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A Short History of the U.S. Working Class book cover
A Short History of the U.S. Working Class
From Colonial Times to the Twenty-First Century
1999
First Published
3.89
Average Rating
232
Number of Pages

Noting that standard accounts of U.S. history often pay little attention to the working class, labor historian Paul Le Blanc presents a colorful, fact-filled history that concentrates on the struggles and achievements of that often neglected laboring majority. In a blend of economic, social, and political history, Le Blanc shows how important labor issues have been and continue to be in the forging of our nation's history. Within a broad analytical framework he highlights issues of class, gender, race, and ethnicity, and includes the views of key figures of U.S. labor—Cesar Chavez, Eugene V. Debs, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Samuel Gompers, Woody Guthrie, "Big Bill" Haywood, Langston Hughes, "Mother" Mary Jones, Martin Luther King Jr., George Meany, A. Philip Randolph, and Carl Sandburg, among others. In addition to the main narrative, a bibliographical essay directs readers to classic works and cutting-edge scholarship in the field of U.S. labor history as well as to relevant fiction, poetry, and films for further exploration or study. The book's substantial glossary offers clear definitions and thought-provoking mini-essays for almost 200 terms, from the most basic to the most complex and technical.

Avg Rating
3.89
Number of Ratings
90
5 STARS
30%
4 STARS
38%
3 STARS
24%
2 STARS
7%
1 STARS
1%
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Author

Paul Le Blanc
Author · 9 books
Paul Le Blanc is an American historian at La Roche University in Pittsburgh as well as labor and socialist activist who has written or edited more than 30 books on topics such as Leon Trotsky and Rosa Luxemburg.
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