The New Freedom and the Radicals: Woodrow Wilson, Progressive Views of Radicalism, and the Origins of Repressive Tolerance
by Jacob Kramer
Temple University Press, 2017 eISBN: 978-1-4399-0840-2 | Cloth: 978-1-4399-0838-9 | Paper: 978-1-4399-0839-6 Library of Congress Classification E743.K695 2015 Dewey Decimal Classification 973.913092
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Radicals such as socialists, syndicalists, and anarchists are often thought of as marginal in American history. However, in the early decades of the twentieth century, progressives—those who sought to regulate big business, reduce class conflict, and ameliorate urban poverty—took the radicals’ ideas very seriously.
In The New Freedom and the Radicals, Jacob Kramer deftly examines how progressivism emerged at a time of critical transformation in American life. Using original archival sources, Kramer presents a study of Wilsonian-era politics to convey an understanding of the progressives’ views on radical America.
The New Freedom and the Radicals shows how the reactions of progressives to radicals accelerated the pace of reform in the United States, but how the movement was at times predisposed to repressing the radical elements to its left. In addition, Kramer asks to what extent progressives were responding to and influenced by those who opposed the state, capitalism, and the class structure altogether, as well as how progressives’ views of them changed in relation to events.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Jacob Kramer is an Associate Professor of History at Borough of Manhattan Community College. He is a former Associate Editor of Foreign Affairs.
REVIEWS
"In this significant contribution to understanding the relationship between Progressive Era reformers and radicalism, Kramer follows the changing views on radicalism and state repression among a number of different Progressives...over a period spanning the first 25 years of the last century. This ambitious and complex intellectual history is realized through analysis of the writings of these reformers and engagement with extensive scholarly work on the period. Kramer’s central argument-that Progressivism cannot be understood without addressing its relationship to political and labor radicalism, and that this relationship was subject to change under the pressure of international and domestic developments—is welcome.... Kramer is the first to chart over an extended period the impact of radicalism on the development of political thought among leading Progressives. Summing Up: Highly recommended."
—CHOICE
"The New Freedom and the Radicals is the first attempt to broadly understand the relationship between progressives and radicals. Kramer offers an answer to the question of the origins of ‘repressive tolerance’ in the early 20th century. Well written and featuring a good analysis and integration of both primary and secondary materials, Kramer maintains a dispassionate approach to sensitive and timely issues, such as the limits on democracy and the challenges faced by dissenters during times of national stress. He has chosen a group of important and influential progressive figures and shown how their views or positions on violence and radicalism changed or were modified over time. As a work of intellectual history The New Freedom and the Radicals succeeds admirably."
—Philip Yale Nicholson, Professor Emeritus of History, Nassau Community College, and author of Labor’s Story in the United States
"The New Freedom and the Radicals is a unique book that looks at radicalism through the lens of liberalism. Kramer asks how the two parts of progressivism became two distinct movements. His argument about the relationship between radicalism and liberalism within the larger progressive movement is shrewd, and he deftly synthesizes the vast literature on progressivism."—Richard A. Greenwald, author of The Triangle Fire, the Protocols of Peace, and Industrial Democracy in Progressive Era New York
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 The Memory of Reconstruction and the Cauldron of Labor Militancy, 1900–1908
2 Organizing the “Largely Unorganized Drift of Desire”: The Protocol of Peace and the Cautious Embrace of Radicalism, 1908–1914
3 “Industrialism on Trial”: The Commission on Industrial Relations and the High Tide of Coalition Politics, 1914–1917
4 “An Advancing if Uncheckable Avalanche”: World War I, 1917–1918
5 A Rule of Reason Correctly Applied: The Red Scare and the Rights of Radicals, 1919–1920
6 “A Welding Together of the Forward- Looking Voters”: The Farmer- Labor Party and the Renewal of Coalition Politics, 1920–1924
Conclusion
List of Abbreviations
Notes
Bibliography
Index
REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you
with an electronic file for alternative access.
Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.
The New Freedom and the Radicals: Woodrow Wilson, Progressive Views of Radicalism, and the Origins of Repressive Tolerance
by Jacob Kramer
Temple University Press, 2017 eISBN: 978-1-4399-0840-2 Cloth: 978-1-4399-0838-9 Paper: 978-1-4399-0839-6
Radicals such as socialists, syndicalists, and anarchists are often thought of as marginal in American history. However, in the early decades of the twentieth century, progressives—those who sought to regulate big business, reduce class conflict, and ameliorate urban poverty—took the radicals’ ideas very seriously.
In The New Freedom and the Radicals, Jacob Kramer deftly examines how progressivism emerged at a time of critical transformation in American life. Using original archival sources, Kramer presents a study of Wilsonian-era politics to convey an understanding of the progressives’ views on radical America.
The New Freedom and the Radicals shows how the reactions of progressives to radicals accelerated the pace of reform in the United States, but how the movement was at times predisposed to repressing the radical elements to its left. In addition, Kramer asks to what extent progressives were responding to and influenced by those who opposed the state, capitalism, and the class structure altogether, as well as how progressives’ views of them changed in relation to events.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Jacob Kramer is an Associate Professor of History at Borough of Manhattan Community College. He is a former Associate Editor of Foreign Affairs.
REVIEWS
"In this significant contribution to understanding the relationship between Progressive Era reformers and radicalism, Kramer follows the changing views on radicalism and state repression among a number of different Progressives...over a period spanning the first 25 years of the last century. This ambitious and complex intellectual history is realized through analysis of the writings of these reformers and engagement with extensive scholarly work on the period. Kramer’s central argument-that Progressivism cannot be understood without addressing its relationship to political and labor radicalism, and that this relationship was subject to change under the pressure of international and domestic developments—is welcome.... Kramer is the first to chart over an extended period the impact of radicalism on the development of political thought among leading Progressives. Summing Up: Highly recommended."
—CHOICE
"The New Freedom and the Radicals is the first attempt to broadly understand the relationship between progressives and radicals. Kramer offers an answer to the question of the origins of ‘repressive tolerance’ in the early 20th century. Well written and featuring a good analysis and integration of both primary and secondary materials, Kramer maintains a dispassionate approach to sensitive and timely issues, such as the limits on democracy and the challenges faced by dissenters during times of national stress. He has chosen a group of important and influential progressive figures and shown how their views or positions on violence and radicalism changed or were modified over time. As a work of intellectual history The New Freedom and the Radicals succeeds admirably."
—Philip Yale Nicholson, Professor Emeritus of History, Nassau Community College, and author of Labor’s Story in the United States
"The New Freedom and the Radicals is a unique book that looks at radicalism through the lens of liberalism. Kramer asks how the two parts of progressivism became two distinct movements. His argument about the relationship between radicalism and liberalism within the larger progressive movement is shrewd, and he deftly synthesizes the vast literature on progressivism."—Richard A. Greenwald, author of The Triangle Fire, the Protocols of Peace, and Industrial Democracy in Progressive Era New York
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 The Memory of Reconstruction and the Cauldron of Labor Militancy, 1900–1908
2 Organizing the “Largely Unorganized Drift of Desire”: The Protocol of Peace and the Cautious Embrace of Radicalism, 1908–1914
3 “Industrialism on Trial”: The Commission on Industrial Relations and the High Tide of Coalition Politics, 1914–1917
4 “An Advancing if Uncheckable Avalanche”: World War I, 1917–1918
5 A Rule of Reason Correctly Applied: The Red Scare and the Rights of Radicals, 1919–1920
6 “A Welding Together of the Forward- Looking Voters”: The Farmer- Labor Party and the Renewal of Coalition Politics, 1920–1924
Conclusion
List of Abbreviations
Notes
Bibliography
Index
REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you
with an electronic file for alternative access.
Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.
It can take 2-3 weeks for requests to be filled.
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE