Title
Cannon Mills and Kannapolis: Persistent Paternalism in a Textile Town
Files
Description
In Cannon Mills and Kannapolis, Tim Vanderburg critically examines the rise of the Cannon Mills textile company and the North Carolina community that grew up around it. Beginning with the founding of the company and the establishment of its mill town by James W. Cannon, the author draws on a wealth of primary sources to show how, under Cannon’s paternalism, workers developed a collective identity and for generations accepted the limits this paternalism placed on their freedom. After exploring the growth and maturation of Cannon Mills against the backdrop of World War I and its aftermath, Vanderburg examines the impact of the Great Depression and World War II and then analyzes the postwar market forces that, along with federal policies and unionization, set in motion the industry’s shift from a paternalistic model to bureaucratic authority. The final section of the book traces the decline of paternalism and the eventual decline of Cannon Mills when the death of the founder’s son, Charles Cannon, led to three successive sales of the company. Pillowtex, its final owner, filed for bankruptcy and was liquidated in 2003.
ISBN
9781621900276
Publication Date
2013
Publisher
University of Tennessee Press
City
Knoxville
Keywords
World War I, North Carolina history, Cannon Mills, postbellum south, paternalism, James Cannon
Disciplines
History | Labor History | United States History
Recommended Citation
Vanderburg, Tim, "Cannon Mills and Kannapolis: Persistent Paternalism in a Textile Town" (2013). Gardner-Webb Faculty and Staff Book Gallery. 6.
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/fbg/6