The Hardhat Riot – Free Online

The Hardhat Riot was a violent clash that occurred on May 8, 1970, in New York City. The riot was sparked by a group of construction workers, who were predominantly white and working-class, attacking anti-war protesters. The protesters had gathered to demonstrate against the Vietnam War and President Richard Nixon’s decision to invade Cambodia.

The construction workers, who were wearing hardhats, began shouting “All the way, USA!” and “Love it or leave it!” at the protesters. The situation quickly escalated into violence, with the construction workers attacking the protesters with their hardhats and other objects.

The police initially tried to intervene but were overwhelmed by the size of the crowd and the intensity of the violence. Eventually, the National Guard was called in to restore order.

The Hardhat Riot was seen as a turning point in American politics, marking the emergence of a new political force: the white working-class. Many of these workers had previously been Democrats but were now shifting their allegiance to the Republican Party, which they saw as more supportive of their values and interests.

David Paul Kuhn’s book, Nixon, New York City, and the Dawn of the White Working-Class Revolution, explores this shift in American politics and its impact on the country’s political landscape.

In summary, The Hardhat Riot was a violent clash between construction workers and anti-war protesters in New York City in 1970. It marked the emergence of a new political force: the white working-class.

This is a critically important, well-researched accurate history of the events that led us to the polarization we see in America today. I can attest to the accuracy of this largely forgotten riot overshadowing the riots of the Capital on January 6th – because I was there. I was a freshman at Pace College when lower Manhattan was filled with construction workers beating anyone who seemed to oppose the war. The police looked the other way and hundreds of people were brutalized.

Real clarity comes when the author connects the dots with Richard Nixon, realizing that the Hard Hat can be manipulated and used as a tool for his agenda. Thus, the origins of the “Silent Majority” and “America Right or Wrong” movement evolved into the MAGA movement and amplified by Donald Trump’s agitation. White working-class Americans have long been ignored, victimized and unheard of and this book is a historical record of the journey from Richard Nixon to Donald Trump. Read it and you’ll better understand how we got here.

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