Research

Whether in Canada, the United States, or Great Britain, women dominated the profession of teaching during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Nova Scotia was no exception to this rule. Beginning in 1838, the Nova Scotia Assembly allowed women to teach at public school, and by 1892, 75% of all school teachers in the province were women. Young women were especially common in rural settings, teaching at one-room schools like that of Tupperville. Understanding their lives is crucial to understanding the broader context of education in rural Nova Scotia.