Assignment task: Chapter 4 Shared Writing: The New Industrial Order, 1867-1914
Popular Accounts of Working-Class History The Graphic History Collective, a volunteer, not- for-profit group organized in 2012, produced this comic. The collective came together to revive an older tradition of labour and left- leaning activists to educate children and adults about labour history and issues.
Read Primary Source "Dreaming of What Might Be: The Knights of Labor in Canada, 1880-1900". How does the narrative in the comic compare to the discussion of the Knights of Labor in the textbook? How does the comic depict gender and race relationships within the movement? Who is the audience for "Dreaming of What Might Be"? What is the connection between past and present struggles? What symbols and tropes do the creators use to portray class relations? Do they reflect nineteenth-century politics or current politics? What are the continuities and changes in labour organizing portrayed in the comic? What lessons from history do you think the creators hope to convey? What are the strengths and limitations of conveying the histories of workers and labour activists in a comic?