History of the Labor Movement in the United States: From Colonial Times to the Founding of the American Federation of Labor by Foner, Philip S

New York. 1947. International Publishers. Hardcover Edition. Previous Owner's Stamp in Front, Otherwise Very Good in Slightly Worn Dustjacket. 576 pages. hardcover. FROM THE PUBLISHER -  Here is an important new study of one of the major themes of American history—the struggles of the working class to win a higher standard of living and an imp roved status in society. It starts with a broad picture of the Working class in Colonial America. It ends with the beginnings of the modern labor movement. But the author gives us more than the conventional history of labor. He views the rise of the trade unions against the whole stream of American history, stressing the influence the labor movement has had upon the development of our social structure, and, conversely, the influence which economic, political, and social events have had upon the development of the labor movement. The result is a fascinating and inspiring story. There is the vivid account of the emergence of the trade unions from local bodies to national and international organizations; there is the long neglected story of labor’s role in the American Revolution, in the struggles of Jeffersonian and Jacksonian Democracy, in the long battle over slavery, in the Civil War and Reconstruction; there is the stirring story of militant strikes for higher wages, shorter hours and better working conditions conducted by all types of workers, Negro as well as white, women as well as men; there is the history of labor’s efforts in independent political action; and there is the story of the growth of socialist movement and their influence upon the working class. Based on a great deal of unpublished material, on the records of trade unions and the labor press, and the most recent research on the period covered, written in simple, exciting fashion, this book should occupy a permanent place in the library of every worker and of every student of the economic and political history of the United States. inventory #19757