Review by Choice Review
Labor history is often written in the context of class wars or nascent union politics. This brief work questions traditional approaches and urges readers to think differently of the railway strikes of 1877. Stowell (Keene State College) invites discussion of larger concerns over the urban environment, the intrusion of the railroad into the neighborhoods, and the loss of control over urban surroundings. The argument is provocative although at times strident. Using a comparison of three New York communities--Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse--during the strikes of 1877, the author argues that the incidents were much more than workers striking for higher wages or workplace control. The incidents were those of urban crowds seeking control over urban space. Strike results were less than satisfying and, in many ways, underscored the degree to which the state would enlist military assistance to bring about the imposition of an industrial order on urban space. The argument is sustained by detailed accounts of the cities, a close look at several specific incidents, and a solid grounding in the secondary literature. This specialized study is most appropriate for graduate and faculty collections supporting research in US history and labor studies. T. F. Armstrong Texas Wesleyan University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
