Linda Gordon's Seven Social Movements That Changed America should be required reading for students in the US. I learned so much reading it.

As the title suggest, Gordon looks at seven movements of the 20th century and how they shaped the country that we now know. Presenting us with some familiar stories, she also gives us an in depth look at some movements and leaders that most will be unfamiliar with.

I found the sections on Phillis Wheatley House and the struggle of migrant farmworkers particularly edifying. There is so much to unpack in the book as a whole and likely something that would appeal to anyone. A fantastic gift for the politically-minded history reader in your life.

The book offers a thought provoking examination of several pivotal grassroots movements that shaped the nation between the late 19th and 20th centuries. Covering a spectrum of ideologies, Gordon explores the settlement house movement, the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s, the Townsend old age pension campaign, unemployment relief activism, the Montgomery bus boycott, the United Farm Workers movement, and 1970s women’s liberation.

Her analysis emphasizes how these movements, whether progressive or reactionary, were driven by ordinary people, working together, to enact change both socially and politically. She highlights both well known figures, such as Cesar Chavez and Rosa Parks, and lesser known activists whose contributions were crucial but are often overlooked. The book also examines the strategies and challenges these movements faced, offering valuable lessons on how activism can succeed or falter.

As I've come to expect from Gordon, it's well researched and well written. The book provides essential insights into the power of collective action and its lasting impact on American society. It is a must read for those interested in history, activism, and social justice

Gordon reminds North Americans of seven key movements. Focusing on social movements like unionization, housing, and social security, Gordon's exploration of these topics give important context for Americans' ongoing battle for these rights. Each chapter can be read separately and make an excellent reading for high school and college students alike.

Linda Gordon’s Seven Social Movements that Changed America is a captivating and deeply insightful exploration of seven transformative social movements that reshaped the United States during the twentieth century. With clarity and precision, Gordon weaves together moments of grassroots activism, examining not just the ideologies behind these movements but the strategies, challenges, and human stories that powered them.

The book opens with a comparison of two settlement house initiatives from the early 1900s: Chicago’s Hull-House, led by privileged women like Jane Addams, and Cleveland’s Phillis Wheatley House, founded by a former sharecropper. This juxtaposition immediately sets the stage for a broader discussion of how different socio-economic and racial contexts shaped the strategies and impact of social movements.

From there, Gordon delves into a range of movements, each unique in its goals and methods. The 1920s Ku Klux Klan is presented as a mass movement driven by urban, middle-class members rather than the stereotypical rural extremists. Gordon’s account is chilling yet essential, tracing how this iteration of the Klan influenced American fascist groups in the 1930s. She then turns to the Townsend movement, whose push for old-age insurance laid the groundwork for Social Security, and the federal unemployment aid campaigns that provided relief during the Great Depression.

Gordon recounts the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-1956, a watershed moment that launched Martin Luther King Jr.’s career and galvanized the civil rights movement. Here, Gordon highlights the critical role of Black women, often overlooked, whose grassroots organizing and sheer determination powered this historic victory.

Gordon’s exploration of the United Farm Workers’ struggles in the 1970s brings Cesar Chavez and thousands of Mexican American farmworkers to life, showcasing their fight for better wages and working conditions. The book concludes with a powerful look at socialist feminist groups like Bread and Roses and the Combahee River Collective, whose work advanced the women’s liberation movement and influenced broader discussions of intersectionality.

What sets Grassroots apart is Gordon’s focus on the often-overlooked individuals who made these movements possible. While many histories center on charismatic leaders, Gordon shines a light on the “followership”—the countless grassroots activists who strategized, organized, and sustained these efforts. This perspective enriches the narrative, making the reader feel the collective power of ordinary people taking extraordinary risks.

The writing is accessible and engaging, blending academic rigor with storytelling that draws the reader in. Gordon avoids overwhelming the reader with minutiae, instead offering vivid descriptions and poignant insights that make the history come alive. Her analysis of how movements navigate challenges, from internal divisions to external opposition, provides valuable lessons for today’s activists.

Whether you’re familiar with these movements or encountering them for the first time, Grassroots is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of activism, democracy, and the power of community. It’s an inspiring and sobering reminder of what can be achieved when people come together with a shared vision for change.
#lindagordon #wwnorton

I picked up this book specifically for the chapter on the UFW, because I only found out about that movement and Cesar Chavez because I happened to be driving by the NPS site dedicated to it, but unfortunately when I went half the museum was closed. So I was looking forward to actually learning about that movement, which this book gave me to some extent. But that chapter felt like we were jumping into the middle of the story a bit. The author definitely assumed that the reader had far more knowledge on that subject than I think many people would have (I polled a bunch of my other East Coast/Southern friends and they’d never heard of Cesar Chavez or the UFW). In general I felt like the rest of the book gave good overviews of the different movements while also focusing on lesser known aspects of them. I did find it strange though that the gay liberation movement wasn’t touched on at all.

I did notice that there were an insane amount of typos in this. I know it’s obviously not a published book yet, but there were sooo many that it was at times very distracting. There was also a weird part in the KKK chapter where it was mentioning that certain leaders descended from William the Conqueror and Charlemagne, there was even an add “(!)” after the latter. It’s one thing to say that that may have been a big deal in that era, because we didn’t know better, but in 2025 we know that those two historical figures are very likely the descendants of everyone with English (for William the Conqueror) and European (for Charlemagne) heritage. So it seemed very weird to not put that in context.

So pleasantly surprised by this one. When I saw the title I think I was expecting more general fare—broad strokes on the Progressive Era, the Revolution, Abolition, etc. Bur this was a much more interesting approach to smaller moments within massive movements that really help contextualize and humanize the past.

The writing style was easy to follow, didn’t bog down into too many extraneous details, and brought the reader along with the narrative as opposed to making us mere spectators to history.

Absolutely loved it!