The Battle of the Gravestones & the Saylesville Massacre of 1934

In September of 1934, striking workers in Rhode Island
fought a week-long street battle against the Rhode Island
National Guard in the tiny mill village of Saylesville. Two
workers were killed and dozens seriously wounded when
Rhode Island Governor T.F. Green ordered the soldiers to
restore order. But the facts leading up to the Saylesville
Massacre are murky at best. The Battle of the Gravestones &
the Saylesville Massacre of 1934 explains why the story passed
down through history needs another look.

In a provocative new telling, labor historian Patrick Crowley
challenges the conventional history of the Saylesville Massacre.
The book brings to life the characters behind the events of the
strike, including union leaders, politicians, striking workers and
bosses and asks hard questions about why the strike in Rhode
Island produced such a violent response. A union organizer
himself for more than 25 years, Crowley adds a street-level
perspective to a story that other versions have missed.