Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
New York City Cartmen, 1667-1850

New York City Cartmen, 1667-1850

Hodges, Graham Russell Gao

Paperback

EconomicsGeneral World HistoryRegional: Middle Atlantic

ISBN10: 0814724612
ISBN13: 9780814724613
Publisher: New York Univ Pr
Published: Sep 1 2012
Pages: 240
Weight: 0.75
Height: 0.60 Width: 5.90 Depth: 8.90
Language: English

The cartmen--unskilled workers who hauled goods on one horsecarts--were perhaps the most important labor group in early American cities. The forerunners of the Teamsters Union, these white-frocked laborers moved almost all of the nation's possessions, touching the lives of virtually every American. New York City Cartmen, 1667-1850 tells the story of this vital group of laborers. Besides documenting the cartmen's history, the book also demonstrates the tremendous impact of government intervention into the American economy via the creation of labor laws.

The cartmen possessed a hard-nosed political awareness, and because they transported essential goods, they achieved a status in New York City far above their skills or financial worth. Civic support and discrimination helped the cartmen create a community all their own. The cartmen's culture and their relationship with New York's municipal government are the direct ancestors of the city's fabled taxicab drivers.

But this book is about the city itself. It is a stirring street-level account of the growth of New York, growth made possible by the efforts of the cartmen and other unskilled laborers. Containing 23 black-and-white illustrations, New York City Cartmen is informative reading for social, urban, and labor historians.

Also in

Regional: Middle Atlantic

View All