedented measures prioritizing the war effort, national security, and social order. These measures were often to the detriment of individual rights, particularly the right to freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention. However, while the courts were staunch defenders of civil liberties in times of peace, they rarely opposed repressive measures adopted by the federal government in wartime.
Recruitment posters like this one encouraged thousands to join the military. Patriotism was a driving factor in early enlistment, as many Canadian and British-born recruits flocked to serve King and country. Canadian and British patriotic symbols, such as the maple leaf and the Union Jack, were familiar images on recruitment posters.
- From 1914 to 1918, Canada participated in the First World War.
- During this time, the government adopted measures that prioritized the war effort and national security over individual freedoms.
- Recruitment posters like this one used patriotic symbols to encourage thousands to join the military.
From 1914 to 1918, Canada was engaged in the deadliest conflict in its history: the First World War.
During the state of emergency that followed the declaration of war, the Canadian government adopted unprecedented measures prioritizing the war effort, national security, and social order. These measures were often to the detriment of individual rights.
Recruitment posters like this one encouraged thousands to join the military. Canadian and British patriotic symbols, such as the maple leaf and the Union Jack, were familiar images on recruitment posters.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with Britain and the other British dominions in this quarrel […] to uphold principles of liberty, to withstand forces that would convert the world into an armed camp.”
— Robert Borden, Prime Minister of Canada, August 19, 1914
From 1914 to 1918, Canada was engaged in the deadliest conflict in its history: the First World War.
During the state of emergency that followed the declaration of war, the Canadian government adopted unprecedented measures prioritizing the war effort, national security, and social order. These measures were often to the detriment of individual rights, particularly the right to freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention. However, while the courts were staunch defenders of civil liberties in times of peace, they rarely opposed repressive measures adopted by the federal government in wartime.
Recruitment posters like this one encouraged thousands to join the military. Patriotism was a driving factor in early enlistment, as many Canadian and British-born recruits flocked to serve King and country. Canadian and British patriotic symbols, such as the maple leaf and the Union Jack, were familiar images on recruitment posters.
Summary
- From 1914 to 1918, Canada participated in the First World War.
- During this time, the government adopted measures that prioritized the war effort and national security over individual freedoms.
- Recruitment posters like this one used patriotic symbols to encourage thousands to join the military.
Essential
From 1914 to 1918, Canada was engaged in the deadliest conflict in its history: the First World War.
During the state of emergency that followed the declaration of war, the Canadian government adopted unprecedented measures prioritizing the war effort, national security, and social order. These measures were often to the detriment of individual rights.
Recruitment posters like this one encouraged thousands to join the military. Canadian and British patriotic symbols, such as the maple leaf and the Union Jack, were familiar images on recruitment posters.
In-Depth
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with Britain and the other British dominions in this quarrel […] to uphold principles of liberty, to withstand forces that would convert the world into an armed camp.”
— Robert Borden, Prime Minister of Canada, August 19, 1914
From 1914 to 1918, Canada was engaged in the deadliest conflict in its history: the First World War.
During the state of emergency that followed the declaration of war, the Canadian government adopted unprecedented measures prioritizing the war effort, national security, and social order. These measures were often to the detriment of individual rights, particularly the right to freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention. However, while the courts were staunch defenders of civil liberties in times of peace, they rarely opposed repressive measures adopted by the federal government in wartime.
Recruitment posters like this one encouraged thousands to join the military. Patriotism was a driving factor in early enlistment, as many Canadian and British-born recruits flocked to serve King and country. Canadian and British patriotic symbols, such as the maple leaf and the Union Jack, were familiar images on recruitment posters.