The United States today cries out for a robust, self-respecting, intellectually sophisticated left, yet the very idea of a left appears to have been discredited. In this brilliant new book, Eli Zaretsky rethinks the idea by examining three key moments in American history: the Civil War, the New Deal and the range of New Left movements in the 1960s and after including the civil rights movement, the women's movement and gay liberation.In each period, he argues, the active involvement of the left - especially its critical interaction with mainstream liberalism - proved indispensable. American liberalism, as represented by the Democratic Party, is necessarily spineless and ineffective without a left. Correspondingly, without a strong liberal center, the left becomes sectarian, authoritarian, and worse. Written in an accessible way for the general reader and the undergraduate student, this book provides a fresh perspective on American politics and political history. It has often been said that the idea of a left originated in the French Revolution and is distinctively European; Zaretsky argues, by contrast, that America has always had a vibrant and powerful left. And he shows that in those critical moments when the country returns to itself, it is on its left/liberal bases that it comes to feel most at home.

The United States today cries out for a robust, self-respectingintellectually sophisticated left, yet the very idea of a leftappears to have been discredited. In this brilliant new book, EliZaretsky rethinks the idea by examining three key moments inAmerican history: the Civil War, the New Deal and the range of NewLeft movements in the 1960s and after including the civil rightsmovement, the women's movement and gay liberation.In each periodhe argues, the active involvement of the left - especially itscritical interaction with mainstream liberalism - provedindispensable. American liberalism, as represented by theDemocratic Party, is necessarily spineless and ineffective withouta left. Correspondingly, without a strong liberal center, the leftbecomes sectarian, authoritarian, and worse.Written in an accessible way for the general reader and theundergraduate student, this book provides a fresh perspective onAmerican politics and political history. It has often been saidthat the idea of a left originated in the French Revolution and isdistinctively European; Zaretsky argues, by contrast, that Americahas always had a vibrant and powerful left. And he shows that inthose critical moments when the country returns to itself, it is onits left/liberal bases that it comes to feel most at home.

Acknowledgments viiIntroduction: America's Three Great Crises and Three Lefts11 Abolitionism and Racial Equality 162 The Popular Front and Social Equality 573 The New Left and Participatory Democracy 100Conclusion: The American Left Today 159Notes 171Index 194