University of Mississippi eGrove Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2014 The Discursive Commons: The Establishment, "Outside Agitators," And "Communist Subversives" In Gadsden's Depression-Era Political Environment John Disque Agricola University of Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons Recommended Citation Agricola, John Disque, "The Discursive Commons: The Establishment, "Outside Agitators," And "Communist Subversives" In Gadsden's Depression-Era Political Environment" (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 883. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/883 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. THE DISCURSIVE COMMONS: THE ESTABLSIHMENT, “OUTSIDE AGITATORS,” AND “COMMUNIST SUBVERSIVES” IN GADSDEN’S DEPRESSION-ERA POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT A Thesis presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Southern Studies The University of Mississippi by JOHN AGRICOLA May 2014 Copyright John Agricola 2014 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ABSTRACT This thesis addresses a turbulent and often violent political environment in Gadsden, Alabama during the Great Depression. Using a theoretical construct called the discursive commons my analysis suggests how very particular ideas such as the trope of the outside agitator, and the idea of the communist radical, were used by the establishment to incite violence against United Rubber Workers union organizers who came to Gadsden to enlist members in the 1930s and early 1940s. It is my contention that these discursive formations had affective power over the people who committed acts of violence against their own class interests.