Capitalism, Community and Conflict

The development of the coal industry in south Wales gave birth to a new society. Characterized by rapid population growth, urbanization of the mining valleys, friction between capitalists and workers and the development of a distinctive popular culture, this society reached its zenith in the early decades of the twentieth century. The 1920s and 1930s brought soaring unemployment, economic hardship and a determination to challenge fascism at home and abroad, while the 1940s afforded opportunities for collectivist planning which led to the public ownership of the coal industry in 1947. Chris Williams’s penetrating and accessible study reassesses the turbulent, dramatic and celebrated history of the south Wales coalfield from the foundation of the South Wales Miners’ Federation in 1898 to the nationalization of the coal industry in 1947. The book combines original research with an intimate knowledge of recent historical scholarship, weaving new approaches in economic, political and gender history together in a fresh appraisal of the miners and their society. The text is complemented by a selection of documents which gives voice to leaders and led, men and women, writers and commentators from many different backgrounds and perspectives.