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Working on the Dock of the Bay: Labor and Enterprise in an Antebellum Southern Port (The Carolina Lowcountry and the Atlantic Wo,Used
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An examination of the role and struggles of dockworkersenslaved and freein Charleston between the American Revolution and the Civil WarWorking on the Dock of the Bay explores the history of waterfront labor and laborersblack and white, enslaved and free, native and immigrantin Charleston, South Carolina, between the American Revolution and Civil War. Michael D. Thompson explains how a predominantly enslaved workforce laid the groundwork for the creation of a robust and effectual association of dockworkers, most of whom were black, shortly after emancipation. In revealing these wharf laborers' experiences, Thompson's book contextualizes the struggles of contemporary southern working people.Like their postbellum and presentday counterparts, stevedores and draymen laboring on the wharves and levees of antebellum citieswhether in Charleston or New Orleans, New York or Boston, or elsewhere in the Atlantic Worldwere indispensable to the flow of commodities into and out of these ports. Despite their large numbers and the key role that waterfront workers played in these cities' premechanized, laborintensive commercial economies, too little is known about who these laborers were and the work they performed.Though scholars have explored the history of dockworkers in ports throughout the world, they have given little attention to waterfront laborers and dock work in the preCivil War American South or in any slave society. Aiming to remedy that deficiency, Thompson examines the complicated dynamics of race, class, and labor relations through the streetlevel experiences and perspectives of workingmen and sometimes workingwomen. Using this workers'eye view of crucial events and developments, Working on the Dock of the Bay relocates waterfront workers and their activities from the margins of the past to the center of a new narrative, reframing their role from observers to critical actors in nineteenthcentury American history. Organized topically, this study is rooted in primary source evidence including census, tax, court, and death records; city directories and ordinances; state statutes; wills; account books; newspapers; diaries; letters; and medical journals.
⚠️ WARNING (California Proposition 65):
This product may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.
For more information, please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
- Q: What is the main topic of 'Working on the Dock of the Bay'? A: 'Working on the Dock of the Bay' examines the role and struggles of dockworkers, both enslaved and free, in Charleston, South Carolina, from the American Revolution to the Civil War.
- Q: Who is the author of this book? A: The book is authored by Michael D. Thompson.
- Q: What is the publication date of 'Working on the Dock of the Bay'? A: The book was published on February 15, 2018.
- Q: How many pages does the book have? A: 'Working on the Dock of the Bay' contains 312 pages.
- Q: What type of binding does this book have? A: This edition of the book is a paperback.
- Q: Is this book suitable for academic research? A: Yes, the book is rooted in primary source evidence, making it suitable for academic research on labor history.
- Q: What themes are explored in the book? A: The book explores themes of race, class, and labor relations through the experiences of dockworkers in the antebellum South.
- Q: Does the book include any primary sources or documents? A: Yes, it includes various primary sources such as census records, tax documents, and newspapers.
- Q: What historical context does the book provide? A: 'Working on the Dock of the Bay' provides historical context on waterfront labor and the commercial economies of antebellum cities.
- Q: Is this book a reprint or a new edition? A: This book is a reprint edition.