Political Change and Revolution in Western Pennsylvania

This revolution in western Pennsylvania was part of a larger revolution nationwide. The country which was mostly Republican for some time was now turning Democratic and will stay that way for nearly half a century. This transfer of power from Republican to Democrat was due to immigrants, minorities, and other low level economic citizens who decided to use their power and right to vote; when before they abstained from voting. "This political revolution in Pittsburgh and its surrounding Allegheny Count mill towns was part of a larger political revolution in the thirties. As Samuel Lubell put it, the Depression era constituted a new "American Revolution" as the country went from being 'normally' Republican to 'normally' and enduringly Democratic for the next half century. A new majority electorate awakened to political activism. This newly-mobilized electorate, composed of 'immigrant-stock voters, the young, those toward the bottom of the economic ladder, the unemployed, reliefers, and citizens who had chosen to abstain in the 1920's,' increased Democratic totals nation-wide in off-year Congressional elections by 50% between 1930 and 1934 alone4." This new control of Democratic power in this country gave minorities power. They untied together and basically formed a new political party. This gave them power to see what they wanted in government and politics to happen.

Another part of this revolution was the urban-ethnic demographic revolution. This was a large number of people moving into the cities and with them votes. These people were bringing with them votes for Democrats. "Part of the answer to the phenomenon of class conscious political realignment in the Thirties was an intersecting phenomenon, the urban ethnic-demographic revolution. This revolution created what Lubell called a 'critically sized component,' a critical mass of potential Democrats-if they could be mobilized, if they could be aroused to vote their class interests through the vehicle of the Democratic Party. This was necessary precondition to the dominance of class politics in the Thirties5." There were tons of Democratic votes out there, but they needed to get these ethnic people in places like cities to unite and vote. The Democrats were on their side and these people wanted to give them power and vote for them for the good of their class. Cities in America had a good portion of its population being immigrants but at this time it was different. This working class population was not just immigrants but their children also. They had the ideology that yes my parents are not from the United States but I am an American. They wanted and deserved the same treatment and rights that every American enjoys. Uniting the immigrants was a tough task. The cultural differences and mainly language barrier made it difficult to find common grounds for united political action. "America's industrial cities not only contained the bulk of the population after 1920, but this urban working-class population was comprised of immigrants and their children. Although many cities had contained immigrant majorities for some time, as the twentieth century progressed, this took on larger proportions. In 1910, for instance, the great bulk of school-age children in 37 of the nation's largest cities were the children of immigrants6 ." Uniting this class was a difficult challenge too. The vast cultural differences and beliefs made it difficult to unite them under one class for united political action. "The American working class was not 'made' at an one time, but was constantly being re-made over and over as new waves of immigrants entered the work force, bringing with them their 'alien' customs, beliefs, and values. This constant demographic churning made ethno-cultural differences and issues, such as Prohibition, blue laws, and religion, the cleavages of American politics. Further, alien workers were thrown into conflict not only with 'natives,' but also with other alien workers in an alien land. It was difficult for them to even speak to each other. As for them uniting in common cause, it was just as likely they would finish the Tower of Babel as find common grounds for united political action7."

This time period was definitely a revolution. Ethnic groups made their way up and civil demanded rights; as well as workers who had no rights forced the rich upper class for them. The depression was largely apart of this. It was a main factor in pushing the Republicans out of power and the Democrats in for nearly half a century. With democratic power minorities and workers eventually creating a "Labor Party" came together and the revolution took place with everyone getting what they deserved.

Work Citied

Davin, Eric. "Blue Collar Democracy: Class War and Political Revolution in Western

Pennsylvania, 1932-1937". Pennsylvania History.

Eric Davin, "Blue Collar Democracy: Class War and Political Revolution in Western Pennsylvania, 1932-1937", Pennsylvania History.

2 Eric Davin, "Blue Collar Democracy: Class War and Political Revolution in Western Pennsylvania, 1932-1937", Pennsylvania History.

3 Eric Davin, "Blue Collar Democracy: Class War and Political Revolution in Western Pennsylvania, 1932-1937", Pennsylvania History.

4 Eric Davin, "Blue Collar Democracy: Class War and Political Revolution in Western Pennsylvania, 1932-1937", Pennsylvania History.

5 Eric Davin, "Blue Collar Democracy: Class War and Political Revolution in Western Pennsylvania, 1932-1937", Pennsylvania History.

6 Eric Davin, "Blue Collar Democracy: Class War and Political Revolution in Western Pennsylvania, 1932-1937", Pennsylvania History.

7 Eric Davin, "Blue Collar Democracy: Class War and Political Revolution in Western Pennsylvania, 1932-1937", Pennsylvania History.