Sidney Webb
The History of Trade Unionism
(Revised edition, extended to 1920)
"The History of Trade Unionism" by Sidney Webb and Beatrice Webb is a historical study first published in 1894, with a new edition in 1920. This influential work traces the development of the British trade union movement from its origins through 1920. The Webbs document decades of struggle, transformation, and growth, examining how workers organized themselves through periods of revolution, repression, and reform. Their meticulous research established a foundational account of how trade unions evolved and claimed their place within the British state.