Philadelphia Divided

Race and Politics in the City of Brotherly Love

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Discrimination & Race Relations, History, Americas, United States, Political Science
Cover of the book Philadelphia Divided by James Wolfinger, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: James Wolfinger ISBN: 9780807878101
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: February 1, 2011
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: James Wolfinger
ISBN: 9780807878101
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: February 1, 2011
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

In a detailed study of life and politics in Philadelphia between the 1930s and the 1950s, James Wolfinger demonstrates how racial tensions in working-class neighborhoods and job sites shaped the contours of mid-twentieth-century liberal and conservative politics. As racial divisions fractured the working class, he argues, Republican leaders exploited these racial fissures to reposition their party as the champion of ordinary white citizens besieged by black demands and overwhelmed by liberal government orders.

By analyzing Philadelphia's workplaces and neighborhoods, Wolfinger shows the ways in which politics played out on the personal level. People's experiences in their jobs and homes, he argues, fundamentally shaped how they thought about the crucial political issues of the day, including the New Deal and its relationship to the American people, the meaning of World War II in a country with an imperfect democracy, and the growth of the suburbs in the 1950s. As Wolfinger demonstrates, internal fractures in New Deal liberalism, the roots of modern conservatism, and the politics of race were all deeply intertwined. Their interplay highlights how the Republican Party reinvented itself in the mid-twentieth century by using race-based politics to destroy the Democrats' fledgling multiracial alliance while simultaneously building a coalition of its own.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In a detailed study of life and politics in Philadelphia between the 1930s and the 1950s, James Wolfinger demonstrates how racial tensions in working-class neighborhoods and job sites shaped the contours of mid-twentieth-century liberal and conservative politics. As racial divisions fractured the working class, he argues, Republican leaders exploited these racial fissures to reposition their party as the champion of ordinary white citizens besieged by black demands and overwhelmed by liberal government orders.

By analyzing Philadelphia's workplaces and neighborhoods, Wolfinger shows the ways in which politics played out on the personal level. People's experiences in their jobs and homes, he argues, fundamentally shaped how they thought about the crucial political issues of the day, including the New Deal and its relationship to the American people, the meaning of World War II in a country with an imperfect democracy, and the growth of the suburbs in the 1950s. As Wolfinger demonstrates, internal fractures in New Deal liberalism, the roots of modern conservatism, and the politics of race were all deeply intertwined. Their interplay highlights how the Republican Party reinvented itself in the mid-twentieth century by using race-based politics to destroy the Democrats' fledgling multiracial alliance while simultaneously building a coalition of its own.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book The Roots of Justice by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Until the Last Man Comes Home by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book St. Francis of America by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book The Transformation of American Abolitionism by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book America's Communal Utopias by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book The Puerto Rican Nation on the Move by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Liberty, Fraternity, Exile by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Memories of Conquest by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Home Grown by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Tar Heel Politics 2000 by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Radical Relations by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Reforming Sodom by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Dispute and Conflict Resolution in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, 1725-1825 by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book The Long Shadow of Vatican II by James Wolfinger
Cover of the book Closer to Freedom by James Wolfinger
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy