Lawrence, Massachusetts In the early part of the twentieth century, Lawrence, Massachusetts was the center of the textile industry in the United States..
Written in 1913, Giovannitti, Secretary of the left wing Italian Socialist Federation and editor of Il Proletario attempts to distinguish syndicalism from trade unionism, reformist socialism and anarchism.
The author challenges the common myth that the Bread and Roses Strike was spontaneous.
The 1912 Bread and Roses Strike in Lawrence, Mass., was one of the most significant struggles in U.S. labor history due to its level of organization and collaboration across ethnic and gender lines. Thousands of largely female workers engaged in a lengthy, well-organized, and successful walkout, standing firm against an entrenched group of mill owners and their hundreds of militia and police. Workers maintained soup kitchens and nurseries for children. Meetings were simultaneously translated into nearly 30 languages. Representatives from every nationality formed a 50-person strike leadership group.