Introduction to U.S. Labor and Working-Class History

  Labor vs. Capital: Class Conflict in American History Dr. Jason Newton [email protected] 14:30 15:45 Tue , Thu Denny 200 Wednesdays 12-2 via Zoom and by appointment  Link to office hours: https://charlotte-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcucO2rrDwqGdUIxdG84QJfcJZ0E9hA6Tzm Course Description:   This course provides a general introduction to the history of workers and workers' movements in the United States from colonial time to the present. Special attention will be paid to learning about the history of free and unfree labor. This class will teach you how labor functions within a capitalist state, how capitalism benefited workers at times, and how it disadvantaged them at other times.   Working citizens are the fundamental unit of all states. Without productive people, states fail. In America, from colonial times to the present, structures (e.g. systems, geographies, governmental and non-governmental institutions, environments, cultures, and rituals) developed over time to make sure people produced value for the state. These structures determined the extent to which workers were able to work freely and when workers were less free to determine the quality and quantity of work they performed. Throughout American history workers have fought, both individually and collectively, for more freedom in work. An important part of this class will be exploring how workers responded to, created, challenged, and fought against the structures that impelled them to work. State actors intervened at different periods in American history to support, rein in, or simply evaluate the structures that compelled Americans to work.   This class will also pay special attention to how notions of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and citizenship status contributed to workers' freedom as well as moments of solidarity, and moments of fragmentation among workers. This class will teach you how working cultures and environments helped to create racial and gender identities.   One of the most important objectives of this course is to sharpen your critical thinking skills. History demonstrates that ideas and institutions which are often assumed to be immutable have changed over time and can be changed again in the future. No matter what career you pursue after college, you will all work and some of you will employ workers. It is important to think critically about work and the relationships between workers, employers, and the state. By becoming critical thinkers, you will become more informed and effective citizens, workers, and employers.     Learning Objectives:   Students enrolled in this course can expect to: Understand the history of the structures that determined the relative freedom of different groups of American workers at different times.   Develop a firm understanding of some of the major themes of U.S. labor history, social history, and the history of capitalism.   Comprehend the significant impact the American labor movement and working people have had on U.S. national politics and policies.   Sharpen their critical thinking skills by critically examining historical narratives and historical sources.   Strengthen their appreciation for American diversity by learning about the varied origins and experiences of workers and their families across the U.S.   Strengthen key methodological and analytical tools for historical research and writing focusing specifically on the challenges and benefits of studying and writing history "from the bottom up."   Engage in rigorous and progressive academic debate and discussion and communally challenge common assumptions about history, economics, and politics.   Required Readings:   Required Reading: Lizabeth Cohen, Making a New Deal: Industrial Workers in Chicago, 1919-1939, (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991) (available online for free at the university library website)   Melvyn Dubofsky & Joseph A. McCartin, eds., American Labor: A Documentary Collection, (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004) (students must purchase)   Melvyn Dubofsky and Joseph A. McCartin, Labor in America: A History, (John Wiley & Sons, 2017) (available online for free at the university library website, chapters also provided on Canvas)   Upton Sinclair, The Jungle (Doubleday, Jabber & Company, 1906) (available for free online)   ***All readings that are not from these books will be available via Blackboard***   Extra Credit Movie Showing (5%):  Moore, Michael, Chris Beaver, John Prusak, Kevin Rafferty, Bruce Schermer, Wendey Stanzler, and Jennifer Beman White. Roger & Me. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, 2003.  Course Requirements and Evaluation: Family or Friend Interview (20%) Interview with older friend, family member, or co-worker to interview about their work history, or their past experiences with different types of work.             (5%) Who and why?             (5%) List of questions             (10%) Interview report            Class Participation  (20%): This course is interactive and is taught through a combination of lectures, PowerPoint slides, readings, discussions, films, and your own written reflections. If you do not engage with all the elements of this course you will not understand the major themes and your grade will reflect these deficiencies. You are expected to come to class prepared to participate and to articulate your perspectives on the readings and topics under consideration.  Two Take Home Tests (20% each, 40% total): These tests will be composed of people, terms, or events. You will be asked to define the term and draw from material in class to describe the term or give an example. Mock Interview (20%): You will work in groups of three to conduct a mock interview. Details will be released later in the semester.            (5%) Biography of worker            (10%) Interview with worker            (5%) Reflection   Policies   This syllabus contains the policies and expectations I have established for Topics in US History: Labor vs. Capital: Class Conflict in American History. Please read the entire syllabus carefully before continuing in this course. These policies and expectations are intended to create a productive learning atmosphere for all students. Unless you are prepared to abide by these policies and expectations, you risk losing the opportunity to participate further in the course.   Drop/Withdrawal Procedures: Students are expected to complete all courses for which they are registered at the close of the add/drop period.  If you are concerned about your ability to succeed in this course, it is important to make an appointment to speak with me as soon as possible. The University policy on withdrawal allows students only a limited number of opportunities to withdraw from courses. It is important for you to understand the financial and academic consequences that may result from course withdrawal.   Late Papers: All assignments are due on the day indicated on the syllabus. Extensions on papers will only be administered in cases of personal or documented medical emergencies.   Late papers will be penalized each day they are late. An “A” paper will become an “A-” if it is one day late, a “B+” if it is two days late, etc.   Paper Style Guidelines: All paper assignments must be typed, double-spaced, with 1” margins, and in Times New Roman 12 point font. All papers must have page numbers and footnotes when appropriate; and a heading that includes your name, the course, title of the paper, and date. Historians use the "Chicago Manual of Style” (i.e., the "humanities style") for writing papers. For a helpful guide, see: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. We will review proper notation methods during class.   Academic Honesty: All students are required to read and abide by the Code of Student Academic Integrity. Violations of the Code of Student Academic Integrity, including plagiarism, will result in disciplinary action as provided in the Code. Definitions and examples of plagiarism are set forth in the Code. The Code is available from the Dean of Students Office or online.   As a condition of taking this course, all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to SimCheck for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the SimCheck reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. No student papers will be submitted to SimCheck without a student’s written consent and permission. If a student does not provide such written consent and permission, the instructor may: (i) require a short reflection paper on research methodology; (ii) require a draft bibliography prior to submission of the final paper; or (iii) require the cover page and first cited page of each reference source to be photocopied and submitted with the final paper.    Syllabus Changes: The standards and requirements set forth in this syllabus may be modified at any time by the course instructor. Notice of such changes will be announced.   Conduct and Decorum: I will conduct this class in an atmosphere of mutual respect. I encourage your active participation in class discussions. Each of us may have strongly differing opinions on the various topics of class discussions. The conflict of ideas is encouraged and welcome. The orderly questioning of the ideas of others, including mine, is similarly welcome. However, I will exercise my responsibility to manage the discussions so that ideas and argument can proceed in an orderly fashion. You should expect that if your conduct during class discussions seriously disrupts the atmosphere of mutual respect I expect in this class, you will not be permitted to participate further.   All students and the instructor are expected to engage with each other respectfully. Unwelcome conduct directed toward another person based upon that person’s actual or perceived race, actual or perceived gender, color, religion, age, national origin, ethnicity, disability, or veteran status, or for any other reason, may constitute a violation of University Policy 406, The Code of Student Responsibility. Any student suspected of engaging in such conduct will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.   This course affirms people of all gender expressions and gender identities. If you prefer to be called a different name than what is indicated on the class roster, please let me know. Feel free to correct me on your preferred gender pronoun. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.   Absenteeism and/or tardiness: Students are expected to attend every class and remain in class for the duration of the session. Failure to attend class or arriving late may impact your ability to achieve course objectives which could affect your course grade. An absence, excused or unexcused, does not relieve a student of any course requirement. Regular class attendance is a student’s obligation, as is a responsibility for all the work of class meetings, including tests and written tasks. Any unexcused absence or excessive tardiness may result in a loss of participation points.   Class Absence(s): The authority to excuse a student’s class absence(s) and to grant a student an academic accommodation (turn in a late assignment(s), provide extra time on an assignment, reschedule an exam(s) etc.) sits with the individual instructor.   Students are encouraged to work directly with their instructors regarding class absences for medical appointments, military/court orders, and/or personal and family emergencies, such as a death in the immediate family, where a student is able to provide an instructor with appropriate supporting documentation of the absence. The final decision for approval of absences and missed work or make-up work is determined by the instructor.   The Office of Student Assistance and Support Services (SASS) can provide notification to faculty of emergency situations, when a student is unable to do so and when the office has been made aware of such emergencies. In such situations, the SASS office may also be able to assist with verification of such emergencies, once a student is able to return to classes. The SASS office does not provide verification of absences for car trouble, weather issues, personal activities, work, weddings, vacations, or University-sponsored events. Absences related to such activities should be discussed directly with the faculty member.   Should a student need assistance from the SASS office in verifying an emergency situation, they can submit an online request form and attach supporting documentation. Please note that students are not required to go through the SASS office at any time regarding absence verification, and the SASS office does not have the authority to excuse absences, allow for make-up work, or provide other academic accommodations.   In cases of absence due to pregnancy or parenting (pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions), students should contact the Title IX Office to obtain absence verification by completing the form at http://bit.ly/332eaGd.   If I am late in arriving to class, you must wait a full 20 minutes after the start of class before you may leave without being counted absent, or you must follow any written instructions I may give you about my anticipated tardiness.   The United States Department of Education requires UNC Charlotte’s Office of Financial Aid to determine if a student who receives financial aid and fails to earn a passing grade in a course has actually attended and/or completed the course. If you earn an F or U grade, your last date of attendance will be reported to the United States Department of Education. This may require you to pay back any financial aid funds received for this course.   (For additional information, see Last Date of Attendance FAQs on the Registrar's website.)   Disabilities and Accommodations: Students in this course seeking accommodations to disabilities must first consult with the Office of Disability Services and follow the instructions of that office for obtaining accommodations.   Sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking: UNC Charlotte is committed to providing an environment free of all forms of discrimination and sexual harassment, including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.  If you (or someone you know) has experienced or experiences any of these incidents, know that you are not alone. UNC Charlotte has staff members trained to support you in navigating campus life, accessing health and counseling services, providing academic and housing accommodations, helping with civil protective orders, and more.   Please be aware that all UNC Charlotte employees, including faculty members, are expected to relay any information or reports of sexual misconduct they receive to the Title IX Coordinator.  This means that if you tell me about a situation involving sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking, I am expected to report the information to the Title IX Coordinator.  Although I am expected to report the situation, you will still have options about how your case will be handled, including whether or not you wish to pursue a formal complaint.  Our goal is to make sure you are aware of the range of options available to you and have access to the resources you need.   If you wish to speak to someone confidentially, you can contact the following on-campus resources, who are not required to report the incident to the Title IX Coordinator: (1) University Counseling Center (counselingcenter.uncc.edu, 7-0311); or (2) Student Health Center (studenthealth.uncc.edu, 7-7400).  Additional information about your options is also available at titleix.uncc.edu under the “Students” tab.   All students are required to abide by the UNC Charlotte Sexual Harassment Policy and the policy on Responsible Use of University Computing and Electronic Communication Resources. Sexual harassment, as defined in the UNC Charlotte Sexual Harassment Policy, is prohibited, even when carried out through computers or other electronic communications systems, including course-based chat rooms or message boards.   Electronic video, image capture, and/or audio recording is not permitted during class, whether conducted in person or online, unless the student obtains permission from the instructor. If permission is granted, any distribution of the recording is prohibited. Students with specific electronic recording accommodations authorized by the Office of Disability Services do not require instructor permission; however, the instructor must be notified of any such accommodation prior to recording. Any distribution of such recordings is prohibited.   Maintaining Proper Health: It is common for college students to experience challenges that may interfere with academic success such as academics tress, sleep problems, juggling responsibilities, life events, relationship concerns, or feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, or depression. If you or a friend is struggling, we strongly encourage you to seek support. Helpful, effective resources are available on campus at no additional cost.   If you are struggling academically with this class, please visit me during office hours or contact me by email.   Meet with your academic advisor if you are struggling academically in multiple classes, unsure whether you are making the most of your time at UNC Charlotte, or unsure what academic resources are available at UNC Charlotte.     Visit the Counseling and Psychological Services website at caps.uncc.edu for information about the broad range of confidential on-campus mental health services, online health assessments, hours, and additional information.   Call CAPS at (704) 687-0311 if interested in scheduling an appointment with a counselor. After-hours crisis support is also available through this phone number.   Course Material Ownership: My lectures and course materials, including presentations, tests, exams, outlines, and similar materials, are protected by copyright. I am the exclusive owner of copyright in those materials I create. I encourage you to take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. However, you may not, nor may you knowingly allow others to reproduce or distribute lecture notes and course materials publicly without my express written consent. This includes providing materials to commercial course material suppliers such as CourseHero and other similar services. Students who publicly distribute or display or help others publicly distribute or display copies or modified copies of an instructor's course materials may be in violation of University Policy 406, The Code of Student Responsibility.  Similarly, you own copyright in your original papers and exam essays. If I am interested in posting your answers or papers on the course web site, I will request your written permission.   Course Schedule and Readings: Below is an outline of the topics and readings to be covered in the course. I reserve the right to make changes to weekly topics or assigned readings if needed. Please bring all assigned readings to class either a paper copy or an electronic copy.   Lecture title Reading Assignment Jan 11, 2024| Thursday Introduction Jan 16, 2024| Tuesday Labor Fit for Transforming a Continent: Slaves and Indentured Labor Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, pp. 7-32 (skip document 1.5) / (Online) Harrower, Diary of John Harrower, (1773-1776) pp. 65-85 Family Friend interview: Who why? Jan 18, 2024| Thursday (Un)Common Labor (Online) Peter Way, "Evil Humor and Ardent Spirits: The Rough Culture of Canal Construction Laborers"   OR (Online) Marcus Rediker, "The Seaman and Collective Worker: The Labor Process at Sea" Jan 23, 2024| Tuesday Producerism meets Capitalism Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, pp. 32-42 (skip document 1.23), 47-51, 64-67   (Online) Melvyn Dubofsky and Joseph A. McCartin, Labor in America: A History, (John Wiley & Sons, 2017) Chapter 2 Varieties of Worker Resistance and the Emergence of the First Unions Family Friend interview: List of questions Jan 25, 2024| Thursday Time, Nature, and Booze: Experiencing the Transition from Farm to Factory Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, pp. 53-62, 67-74.   (Online) Chad Montrie, "'I Think Less of the Factory than of My Native Dell'"   -(Online) Documents on the Pawtucket workers’ clock Jan 30, 2024| Tuesday Commoditizing the Womb: Social Reproduction and the Slave Economy Jennifer L. Morgan, Laboring Women: Reproduction and Gender in New World Slavery, (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004) Chapter 3, "'The Breedings Shall Goe with Their Mothers': Gender and Evolving Practices of Slave Ownership in the English American Colonies" Feb 1, 2024|   Thursday The Development of Plantation Slavery (Online) Fiege, The Republic of Nature, Chapter 3 "King Cotton"   (Online) Brownson, "Slave Labor Versus Free Labor," (1840) Family friend interview:  Interview report Feb 6, 2024|   Tuesday Free Labor, Free Men Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, pp. 75-87   (Online) Foner, "Free Labor: The Republicans and Northern Society" Feb 8, 2024|   Thursday Industrial Squalor (Online) Steinberg, "Death of the Organic City"   (Online) Remembering The 1911 Triangle Factory Fire (selections)   "Life in the Shop" by Clara Lemlich   "My First Job" by Rose Cohen   "Days and Dreams" by Sadie Frowne   "Among the Poor Girls" By Wirt Sikes   New York Times, March 26, 1911, p. 1. "141 Men and Girls Die in Waist Factory Fire; Trapped High Up in Washington Place Building; Street Strewn with Bodies; Piles of Dead Inside."   Ladies' Garment Worker, April 1911. [notice of the fire]   Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, pp. 110-115 Feb 13, 2024|  Tuesday Unfree Labor in the Hinterland (Online) Melvyn Dubofsky and Joseph A. McCartin, Labor in America: A History, (John Wiley & Sons, 2017) Chapter 10: Labor Conflict and Economic Crisis in the 1890s   (Online) "Escape from the Chain Gang" Petersburg Index (1868)   (Online) "The Chain Gang," Petersburg Index (1869)   (Online) "A Colored Gentlemen" Sedalia Democrat (1875)   (Online) "A State Convention" Hagerston Torch Light (1875)   (Online) Testimony from Jamison Vs Wimbish (1904) Feb 15, 2024|  Thursday No class No class No class Feb 20, 2024|  Tuesday Whiteness and Labor (Online) Folkmar & Folkmar, Dictionary of Races or Peoples, (1911) selections   Sinclair, The Jungle, Chps. 1-5 Take home test #1 due  Feb 22, 2024|  Thursday Whiteness and Labor Continued Elizabeth Esch and David Roediger, "Scientific Management, Racist Science, and Race Management"   Sinclair, The Jungle, Chps. 6-13 Feb 27, 2024|  Tuesday Labor Pushes Back: The Knights of Labor, the American Federation of Labor, and the Industrial Workers of the World Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, 89-95, 115-137   (Online) Taylor, Scientific Management   Sinclair, The Jungle, Chps. 14-20 Feb 29, 2024|  Thursday Labor Pushes Back Continued Sinclair, The Jungle, Chps. 21-26 Mar 5, 2024|   Tuesday No Class No Class  No Class Mar 7, 2024|   Thursday No Class  No Class No Class Mar 12, 2024|  Tuesday The Jungle, Discussion: The Pros and Cons of  Industrialization  Sinclair, The Jungle, Chps. 27-31 Mar 14, 2024|  Thursday 1919 and the Rise of Mass Culture Cohen, Making A New Deal, Chps. Introduction, 1-2   Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, pp. 139-154 (skip document 4.2, 4.7, 4.10), 174-176 Mar 19, 2024|  Tuesday The Rise of Mass Culture, Continued Cohen, Making A New Deal, Chp. 3-4 Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, pp. 154-161 Mar 21, 2024|  Thursday The Great Depression and The Government’s Response Cohen, Making A New Deal, Chps. 5-6.   SUGGESTED READING: Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, pp. 176-187 Mock interview part 1: Biography of worker Mar 26, 2024|  Tuesday CIO: Industrial Unionism Cohen, Making A New Deal, Chps. 7-8 & conclusion Mar 28, 2024|  Thursday WWII, Labor Shortage, and Imported Colonialism (Online) Mae Ngai, “'Braceros,' 'Wetbacks,' and the National Boundaries of Class”   Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, 167-174, 194-207. Apr 2, 2024|   Tuesday No Class No Class No Class Apr 4, 2024|   Thursday No Class No Class No Class Apr 9, 2024|   Tuesday Labor-Capital Accord (Online) Eisenhower, “Farewell Address” (1961) (Online) Khrushchev-Nixon “Kitchen debate” (1959) Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, pp. 207-213. Apr 11, 2024|  Thursday Civil Rights and Consumer Power (Online) Melvyn Dubofsky and Joseph A. McCartin, Labor in America: A History, (John Wiley & Sons, 2017) Chapter 20: Turbulent Years, 1955 to 1972   (Online)Victor H. Green, ed. The Negro Motorist Green-book, (NY: Snowball Publishing) Pick any issue between 1936-1966 Mock interview part 2: Interview with worker Apr 16, 2024|  Tuesday Civil Rights and Consumer Power Continued Allyson P. Brantley, "“Hardhats May Be Misunderstood” The Boycott of Coors Beer and the Making of Gay-Labor-Chicana/o Alliances," Pacific Historical Review 89, no. 2 (2020): 264-296.   Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, pp. 228-240 Apr 18, 2024|  Thursday The Anti-Union Drive (Online) Melvyn Dubofsky and Joseph A. McCartin, Labor in America: A History, (John Wiley & Sons, 2017) Chapter 21: The Great Reversal: Workers and Unions, 1973 to 1994   Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, pp. 257-263 Apr 23, 2024|  Tuesday Deindustrialization and Global Logistics (Online) Containers podcast: Episode 1: Welcome to Global Capitalism (listen and/or read transcript)   Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, pp. 265-274 Apr 25, 2024|  Thursday Workers of the World, Compete! "Planet Money Makes A T-Shirt," NPR, Chapters 1-5.   Dubofsky & McCartin, American Labor, pp. 292-299 Mock interview part 3: Reflection