International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest

Extract

Radical labor activism in New Zealand can be traced back to the nineteenth century. Various elements, including the Canterbury Working Men's Mutual Protection Society, formed in January 1871 at a gathering of approximately 600 in Christchurch's Cathedral Square to protest the high rate of unemployment, were exasperated by continued immigration into the virtually self-ruled British colony. On March 12, 1872 the society became a branch of Marx and Engels' London-based International Working Men's Association, otherwise known as the First International . In the immediate years following, this movement failed to develop roots, as a combination of social conditions including an improved economic environment and the advent of a more centrist labor movement alleviated the attraction of a widespread radical movement. An example is the rise of Richard Seddon as leader of the Liberal Party. His political party was influenced by the Fabian Society, a British group that espoused some of Marx's ideas but preferred change through legislation rather than revolution. The Knights of Labour , founded in 1887, was another such progressive organization that was a casualty of the Liberal Party's successful appeal to the working class. In 1901 the New Zealand Socialist Party was founded based upon some of the teachings of Marx , Engels , and Kautsky . This movement's creation was in part spurred ... log in or subscribe to read full text