Working on the dock of the bay

"Working on the Dock of the Bay explores the history of waterfront labor and laborers--black and white, enslaved and free, native and immigrant--in Charleston, South Carolina, between the American Revolution and Civil War. Michael D. Thompson explains how a predominantly enslaved workforce laid the groundwork for the creation of a robust and effectual association of dockworkers, most of whom were black, shortly after emancipation. In revealing these wharf laborers' experiences, Thompson's book contextualizes the struggles of contemporary southern working people"--Provided by publisher.