Roundtable on Mark A. Lauseâs Free Labor: The Civil War and the Making of an American Working Class
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Mark A. Lauseâs Free Labor: The Civil War and the Making of an American Working Class is the most comprehensive book about the Civil War era labor movement published in more than a half century. While most scholars of the Civil War focus principally on the great battles, the political tensions between the North and South, and Abraham Lincolnâs steady leadership, Lause has produced a thorough account of different laborers during wartime: solders, printers, molders, machinists, and, significantly, former slaves while never losing sight of the periodâs most remarkable military and political struggles. Built on various collections of primary sources and the most relevant secondary literature, the book will give future generations of historians much to contemplate. Recognizing the significance of Lauseâs scholarly contribution, three historians of labor have offered their thoughts. Theresa Case, author of an influential book about the great 1880s Southwest Railway strikes, provides a largely favorable review, applauding Lause for his close attention to cases of both repression and resistance, including outbreaks of interracial unity between blacks and whites. She challenges him for failing to highlight distinctions between freedom and slavery, but concludes by recognizing his âhigh standard of research.â Chad Pearson, a scholar of union-busting employersâ associations, focuses on the contested meanings of the Civil War, Lincolnâs leadership, and the notion of free labor itself. Pearson finds it noteworthy that both union activists in the 1860s and strikebreaking architects in the Progressive Era interpreted the warâs meaning in starkly different ways. Brian Kelly, a leading historian of race and labor, questions why Lause was not more attentive to the role that nativism played in de-radicalizing sections of the working-class. Yet Kelly remains tremendously impressed, noting that Lause has demonstrated âencyclopedic knowledge of the [periodâs] labor and reform currents.â Lause concludes the roundtable with his responses to all three contributors.
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Roundtable on Mark A. Lauseâs Free Labor: The Civil War and the Making of an American Working Class
In: WorkingUSASearch for other papers by Theresa Case in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Chad Pearson in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Brian Kelly in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Mark A. Lause in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Mark A. Lauseâs Free Labor: The Civil War and the Making of an American Working Class is the most comprehensive book about the Civil War era labor movement published in more than a half century. While most scholars of the Civil War focus principally on the great battles, the political tensions between the North and South, and Abraham Lincolnâs steady leadership, Lause has produced a thorough account of different laborers during wartime: solders, printers, molders, machinists, and, significantly, former slaves while never losing sight of the periodâs most remarkable military and political struggles. Built on various collections of primary sources and the most relevant secondary literature, the book will give future generations of historians much to contemplate. Recognizing the significance of Lauseâs scholarly contribution, three historians of labor have offered their thoughts. Theresa Case, author of an influential book about the great 1880s Southwest Railway strikes, provides a largely favorable review, applauding Lause for his close attention to cases of both repression and resistance, including outbreaks of interracial unity between blacks and whites. She challenges him for failing to highlight distinctions between freedom and slavery, but concludes by recognizing his âhigh standard of research.â Chad Pearson, a scholar of union-busting employersâ associations, focuses on the contested meanings of the Civil War, Lincolnâs leadership, and the notion of free labor itself. Pearson finds it noteworthy that both union activists in the 1860s and strikebreaking architects in the Progressive Era interpreted the warâs meaning in starkly different ways. Brian Kelly, a leading historian of race and labor, questions why Lause was not more attentive to the role that nativism played in de-radicalizing sections of the working-class. Yet Kelly remains tremendously impressed, noting that Lause has demonstrated âencyclopedic knowledge of the [periodâs] labor and reform currents.â Lause concludes the roundtable with his responses to all three contributors.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 276 | 48 | 5 |
| Full Text Views | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 8 | 0 | 0 |
