Bread and Roses: Mills, Migrants, and the Struggle for the American Dream

by Bruce Watson

Book Overview

On January 12, 1912, an army of textile workers stormed out of the mills in Lawrence, Massachusetts, commencing what has since become known as the "Bread and Roses" strike. Based on newspaper... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0143037358
• Release Date: July 2006
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.8" x 5.1"

Customer Reviews

Where's the movie?

This is a surprisingly exciting read. A 10 star book, at least. I can't imagine this history being told better although I don't know what others have written about this strike, other than a brief reference from the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World). Watson captures the importance of the IWW to this strike but also shows the great problems that the IWW had in holding on to the strikers after the strike ended. So much detail but it flows so well. Watson seems to largely let the details tell the story rather than editorialize. This is history with the emphasis on history and not salesmanship. This is effectively a "you are there" episode accomplished in text. What motivated Bruce Watson to do such exceptional work? I suspect that, unlike the author of "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, And Got a Life", Bruce Watson did not get anything like a $500,000 advance for "Bread and Roses". We need more people like Bruce Watson. And more money directed to support them: so buy this book! So much about U.S. History I'm ignorant of. That a Kansas Socialist newspaper was our most popular weekly. That the IWW, afer having so much success in Lawrence, would be nearly crushed by the federal government. That one young man of the IWW, Joseph Ettor, would have such a profound influence of the Lawrence strike but die largely forgotten. That so many women would play important roles in a strike at this time. That within a year of the 1912 strike, the Lawrence strikers would be in denial as the IWW membership in their city plummeted: but there was a lasting impact on the strike on wages and working conditions in other cities, afraid of what the IWW and people of Lawrence had done. The strike went from just Jan 12, 1912 to March 14 of the same year. But so much happened that it is amazing Watson was able to present it all clearly. Imagine that after holding to such a hard position in 1912, the mill owner William Wood, would, about seven years later give his employees insurance, maternity benefits, sick pay, help them buy homes, provide English lessons. Yet die by suicide within another decade after losing his children. These are powerful facts powerfully presented. At a time when globalism is weakening labor in the U.S. and everywhere else in the world, it seems worthwhile to learn what people did. And don't forget what Bruce Watson has done, by bringing that event to life again.

History at its Page-Turning Best

Before I read this beautifuly written, fascinating book I knew almost nothing about the Bread and Roses labor strike of 1912. Now I almost feel as if I lived through it - and given the climate for the average working person today, can see how the lessons and battles of nearly a century ago have never been more relevant. The characters - ordinary workers struggling for their fair share of the American economic pie and a decent wage and life for themselves and their children - are drawn so vividly you can practically reach out and touch the rough wool of their coats and smell the food they eat. The events, documented in exquisite detail, read like a movie. If you like history, or are just looking for an extraordinary story about the trials and triumphs of the average man against powerful and greedy adversaries, then I highly recommend this terrific book.

Who Knew??

I grew up in a town just 15 miles from Lawrence. Given this, one might think that this amazing piece of American history would woven into the local lore. Nothing of the sort. This is beautifully written, displaying exhaustive research and attention to detail. The lives of the immigrant worker community are poignant and graphic. Watson writes with a point of view, no doubt, and tells the story beautifully. I especially enjoyed the depth of understanding the author brings to the major players and important social themes of the period. Many of these same themes continue to play out today. Immensely good reading - couldn't put it down, especially the last 100 pages.

BREAD AND ROSES event

I loved this story! Many years ago, I read about "Big Bill" Haywood and about the IWW. Every detail stuck with me. Watson fleshed out the man well, as he did all the characters involved in the 1912 Lawrence, MA, textile strike. Nevada Jane, wife of "Big Bill," is a case in point. She's not a key player in this tale, but nevertheless she piqued my interest. In fact, the "self-made" capitalist, who owned the mill, and the soldiers, who "owned" the streets of Lawrence, are mirror images of what the U. S. is becoming. However, I'm not the teller of this story. READ THE BOOK!

A GREAT READ!!! SURPRISINGLY MOVING!!! SAYS A LOT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON TODAY!!!

Imagine a time when there was basically no federal government. When whatever trouble people got into, they just slugged their way out of it while the whole country watched. That's the scenario for "Bread and Roses." The famous phrase comes from the 1912 textile strike in the mill city of Lawrence, Massachusetts but thanks to the noble efforts of strikers and labor leaders there, it now stands for solidarity, for compassion, for justice for the working class. And the book "Bread and Roses" shows why, sweeping you into an amazingly dramatic story. 23,000 workers from 50 nations walked out of the huge textile mills one bitter cold January day. The following day, a young man from the notorious I.W.W. came to lead them. Within a week, he had the diverse nationalities parading, singing, laughingly taunting the hundreds of militia men brought in to keep the peace. But then things turned ugly. First, dynamite was found in the tenements. After it proved to be a plant, mill owners sparked more violence. A woman was killed and two IWW organizers were arrested for her murder though they were miles from the scene. Enter the colorful "Big Bill" Haywood in his Stetson hat. At his suggestion, mothers sent their hungry children to Manhattan where sympathetic strangers paraded "the Children of Lawrence!!" up Fifth Avenue and took them into their homes for safe-keeping. The next time Haywood tried this move, police beat women at the train station and threw children into their police wagons, shocking the entire nation. And still the strike dragged on. Relevant? A 1912 strike? There are those today who would like to take us back to that "innocent" time before the New Deal, before income taxes, before welfare. (There were also no child labor laws in 1912, though today's free marketers haven't gone so far as to advocate that -- yet.) Free market zealots see a utopia in hindsight but Bruce Watson proves the ignorance of such a dream. "Bread and Roses" shows the jungle that was America in 1912 and the daily class warfare that was always lurking just below the surface. Even if you've never read a labor history, even if you don't care at all about strikes or strikers, you'll enjoy "Bread and Roses" for its heart and its humanity.