Fighting Authoritarianism

Fighting Authoritarianism provides a new and important examination of U.S. youth activism of the 1930s. Moving beyond the Cold War concerns that have dominated past studies of dissident youth in that era, Britt Haas shows us how their ideals and actions were, in many ways, quintessentially American. -- -Lawrence S. Wittner Professor of History emeritus, SUNY/Albany From the cloisters of Columbia University to the coalfields of Kentucky, from racism in the South to the civil war in Spain, American youth in the 1930s mobilized against social and political injustice. This engaging study of progressive youth organizations charts their origins, their quest to fashion an America true to its ideals, and their demise. One of the strengths of Fighting Authoritarianism is that we hear the voices of young people; voices that speak, most often, with optimism and hope. By giving youth agency, Haas eschews the Cold War paradigm of earlier studies that emphasized communist control, and confirms that youth activism can be a source of inspiration in dark times. -- --Phillip Deery Victoria University, Melbourne This book is a major contribution to the historiography of the era of the Great Depression. The role of youth has often been overlooked, but that is being corrected, especially with the scholarship of this book. Recommended highly for all people interested in the Great Depression. -- -Donald W. Whisenhunt Western Washing University