German-American Socialist Literature, 1865-1900

It is generally unrecognized that German socialist immigrants to the United States in the nineteenth century produced a large body of original literature (poetry, drama, fiction) and established a flourishing network of newspapers, theaters and other cultural organizations aimed at the large number of German-speaking workers in the United States. Based on extensive research in archives, this study presents the first comprehensive analysis of German-American socialist literature and culture, placing it within the context of both the German Social Democratic Party and the American labor movement, and focusing on modes of reception, the development of literary forms, the function of alternative perceptions of culture, and the relevance which this progressive heritage has today.