Overview

At 5:45 p.m. on September 9, 1919, Boston was effectively without a police force, leaving the city victim to four days of crime, looting, and violence. After a 24-hour vote, the Boston Police Department abandoned their posts, leading to the greatest tragedy in American policing, the Boston Police Strike of 1919. This is a compelling account of the historical antecedents that led to the strike and its complex political and societal ramifications. Through meticulous research, Oliver explores the perspectives and motivations of all involved, from the police officers attempting to unionize to the city’s leaders attempting to retain command and control of its patrolmen.

Full Product Details

Author:   Willard M. Oliver
Publisher:   Rowman & Littlefield
Imprint:   Rowman & Littlefield
Dimensions:   Width: 16.00cm , Height: 2.60cm , Length: 23.00cm
Weight:   0.676kg
ISBN:  

9781538144114

ISBN 10:   1538144115
Pages:   332
Publication Date:   15 August 2023
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Prologue: September 8-9, 1919 1 America’s First Police Department 2 The Boston Police Department 3 Political Control of the BPD 4 The Great War’s Impact on Boston 5 Boston’s Leadership 6 Governor Calvin Coolidge 7 The Call for Unionization 8 The Road to Hell . . . 9 In the Absence of Police, September 9, 1919 10 The Boston Riots, September 10, 1919 11 Quelling the Violence, September 11, 1919 12 Coolidge Takes Charge, September 12, 1919 13 Firing and Hiring a Police Department, September 13, 1919 14. . . Is Paved with Good Intentions Epilogue: August 3, 1981 Afterword Bibliography Index About the Author

Reviews

The Boston Police Strike of 1919 is one of the signal events in Boston's history, and in Willard Oliver's vivid and well-research account, one of the most important in the nation's. He has mined the Boston newspapers and a new database compiled for the Strike's centennial in 1919 to tell the story, and to analyze its importance for Boston, for its police force, and for unions. The strike destroyed the nascent Boston police union, set off a wave of violence in the city, and helped make Calvin Coolidge President of the United States. This is a story that has long needed to be told well, and we are fortunate that Willard Oliver, one of the nation's foremost scholars of police work, has completed the task.--Robert J. Allison, Suffolk University, author of A Short History of Boston This detailed history of the Boston strike of 1919 is an interesting and intriguing read for not just any Boston police officer, but for anyone interested in the fight for unionization of police officers. Oliver's depictions and insights of the people involved in this historical moment give us lessons in history and politics that are still relevant and applicable today. A must read for anyone interested in the Police Labor movement.--Larry Calderone, President, Boston Police Patrolmen's Association

The Boston Police Strike of 1919 is one of the signal events in Boston's history, and in Willard Oliver's vivid and well-research account, one of the most important in the nation's. He has mined the Boston newspapers and a new database compiled for the Strike's centennial in 1919 to tell the story, and to analyze its importance for Boston, for its police force, and for unions. The strike destroyed the nascent Boston police union, set off a wave of violence in the city, and helped make Calvin Coolidge President of the United States. This is a story that has long needed to be told well, and we are fortunate that Willard Oliver, one of the nation's foremost scholars of police work, has completed the task. This detailed history of the Boston strike of 1919 is an interesting and intriguing read for not just any Boston police officer, but for anyone interested in the fight for unionization of police officers. Oliver's depictions and insights of the people involved in this historical moment give us lessons in history and politics that are still relevant and applicable today. A must read for anyone interested in the Police Labor movement.

Author Information

Willard M. Oliver is a professor of criminal justice at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. He received his PhD and MA in political science from West Virginia University, and his BS and MS in criminal justice from Radford University. His areas of research interest include policing, criminal justice history, and crime/criminal justice policy, especially where the three intersect. He has authored two dozen books, including The Birth of the FBI: Teddy Roosevelt, the Secret Service, and the Fight Over America’s Premier Law Enforcement Agency (Rowman & Littlefield 2019). Oliver is a retired major in the U.S. Army Reserves and a former police officer. He resides in Huntsville, Texas with his family.

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