The Making of the English Working Class

E.P. Thompson's The Making of the English Working Class (1963) is a seminal work of social history that challenges traditional Marxist interpretations of class formation. Thompson argued against the idea that the working class was an automatic byproduct of industrialization. Instead, he emphasized that the working class actively forged its own collective identity through struggle and initiative.1

The book focuses on the period from the late 18th to the mid-19th century, exploring the experiences of ordinary people who were shaped by, and in turn shaped, the dramatic social and economic changes of the Industrial Revolution. Thompson sought to rescue these individuals from historical neglect, highlighting their agency, moral convictions, and the creation of their own culture and consciousness "from below". This approach significantly influenced post-World War II historiography and the development of social history.1