Politics as social history: a case study of class conflict and political development in nineteenth-century New England.

The article examines the changes in political forms in the town of Rutland, Vermont as an example of the interaction between working-class social history and the development of political institutions in New England in the 19th century. The working-class movement Noble and Holy Order of the Knights o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social History Vol. 7; no. 1; pp. 43 - 59
Main Author: Fink, Leon
Format: Article
Published: Taylor & Francis Ltd Jan1982
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Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:The article examines the changes in political forms in the town of Rutland, Vermont as an example of the interaction between working-class social history and the development of political institutions in New England in the 19th century. The working-class movement Noble and Holy Order of the Knights of Labor. The organizational achievement of the Knights in Rutland created the potential for a new local political majority. The class differences in Rutland were reinforced by a sharp cultural divide.