A Social History of the Laboring Classes: From Colonial Times to the Present (Problems in American History) [Hardcover]

Jacqueline Jones (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0631207694 | ISBN-13: 978-0631207696 | Publication Date: May 12, 1999 | Edition: 1

In this concise historical narrative, Jacqueline Jones provides a sweeping account of the most significant aspect of nearly every American's life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Jacqueline Jones is one of the nation's finest historians of race, class and culture and any project she turns her hand to is must reading for all those who claim to participate in the intellectual life of our times." Nelson Lichtenstein, University of Virginia <!--end-->

"The explosion of scholarship in the field of labor history over the past twenty years has defied synthesis - until now. Jacqueline Jones has moved the diverse experiences of America's multicultural working class to the front and center of the national historical narrative. No other book so effectively brings the voices and struggles of working people together as does A Social History of the Laboring Classes." Alex Lichtenstein, Florida International University

" Recent research in labor and working-class history that is staggering in scope. Recommended for all levels of college reader." D. Lindstrom, University of Wisconsin, Madison

"A lively text grounded solidly in the latest research." Labour History Review

From the Back Cover

In this concise historical narrative, Jacqueline Jones provides a sweeping account of the most significant aspect of nearly every American's life: work. Beginning with the seventeenth century, A Social History of the Laboring Classes examines broadly all types of workers - the waged and unwaged, urban and countryside - framed by the large scale economic transformations that affected workers throughout American history.

Exploring major themes such as the transition of slavery to free labor, the denigration of women's housework, technological advances and the rise of the global assembly line, this book demonstrates how in response to these changes, workers have reconfigured themselves according to their race, gender, ethnicity and task. From the antebellum American Labor Movement to worksites found today in Las Vegas hotels and casinos, this brief synthesis by an award-winning historian will provide an unparalleled account of the social history of work for students of American history and general readers alike.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 250 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 1 edition (May 12, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0631207694
• ISBN-13: 978-0631207696
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,621,380 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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This review is from: A Social History of the Laboring Classes: From Colonial Times to the Present (Problems in American History) (Paperback)

"A Social History of the Laboring Classes" is a welcome addition to US Labor history but it is weak, spotty, & fails to address the general lack of a serious labor history of the USA. To a large extent, the shortcomings of the book are the shortcomings of American Labor History writing. There are over 1,000 books on Black Slavery and we have hundreds of histories of the Union movement. Despite the wealth of documents available, there are several basic subjects that are inexcusably ignored! It may seem amazing to many people that there isn't a single serious history of White Indentured Servitude. Although this history is ignored (how many were there? What was their life like? Who were they? How did they live?), this fact does not prevent academic historians from presenting statements about them both qualitative and quantitative. In an age when most PhD dissertations and graduate papers are mere busy work and ritual for satisfying degree requirements, one marvels at the fact that some student with a zest for true history research and writing would decide to be the voice of the untold numbers of desparate people who were indentured servants.

One positive aspect of the book is for the first time it boldly states that slavery is part of US labor history. Now if we can get slave historians and labor historians to underestand this reality...

My criticism of this book is that it pretends to be something it is not, a social history of the American laborer. A lot of primary research needs be done before any social or cultural history of American Labor is possible. E.P. Thompson's masterpiece "The Making of the English Working Class" is a shinning example aspiring US labor historians could learn a lot from about being a scholar. Instead of presenting assumptions as fact, rather than be a slave to theory or ideology as most American (especially Labor) historians do today, Thompson explained in detail the reasons for conclusions he reaches.

By all means read this book but do not think you will leave it with more answers than questions.