The History of a Riot

by Jared Davidson

In 1843, the New Zealand Company settlement of Nelson was rocked by the revolt of its emigrant labourers. Over 70 gang-men and their wives collectively resisted their poor working conditions through petitions, strikes and, ultimately, violence. Yet this pivotal struggle went on to be obscured by stories of pioneering men and women 'made good'.

The History of a Riot uncovers those at the heart of the revolt for the first time. Who were they? Where were they from? And how did their experience of protest before arriving in Nelson influence their struggle? By putting violence and class conflict at the centre, this fascinating microhistory upends the familiar image of colonial New Zealand.

Genres: Nonfiction

Kindle Edition

Published August 10, 2021

About the author

An archivist by day and author by night, Jared Davidson is a writer based in Lower Hutt, Aotearoa New Zealand. His research explores the lives of workers overlooked by traditional histories – from radicals of the early twentieth century to farmhands and convicts of the nineteenth. He is currently the Research Librarian Manuscripts at the Alexander Turnbull Library.

Reviews

[Bryce Galloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched. Manages a reasonable balance between the exciting historical anecdote, drier facts and figures, and analysis of context - tracing the roots of the Nelson labourers in question, where they’d recently come from in the UK and the forms of labourer protest they brought with them. Challenges “the unevenness of historical narratives, and the violence of silence,” asking where else such buried NZ narratives have masked the violence of “capitalism’s capacity to reproduce itself.”

A great essay, but not quite as colourful a read as you might hope for when picking up a book to get you through a long wait at Wellington Hospital’s ED.

[Mark Field · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short concise essay on a worker revolt in the fledgling Nelson colony in the 1840's. There's a lot going on here, and the format gives a good overview but there is a lot more that is left untold. Would be interesting to see a larger expanded story here.

[Halcione Hoare · Rating 5 out of 5]

The surprisingly tumultuous beginnings of a now quiet and sedate town revealed with skill. Outstanding!