The response of Truro's families to economic and social change : a Nova Scotian community, 1861-1891

Abstract

This thesis is a micro-study of the community of Truro, Nova Scotia, during a period of rapid economic change. Truro, in common with other Nova Scotia communities, experienced economic and social upheaval in the last quarter of the 19th century. The thesis examines the ways in which the families of Truro responded to their changing economic and social circumstances. Using census and other statistical material, family papers and diaries, and the local newspaper, the thesis attempts to examine families from both a demographic perspective and from a perspective which takes into account the emotions, expectations and perceptions of individual family members. It also suggests directions for the further exploration of family life in the Maritime provinces as an aid to providing a better understanding of the role of families in the economic and social history of the region.