These words of the preamble to the American Declaration of Independence are emblazoned in the minds of nearly every American at the earliest possible age. The words have come to embody the spirit of America and its citizens; a true sense of national identity can be found within that very progressive yet then controversial idea of natural and inalienable rights. And though Jefferson's meaning and the intent of those who ratified this great American document was far from having universal application among all people, this preamble quickly became the foundation on which every group of Americans - women, slaves and free blacks, immigrants, laborers, and, yes, politicians and affluent white men - would pursue their own happiness, their freedom.
But the true identity of America is not and has never been as rosy as the opening words of the Declaration might infer. Indeed, the United States is a nation to which millions of people from all corners of the globe immigrated in hopes for a better life. And certainly the true ideals - those of natural rights and freedoms for all - of the Declaration have been slowly applied to more of the nation's citizens. But there are also some fundamental truths about the Declaration and the Constitution of the United States that some might prefer be ignored. America has always been a society of distinct social and economic classes that have come as a direct result of American capitalism and the Constitution designed to protect it. And with the presence of capitalist classes has always come conflict, sometimes violent, between the powerful minority and the oppressed laborers.
The understanding of America's current social and economic conditions is inextricably linked to understanding the history of American capitalism and labor. United States labor history is replete with stories of tragedy, triumph, and unprecedented violence. Indeed, much of today's political debate involving the powers of the federal government, the role of labor unions in congressional and presidential elections, workplace safety regulation, the importance of third parties, and corporate influence on Washington has direct links to and lessons within American labor history. Furthermore, regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum and what political party you belong to, to be ignorant of this aspect of American history does a disservice to your own ideology and robs you of a more rounded comprehension of the world.
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