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At no other time in American history had labor unrest been more evident than the period immediately after World War I. Robert H. Zeiger here recounts the labor problems that faced the Republican administrations of Presidents Harding and Coolidge - massive strikes, antiracial hysteria, and the hardening of class attitudes throughout the nation - and describes the programs and policies of Republican leaders - particularly those of Herbert Hoover - to solve them. Zeiger finds that while suspicion and animosity between the Republicans and the union leaders persisted, the rising prosperity of the nation, together with the adroit efforts of Hoover and his associates, tended to lessen the influence of extremists in both groups. Labor reached an accommodation of sorts with the Coolidge administration; and when, in 1928, Hoover defeated Al Smith, the substantial labor vote he received was among the factors that lent stature to his victory.
About the author
Robert H. Zieger, Distinguished Professor of History at the University of Florida, is the author of several books, including American Workers, American Unions, The CIO:1935-1950 and John L. Lewis: Labor Leader.
Summary
Zeiger here recounts the labor problems that faced the Republican administrations of Presidents Harding and Coolidge -- massive strikes, antiracial hysteria, and the hardening of class attitudes throughout the nation -- and describes the programs and policies of Republican leaders -- particularly those of Herbert Hoover -- to solve them.
