Families in transition: Richmond County, Nova Scotia, 1871-1901.
Date
1997
Authors
Wagg, Phyllis Christena.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Dalhousie University
Abstract
Description
During the nineteenth century the rapid development of the pioneer stage of rural settlement was coming to a close across North America, particularly in the eastern part of the continent. Land resources, as well as other natural resources, were reaching the limits of their ability to supply the needs of families and political changes were forcing the restructuring of economic activities. At the same time industrialization and mass production, coupled with increased literacy, increased the perceived standards of living needed to move beyond subsistence and to reach competency. A consequence of these factors made it necessary for families to adapt strategies that would provide their family members with the ability to meet their perceived needs.
In Richmond County, Nova Scotia, families adapted to these changes during the last three decades of the nineteenth century. There was no new farm land for settlement within the county boundaries and the fisheries could only sustain a finite number of workers because of the limitations of the resource and the shortage of markets. The restructuring of the economy resulting from tariff policies and railway expansion restricted the potential of the coastal trade. Families adapted the situation by making decisions that allowed the population to decline to the point where a balance was achieved between resources and population. That reduction was made possible by the growth of opportunities elsewhere, especially in the cities, and the perception of many young people that their needs could be met through urban relocation. The resulting adjustments meant that new levels of competency were possible for the persistent population.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Dalhousie University (Canada), 1997.
In Richmond County, Nova Scotia, families adapted to these changes during the last three decades of the nineteenth century. There was no new farm land for settlement within the county boundaries and the fisheries could only sustain a finite number of workers because of the limitations of the resource and the shortage of markets. The restructuring of the economy resulting from tariff policies and railway expansion restricted the potential of the coastal trade. Families adapted the situation by making decisions that allowed the population to decline to the point where a balance was achieved between resources and population. That reduction was made possible by the growth of opportunities elsewhere, especially in the cities, and the perception of many young people that their needs could be met through urban relocation. The resulting adjustments meant that new levels of competency were possible for the persistent population.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Dalhousie University (Canada), 1997.
Keywords
History, Canadian., Sociology, Individual and Family Studies.