The Pullman Strike and the Crisis of the 1890s: ESSAYS ON LABOR AND POLITICS (Working Class in American History) [Paperback]

Richard Schneirov (Editor), Shelton Stromquist (Editor), Nick Salvatore (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999

The Pullman strike of 1894 shut down the rail system from Chicago to the West Coast, culminating two decades of labor unrest and helping to define an epochal transition in American history. In this wide-ranging collection, leading labor historians use the prism of the Pullman strike to broaden our understanding of the crisis of the 1890s.By examining the strike in the context of continuities and changes in labor organization, the influences of gender and community, the public representation and contested meaning of labor conflict, the emergence of a new politics of progressive reform, the development of a regulatory state, and a changing legal environment, these essays resituate the Pullman conflict in its historical context. Illuminating one of the most important events in labor's past, "The Pullman Strike and the Crisis of the 1890s" testifies to the pivotal importance of the Pullman conflict and its aftermath for understanding the course of American history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Another fine addition to The Working Class in American History series... All of the essays warrant a close reading by anyone interested in Pullman and the broader history of late-19th and early-20th century America." -- David O. Stowell, Labour History "This is a rich and diverse collection of essays on the decade of the Pullman railroad strike. Symptomatic of the flexible boundaries of the field of labor history, the book unites two studies focusing on organized labor and industrial relations with six essays exploring the strike's broader public context, political ramifications, and intersection with the state." - Georg Leidenberger, H-Labor (H-Net Reviews) "An excellent, wide-ranging anthology of essays by scholars identified with the new labor history." -- Stephen H. Norwood, The Journal of American History "Unlike most academic anthologies, these articles avoid repetition and overlap without abandoning the central story of one of the nation's most engaging industrial conflicts... The 'new' labor historiography displays its wares in this collection of interpretive pieces that uncovers causes and consequences beyond the traditional labor-management dichotomy." -- Scott Molloy, The Historian "These essays will cause whoever writes the next complete account of the Pullman strike to both consider and incorporate a series of new insights." - John H. Keiser, Journal of Illinois History "An admirable addition to the literature." - Perry Duis, Indiana Magazine of History "It is a rare conference volume that is worth the contributors', editors', publisher's, reviewers' and indeed readers' efforts, but this is one such collective enterprise that passes all tests with flying colours... Schneirov, Stromquist and Salvatore, all of whom have written major works dealing with ... this great crisis, have assembled a fine group of collaborators whose contributions focus on the strike's background and consequences rather than on the well-known and dramatic story." -- Howell John Harris, Business History ADVANCE PRAISE "This collection substantially deepens our understanding of the impact of the Pullman strike/boycott and goes a long way toward overcoming the ritual attention it has too long received in the narrative of American labor history."- David Brody, author of Workers in Industrial America: Essays on the Twentieth-Century Struggle

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 025206755X
• ISBN-13: 978-0252067556
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,101,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting work, December 6, 2008

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This review is from: The Pullman Strike and the Crisis of the 1890s: ESSAYS ON LABOR AND POLITICS (Working Class in American History) (Paperback)

This is a very interesting collection of essays dealing with an important period in American history. A period of cultural conflict as well as integration giong into the turn of the century is well captured.