Skip to content

Booksellers & Trade Customers: Sign up for online bulk buying at trade.atlanticbooks.com for wholesale discounts

Booksellers: Create Account on our B2B Portal for wholesale discounts

William L. Dawson and the Limits of Black Electoral Leadership

by Christopher Manning
Save 17% Save 17%
Current price ₹5,149.00
Original price ₹6,179.00
Original price ₹6,179.00
Original price ₹6,179.00
(-17%)
₹5,149.00
Current price ₹5,149.00

Imported Edition - Ships in 18-21 Days

Free Shipping in India on orders above Rs. 500

Request Bulk Quantity Quote
+91
Book cover type: Hardcover
  • ISBN13: 9780875803951
  • Binding: Hardcover
  • Subject: N/A
  • Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press
  • Publisher Imprint: Northern Illinois University Press
  • Publication Date:
  • Pages: 251
  • Original Price: USD 43.95
  • Language: English
  • Edition: N/A
  • Item Weight: 545 grams
  • BISAC Subject(s): Political

A native of Georgia, William L. Dawson experienced a political awakening during World War I when he witnessed the U.S. military's unfair treatment of black soldiers. After the war, he became involved in the Republican Party in Chicago and, in 1933, won election as Second Ward Alderman. When his campaign against discrimination in housing and employment failed and he recognized that Republicans were losing power, Dawson decided to switch parties and change tactics. In 1938, he joined forces with two former Army colleagues to create an independent black wing of the Democratic Party.

The plan succeeded, and within four years, Dawson was elected as a representative of the First Congressional district. Over the next decade, he became one of the most powerful black politicians of the twentieth century. Dawson was the first African American to create and sustain a powerful black Democratic faction in Chicago, to chair a standing committee in Congress, to serve as vice-chairman of the Democratic Party, and to receive a Cabinet nomination. Despite these personal achievements, Dawson was not as successful in making gains for his constituents.

This detailed analysis of Dawson's career--from his work with the local Republican Party in Chicago in the 1920s to his declining years as a Congressman in Washington, D.C., four decades later--assesses the viability of electoral politics as a tool for racial advancement. Manning broadens our understanding of the development of modern American politics by outlining the strengths and limitations of black electoral leadership in the postwar era. He argues that black electoral leadership, as embodied in Dawson's political strategies, provided considerable opportunities for advancing a racially progressive agenda at the national level of the Democratic Party but faced severe limitations within Congress and could do nothing to ease systemic inequality in Chicago. This political biography will appeal to scholars of African American history, to U.S. political historians, and to those interested in black politics.

Christopher Manning is Associate Professor of History at Loyola University Chicago.

Trusted for over 49 years

Family Owned Company

Secure Payment

All Major Credit Cards/Debit Cards/UPI & More Accepted

New & Authentic Products

India's Largest Distributor

Need Support?

Whatsapp Us