A Short History of the U.S. Working Class: From Colonial Times to the Twenty-First Century

by Paul Le Blanc

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. Employing 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, including Cesar Chavez, Eugene V. Debs, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Samuel Gompers, Woody Guthrie, “Big Bill” Haywood, Langston Hughes, Mary “Mother” Jones, Martin Luther King Jr., George Meany, A. Philip Randolph, and Carl Sandburg.

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 two hundred terms, from the most basic to the most complex and technical.

Genres: History, Labor, Nonfiction, Politics, American History

232 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1999

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Andrew Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is a very accessible history of American labor movements, I constantly found myself wanting things explored in more death. The purpose of this book seemed at times to begin and end with brevity. That said, if you've never studied the history of the American working class, this is a great place to start, though some may find themselves wanting to supplement it with other works as well.

[Soph Nova · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely short survey that zips through some major highlights of U.S. history and labor’s role in it, as well as some much lesser-known history that is central to the labor movement and makes this volume well worth the read (plus a glossary and timeline at the end that are super useful tools that could be pulled from for educational purposes too).

“The struggles of the U.S. working class have added up to a general struggle for a better life, for more control over one’s own situation (which is what the word freedom means), and for a general reality characterized by majority rule, or “rule by the people” - which is what democracy means.”

[David Hollingsworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good, brief history of the US working class. Lived up to the title. The author lets his specific outlook as a Trotskyist/Leninist show through a bit, but you kinda come to expect that most leftist academic writers will show their bias. It's overall a good, quick history of US labor that has definitely helped me in putting together the labor dimensions of the post-Reconstruction US history class that I'm currently teaching.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in the midst of the NYC mayoral election, you can draw vivid parallels between Zohrans campaign and the platform of late unionists who saw workers rights and dignity as the backbone of socialist revolution!

[Camille McCarthy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great survey of the history of the working class in the US. I got a little bogged down in the middle there where it was talking about the various fluctuations of the AFL-CIO and all the changes in unions and everything had an acronym, but the first half was easy to get through and the ending was as well, and I thought it helped create an outline of how the working class has gained power and then become weakened over the years, and why that was. Recommended for anyone who wants to know history from the perspective of the people, rather than the perspective of a few men making decisions.

[Avery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly what it says on the tin: a short history of U.S. labor movements. This is mostly historical recounting, don't expect deep analysis, but it serves as an excellent primer on the history of the working class in the U.S. Since schools don't teach this and should, you can think of this as what you should've learned in secondary school. Not terribly in-depth, but a great basis to give you context for diving into headier material.

[Seth Gillespey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was going to give this 3 stars because I had to read it for a class and was completely indifferent to it, but then I got to page 145 and saw that my hometown of Decatur, IL was mentioned. However, the author misspelled it as "Decater", thus discrediting himself and earning this book 1 star. I would go lower if I could

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 1 out of 5]

An uninspired repetition of anecdotes from the U.S. labor movement's tumultuous history. Readers who want the details and the drama will need still to first consult Foner, Bimba, Yellen, Preis, and Farrell Dobbs.

[Julesreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read. Whether this is for an introduction to labor history for a layman, or a refresh for those “in the know” but also still hungry, Le Blanc reminds us, with his comprehensive and consistent overview of US labor history, that militant and radical perspective is absolutely necessary in the struggle. If it isn’t evident here, and isn’t evident out there, then your head is buried in the sand. Unite and fight.

[Maximilian Gerboc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief but excellent comprehensive history of the American working class, the rise of the labor movement, and the various political and economic challenges working people face today. Very accessible read for anyone looking for an introduction to American working class history.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent...

[Joe Xtarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book here. This should be US LABOR 101. Seemlessly plotted and succinctly expressive, this work is easy to read and effortlessly engaging.