The images compiled in this section all deal with the
IWW's belief in the power of direct action. Direct
action was defined in Wobbly literature as any action
initiated and carried out by workers in the workplace
with the objective of bettering their conditions. The
merit of direct action was made obvious to many
Wobblies who were skeptical of the value of political
reforms carried out by a state whose sole interest, as
they viewed it, was to serve and protect the interests
of capital. Direct action also made practical sense
to a large sector of the working class - i.e., women,
itinerants, aliens, and African-Americans - who were
barred from voting. The most prominent forms of
direct action espoused by the IWW were sabotage and
the general strike.
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