Edwin Waugh's 'Home-Life of the Lancashire Factory Folk during the Cotton Famine' is a poignant and insightful exploration of the effects of the cotton famine on the working-class families of Lancashire. Through vivid descriptions and a compassionate tone, Waugh sheds light on the struggles and sacrifices faced by these individuals during a time of economic hardship. Written in a straightforward and accessible style, the book offers a glimpse into the domestic lives of the factory workers, highlighting their resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. Waugh's focus on the personal experiences of the Lancashire folk adds a human touch to the historical narrative, making this work a valuable primary source for understanding the social and economic dynamics of the period. Edwin Waugh, a renowned Lancashire poet and writer, drew from his own background and observations of the working-class communities to craft this empathetic portrayal of the cotton famine's impact. His deep empathy and understanding of the human condition shine through in his writing, creating a compelling and emotionally charged account of a lesser-known aspect of Victorian history. I highly recommend 'Home-Life of the Lancashire Factory Folk during the Cotton Famine' to readers interested in social history, labor studies, and Victorian literature, as it offers a unique perspective on a significant historical event and the enduring spirit of the working class.

Ten scholars examine English identity, what makes it distinct, and its role in shaping American culture To many, English immigrants contributed nothing substantial to the varied palette of ethnicity in North America. While there is wide recognition of German American, French American, African American, and Native American cultures, discussion of English Americans as a distinct ethnic group is rare. Yet the historians writing in English Ethnicity and Culture in North America show that the English were clearly immigrants too in a strange land, adding their own hues to the American and Canadian characters. In this collection, editor David T. Gleeson and other contributors explore some of the continued links between England, its people, and its culture with North America in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. These essays challenge the established view of the English having no "ethnicity," highlighting the vibrancy of the English and their culture in North America. The selections also challenge the prevailing notion of the English as "invisible immigrants." Recognizing the English as a distinct ethnic group, similar to the Irish, Scots, and Germans, also has implications for understanding American identity by providing a clearer picture of how Americans often have defined themselves in the context of Old World cultural traditions. Several contributors to English Ethnicity and Culture in North America track the English in North America from Episcopal pulpits to cricket fields and dance floors. For example Donald M. MacRaild and Tanja Bueltmann explore the role of St. George societies before and after the American Revolution in asserting a separate English identity across class boundaries. In addition Kathryn Lamontagne looks at English ethnicity in the working-class culture and labor union activities of workers in Fall River, Massachusetts. Ultimately all the work included here challenges the idea of a coherent, comfortable Anglo-cultural mainstream and indicates the fluid and adaptable nature of what it meant and means to be English in North America.

First published in 1974, The Industrial Muse is a study of the literary achievements of the working class. The focus is upon the cultural environment and assumptions of self-educated writers, their literary preoccupations and careers, and the content, form and structure of their writings. This literature must first be considered from the perspective of the working people who read and wrote it, for it functioned in their lives in a number of important ways. Its character was due in large part to the conscious efforts of educated workers who wish to gain cultural recognition along with social and economic justice. It helped to shape individual and class consciousness by giving order to working men's lives and clarifying their relationship with those who held cultural and political power. This literature asserted the autonomy of the working class, but did not posit a new worldview, lest the gains of class solidarity be lost irretrievably. This is an interesting read for scholars and researchers of working-class literature, english literature and working-class history.

Victorian Literature is a comprehensive and fully annotated anthology with a flexible design that allows teachers and students to pursue traditional or innovative lines of inquiry—from the canon to its extensions and its contexts. Represents the period's major writers of prose, poetry, drama, and more, including Tennyson, Arnold, the Brownings, Carlyle, Ruskin, the Rossettis, Wilde, Eliot, and the Brontës Promotes an ideologically and culturally varied view of Victorian society with the inclusion of women, working-class, colonial, and gay and lesbian writers Incorporates recent scholarship with 5 contextual sections and innovative sub-sections on topics like environmentalism and animal rights; mass literacy and mass media; sex and sexuality; melodrama and comedy; the Irish question; ruling India and the Indian Mutiny and innovations in print culture Emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of the field with a focus on social, cultural, artistic, and historical factors Includes a fully annotated companion website for teachers and students offering expanded context sections, additional readings from key writers, appendices, and an extensive bibliography