The Emergence of Class Consciousness in Industrial Nova Scotia : A Study of Amherst, 1891-1925

Abstract

Before World War One, Amherst emerged as one of the most important manufacturing centers in the Maritimes. Its diversified economic base included foundry products, railway cars, woolen goods, and boots and shoes. Amherst manufacturers successfully competed in national markets and were becoming increasingly prominent in the region's financial circles. The years of growth came to an end in the period just prior to the war when the decline leading toward economic collapse in the 1920s began. Amherst's rise and fall as a manufacturing center revealed the weaknesses in the local and regional economy. Working people responded to this course of events in a variety of ways. The growth of trade unionism strengthened the position of the workers, but many obstacles made the building of a viable labour movement a difficult task. Interest in independent politics increased the workers influence in Amherst's political life and encouraged contact between Amherst workers and the miners of nearby Springhill. By the time of World War One, a significant minority of Amherst's working-class leaders were active in the socialist movement. The events of the war and specific economic and social conditions in Amherst created the context for the emergence of the Amherst Federation of Labor, popularly referred to as the One Big Union, and the organization of a three week general strike in 1919. In the following year, Amherst workers participated in the revival of independent politics in the area and the creation of Nova Scotia's first Independent Labor Party.