This course will examine the transformation of the American working class from its preindustrial origins to the recent period of deindustrialization. It will emphasize the changing relationship between owners, managers, and workers, the role of the state, and the impact of gender, race, and ethnicity. More specifically, this course will not only analyze the factors that facilitated and/or impeded working class solidarity, but assess the impact of the working class upon the development of American history.
