Bread and Roses: The Struggle of American Labor, 1865-1915

The Living History Library

by Milton Meltzer

Uses original source material to portray the momentous changes that took place in American labor, industry, and trade-unionism following the Civil War. Focuses on the work environment in this early age of mass production and mechanization, and shows how abusive conditions often led to labor unrest.Examines the changes that took place in American labor, industry, and trade-unionism following the Civil War and looks at the work environment in this early age of mass production

Genres: History, Labor

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Milton Meltzer wrote 110 books, five of which were nominated for the National Book Award. With Langston Hughes, he co-authored A Pictorial History of Black Americans, now in its sixth edition. He received the 2001 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his contribution to children's literature, the 1986 Jane Addams Peace Association Children's Book Award, and the 2000 Regina Medal. He died in New York City of esophageal cancer at age 94.

Reviews

[Bahareh · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب با بهره گیری از اسناد و مدارک به تشریح شرایط کارگران آمریکا در بازه ی زمانی معین در پنج دسته به تفصیل می پردازد. کارگران آمریکا، مهاجران، سیاه پوستان، زنان و کودکان. لذا خواننده را با توصیف رویدادهای واقعی و باورناپذیر با این پنج گروه که در شرایطی رقت بار به دنبال کرامت انسانی، زندگی آبرومندانه و حقوق دموکراتیک خود هستند همراه میکند.
از نقاط ضعف کتاب میتوان به غلط های املایی متعدد و پس و پیش بازگو کردن بعضی رویدادها که البته مانعی در درک مطالب موجود نیست، اشاره کرد.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's rare that a book is interesting, short, thorough, dense with information, and also an easy, accessible read.

Bread and Roses is all of these things.

Through the use of period art, photos, personal anecdotes, excerpts from journalists' reports, interviews, statistics, and documents, this book immerses the reader in the lives of American workers after the American Civil War. Each chapter is bite size, allowing the reader to pause to digest these tragic, harrowing, and inspiring stories. Or to power through the book, barely stopping, as I did.

Some dated language appears that is distracting enough to disrupt reading flow. However, my copy is a 1977 print and I suspect that more recent editions might have updated their language.

An essential primer to American labour history. High school students should read this book, or a similar book for their part of the world. Every person who will enter the workforce must know how labour laws came to be and the lengths capitalists will go to to fight them. Depressingly relevant in an era of precarious work.

[Omar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for those interested in the history of the fight for social justice. It is fairly shot but packs a lot of facts, puts you in the shoes of those who were struggling under downright appalling conditions of serfdom. It is a great preface to reading about the Roosevelt-era, particularly the measures taken to strengthen the working and middle classes under FDR, of which protecting unions (instead of crushing them as was government's position during the Gilded Age) was a central one.

[Amber Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this book at my college library and thought of it to be a great source for my history research paper, at first I only read the segment/chapter that dealt with the Ludlow Massacre because thats what my paper was based on, but soon became intereseted to learn more about the Bread and Roses. It was a great source and a good read!