A Historian Reads: Out of the Jungle

When you hear the name Jimmy Hoffa what comes to mind? Probably that recent news alert when they thought they found his body under some concrete? The mob most likely? His disappearance under “suspicious circumstance”? Of course you do. It is very hard to separate Jimmy Hoffa from the Boston mob history of the late twentieth century. But is that all there is to the man? From a historians point of view, absolutely not. Jimmy Hoffa is representative of an internal fight among labor unions in the twentieth century. As leader of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Hoffa’s legacy is much more important that his acquaintance with the mob. In “Out of the Jungle,” historian Thaddeus Russell tells the story of the Teamsters as seen through the life of Jimmy Hoffa.

We have previously reviewed a book by Thaddeus Russell on general American history, however this is Dr. Russell’s specialty and it shows in this academically published book. The tone is much different and his sarcastic wit is much more subdued. However, it is well researched and acclaimed by other historians for being a novel addition to the field of labor studies.  The concept of using a singular person to explore the history of a movement or subject is not new but is applied masterfully in this book. Hoffa grew up within the Teamsters organization and by following his leadership and conflicts with other labor leaders, Russell weaves a fascinating tale about labor disputes among unions and the government.

Russell argues that Hoffa made his way up the leadership of the Teamsters due to his “practical and pragmatic” style. Instead of using ideology and idealism, Hoffa gave substantial wins to his supporters . Hoffa was not a philosopher or social leader, rather he was a working class man who fought (negotiation wise and physically) for a part of the economic pie everyone else was enjoying. He did not align himself with other labor leaders who were interested in remaking society and as a consequence could only offer their follows promises and hope. His associations with the mob and crooked politicians make sense when seen through the lens of his pragmatic strategy. Unfortunately, it would be those same alliances that had helped his cause that would land him in jail and then on a missing poster.  

As I said earlier, this book is written for an academic audience and for that reason the humor and sardonic jabs that littered his most recent book are gone. This is not to say it is a dry read, but the tone stays serious for the duration of the book with small moments of Russell’s sense of humor. I recommend this book but I want to stress this book’s intended audience. Russell discuses historiography and methodology as should any historian but this may be a turn of for some mainstream readers. These sections of the book are slow to read and seem inconsequential for people interested in getting right to the history of Jimmy Hoffa. However, I highly recommend spending time reading those sections and enjoying the book as a whole. It is a fascinating read for those interested in labor history and for those of us, like me, who are relatively uneducated in labor history. More importantly, it will help you develop a much better response for the question, “what do you know about Jimmy Hoffa?”

A Historian Reads: Renegade History of the United States

Renegade historian writes the renegade history of the United States is a great way to describes Dr. Thaddeus Russell's most recent book (his previous book Out of the Jungle will be reviewed soon). Labor and Americanist historian Dr. Russell went from tenure track position at Bernard College to an adjunct (not tenured or secured) position at Occidental College because of his unorthodox approach to history. So it is natural that he would go onto write his answer or response to Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States and Micheal Allen and Larry Schweikart's Patriot's History of the United States. For those unfamiliar with these books, they are considered the right and left wing version of American history. Those who love one tend not the like the other. Russell comes from an approach that is radically different than the people's or the patriot's. He approaches American history from the point of view of renegades, degenerates, criminals, and ne'er do wells. In A Renegade History of the United States, Russell attempts to introduce renegades as the hero of American history.

In both People's and Patriot's, the heroes of American history are the hard working and law abiding Americans. Russell counters this idea by proposing that it is the criminal and renegade class of Americans who should be thanked for the freedom Americans enjoy today. Without the drunkards of Boston, many of the early incidents in the movement for American independence would not have occurred. He points out that the Founding Fathers of America were deeply troubled by the behavior Americans exhibited. John Addams wrote about his abhorrence for public dancing and open prostitution that were common in the colonies. It was during this time that the American colonies became a safe haven for Europeans looking for sexual promiscuity. In the cities it became common for women in lower socio-economic classes to own bars, ask for divorces, and have children out of wedlock without much consequence. Bars, brothels, and saloons were often mixed race. This did not sit well with the Founders and often caused doubt if independence was indeed worth the price. Russell uses this to demonstrate that it was not the Founding Fathers who we should thank for the continuing spirit of rebellion and freedom of association. Rather, it is those who chose hedonism and social impropriety that resisted attempts at "civilizing" by an elite class that wanted to remodel the newly independent nation into a British styled imitation.

Ahh! People dancing and having fun!

Moving into the twentieth century, Russell continues the narrative of how those deemed by society as "renegades" or "outsiders" do more for preserving essential individual rights than any political class. In the case of Prohibition, it is the mafia that serves as the defender of LGBT rights. In a history that is rarely discussed, Russell explains how during a time when the Mafia was busy outmaneuvering the law in order to fulfill American's thirst for illegal alcohol, they found a common interest with the LGBT community. Gay bars were still operated under secrecy and with the advent of Prohibition they found themselves trying to hide both their alcohol and their true nature. Despite the heavy influence of Catholicism within the Italian mafia, the Cosa Nostra entered into a partnership with many gay bars, providing them with alcohol and protection from the police. With many police officers and departments under their influence, the mafia found it beneficial to protect gay bars from raids and use them as distributors for the main source of income. This mutually beneficial relationship helped preserve gay culture in America throughout the early twentieth century.

Although you may not find yourself agreeing with all of Russell's conclusions, his book does do an excellent job of providing a new lens to approach history. Instead of a Marxist or "Great Man" approach, he offers history and the struggle for civil and individual rights as one that pits "the proper class" against those who resist it in favor of doing what they wish to do as a renegade. He introduces new heroes to American history such as prostitutes, criminals, the mafia, and drunkards as the true defenders and activists for many of the rights we enjoy today or are slowly recovering. It may not sit well with many, but renegades are the source for instigation that is needed to reclaim rights that are unfairly taken or withheld from many Americans throughout our history. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and Russell's radical perspective and would recommend it to everyone looking for a different approach to American history outside of the two sided, left vs right dichotomy. This book asks you to open you mind a little bit and to reconsider the narrative of this nation's history.