Customer Reviews

The Philadelphia Navy Yard: From the Birth of the U.S. Navy to the Nuclear Age (Barra Foundation Book)

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This book claims to be the definitive history of the Navy Yard. As someone that worked at the yard for 10% of that history, I was disappointed. It starts out by questioning why it took so long to close. It does nothing to correct misconceptions about culpability for the astro arc problems. Period site maps for League Island are historically inaccurate. Buildings 1000 and 1029 appear in the maps for 1910 -1912 and 1939 - 1945, but not in the map for 1960 - 1996 when they were built.

Dorwart and Wolf chronicle the history of the Philadelphia Navy Yard at a brisk pace. Their volume contains some nice illustrations but serious factual omissions and gaps abound. Although they describe Captain James Barron's (September 15, 1768 - April 21, 1851) difficulties dealing with corruption and racial tension, the authors make no mention that Philadelphia Navy Yard was the center of a strike for the ten hour day in 1835/36. Captain Barron played a pivotal role in this important strike. The strike prompted by agitation at nearby private yards quickly found support among the mechanics and laborers at the Navy Yard. The strikers were out for a few weeks and were ultimately successful. Uncharacteristically Captain Barron recommended the Department of Navy accede to the workers' demands and the workers returned. The successful strike led to major changes in labor policy and the gradual transformation of the federal workday from 12 hours to 10. The ten hour day was finally codified into federal regulation by President Martin Van Buren in 1840. See O.L. Harvey "The 10 Hour Day in the Philadelphia Navy Yard" Monthly Labor Review 1962.

For much of the two centuries the Navy Yard was in operation, thousands of civilians worked and labored building naval vessels and armaments. Labor activity at Philadelphia Navy Yard was responsible for much of our modern workplace, yet in this volume readers will find no index entry for labor or civilian workers. These men and women deserve better.