I was born into an America where the eight-hour workday was widely observed. But what was for me just another fact of life was a hard-won right of the labor movement that cost hundreds of lives. “Death in the Haymarket: A Story of Chicago, the First Labor Movement and the Bombing that Divided Gilded Age America” by James R. Green is a history of the fight for the 8-hour work week and the labor movement of late 19th century America. It is also a history of the effects of immigration on work (the borders were much more open then) and the contest for American capitalism at a time when “socialism” and “communism” were not merely the epithets of right-wing bubbleheads but were economic movements espoused by political parties representing tens of thousands
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Joel Eissenberg considers the following as important: 19th century labor movement, 8 hour work day, Haymarket bombing, history, immigration, politics, US EConomics
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I was born into an America where the eight-hour workday was widely observed. But what was for me just another fact of life was a hard-won right of the labor movement that cost hundreds of lives. “Death in the Haymarket: A Story of Chicago, the First Labor Movement and the Bombing that Divided Gilded Age America” by James R. Green is a history of the fight for the 8-hour work week and the labor movement of late 19th century America. It is also a history of the effects of immigration on work (the borders were much more open then) and the contest for American capitalism at a time when “socialism” and “communism” were not merely the epithets of right-wing bubbleheads but were economic movements espoused by political parties representing tens of thousands of Americans.
The centerpiece of the book is the Haymarket bombing, the show trials that followed and how a terrorist event set the labor movement back for decades. The bomb in question was thrown by an unknown person at the end of a labor rally that a large mob of police had just started to break up. The bomb blast and the ensuing panicked gunfire by police cause the deaths of seven of their own number, as well as at least four civilians. Dozens of others were wounded. The hysterical response in the newspapers and among the political leadership and business elites resulted in the first “red scare.” It has never been established whether the target of the bomber was the police, or whether the bomber intended to kill the labor leaders but had a bad throwing arm. But conspiracy theories fixed the blame on the labor leaders, five of whom ended up being sentenced to death despite zero evidence that they were complicit in any way.
The principal characters in this history–labor leaders, businessmen, politicians, policemen–are finely drawn. The setting is Chicago, and one gains a detailed understanding of the terrible working and living conditions of workers at the time. The events are placed within the larger context of the national labor movement and strikes by workers in various trades and services.
The writing in this book is excellent. It is illustrated with images of the main characters in the narrative, as well as maps and drawings of the bombing and the trial. These days as I find myself increasingly despairing of the ascendency of right-wing extremism in America, this book reminded me that there was an earlier time when violent intolerance was the norm and the exercise of 1st Amendment rights was sufficient to send people to the gallows. Anyone who wonders why Marxism has never gained a foothold in America should read this book.