Theses Doctoral

The International Workingmen’s Association in the United States, 1865-1876

Plowright, Izzy

This dissertation examines the history of the North American branch of the International Workingmen’s Association, which was active in the United States from 1869 to 1876. Founded in London in 1864, the International Workingmen’s Association was a radical organization that sought to organize the working classes of the world under a common banner. In the United States, the International brought under its wing trade unions and political organizations to form a militant body that intervened in the great struggles of its day.

The organization campaigned in favor of the eight-hour day, agitated against unemployment, and raised funds for revolutionary exiles. After the war, and contrarily to major labor organizations such as the National Labor Union, the International recognized social and political equality regardless of “sex, creed, color or condition.” Precisely because the International attempted to build a national presence as seceded states attempted to reenter the Union, the organization’s trajectory was related to the transformation of the American state after the war.

This dissertation covers major precursors to the International in the United States beginning in 1848, and closes with a reflection on the end of the International in 1876 and the emergence of “pure-and-simple” unionism through the American Federation of Labor.

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More About This Work

Academic Units
History
Thesis Advisors
McCurry, Stephanie
Degree
Ph.D., Columbia University
Published Here
January 29, 2025