A Short History of the U.s. Working Class: From Colonial Times to the Twenty-first Century (Revolutionary)

LeBlanc (Carlow College) blends economic, social, intellectual, cultural, and political history in analysis that encompasses views of key figures of US labor. His broad analytical framework spotlights issues of class, gender, and race. A bibliographical essay directs readers to classic and recent works in US labor history as well as relevant fiction, film, and videos. A glossary provides definitions and mini-essays for some 200 basic and technical terms.

Le Blanc is an assistant history professor at Pittsburgh's Carlow College and a self-described activist in labor and social movements. He edited From Marx to Gramsci: A Reader in Revolutionary Marxist Politics. Although most books that consider the "working class" are usually devoted to studying or portraying the poor, Le Blanc's book takes a much broader view. For Le Blanc, working class and labor are synonymous. His aim is to make the history of labor in the U.S. more accessible to students and the general reader. He succeeds by outlining major events in the history of the U.S., then showing the role of labor in shaping them or describing their impact on labor. Le Blanc's primer not only informs but should also prove to be a helpful resource. Included are a chronology of U.S. labor history, a U.S. history time line, a glossary of labor terms, and a bibliographic essay highlighting research, classical works, fiction, and films about labor. David Rouse