The History of May Day

This title is printed to order. This book may have been self-published. If so, we cannot guarantee the quality of the content. In the main most books will have gone through the editing process however some may not. We therefore suggest that you be aware of this before ordering this book. If in doubt check either the author or publisher’s details as we are unable to accept any returns unless they are faulty. Please contact us if you have any questions.

In this classic reprint from 1937, Alexander Trachtenberg delivers a concise history of the origins of May Day. The origin of May Day is indissolubly bound up with the struggle for the shorter workday - a demand of major political significance for the working class. This struggle is manifest almost from the beginning of the factory system in the United States. Written by Alexander Trachtenberg in 1935 is an invaluable asset for any Marxist-Leninist student. Although the demand for higher wages appears to be the most prevalent cause for the early strikes in this country, the question of shorter hours and the right to organize were always kept in the foreground when workers formulated their demands against the bosses and the government. As exploitation was becoming intensified and workers were feeling more and more the strain of inhumanly long working hours, the demand for an appreciable reduction of hours became more pronounced.