On May 4, 1886, a bomb exploded at a Chicago labor rally, wounding dozens of policemen, seven of whom eventually died. Coming in the midst of the largest national strike Americans had ever seen, the bombing created mass hysteria and led to a sensational trial, which culminated in four controversial executions. The trial seized headlines across the country, created the nation's first Red scare and dealt a blow to the labor movement from which it would...

Describes a time of upheaval in America--when the country was in a deep economic depression, white supremacists roamed the South, and a nationwide railroad strike led to bloodshed--and discusses how the events of 1877 also fueled cultural and intellectual innovation.

"The truth may hurt-but the lies will kill us. In They Knew, New York Times best-selling author Sarah Kendzior explores the United States' "culture of conspiracy," putting forth a timely and unflinching argument: uncritical faith in broken institutions is as dangerous as false narratives peddled by propagandists. Conspiracy theories are on the rise because officials refuse to enforce accountability for real conspiracies. They Knew discusses conspiracy...

"A book that explores the disconnect between the ideals of the Great Awokening and the realities of fixing structural inequality. This book aims to explain how a new elite has risen to prominence and established a social order that is fundamentally premised on exclusion, exploitation and condescension even as its members define themselves in terms of their commitments to uplifting the marginalized and disadvantaged. The book will illustrate how this...