A Social History of Laboring Classes

Providing an historical account of American work, this text begins with the 17th century and examines all types of workers - the waged and unwaged, urban and countryside - framed by the large scale economic transformations that affected workers throughout American history.

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In this concise historical narrative, Jacqueline Jones provides a sweeping account of the most significant aspect of nearly every American's life: work. Beginning with the seventeenth century, A Social History of the Laboring Classes examines broadly all types of workers - the waged and unwaged, urban and countryside - framed by the large scale economic transformations that affected workers throughout American history.Exploring major themes such as the transition of slavery to free labor, the denigration of women's housework, technological advances and the rise of the global assembly line, this book demonstrates how in response to these changes, workers have reconfigured themselves according to their race, gender, ethnicity and task. From the antebellum American Labor Movement to worksites found today in Las Vegas hotels and casinos, this brief synthesis by an award-winning historian will provide an unparalleled account of the social history of work for students of American history and general readers alike.