From its earliest days, organized labour in America has actively supported the imperialist practices of U.S. capitalism. Scott's examination of this aspect of labour history begins with a detailed discussion of the economic and political forces which shaped the origin of the American nation and led to the growth of a docile labour movement. Loyal servants of American capital, the leadership of the "international" unions enthusiastically participated in their country's imperial ventures during the period of acquisition of the U.S. empire. In the modern era, the AFL has succeeded in subverting workers' movements throughout Latin America. Unwilling to romanticize working class history, Scott portrays a century-long sequence of practices which demonstrates that the "internationals" have benefited only U.S. capitalism at the expense of oppressed peoples throughout the hemisphere and beyond.