The Americans

"The Americans" by Edwin Davies Schoonmaker is a theatrical work from the early 1900s that fits into a collection of plays covering racial issues, and this specific play zooms in on a tense labor strike between workers and leaders in an industrial setting. The story digs into injustice and the power struggles between the rich and poor, mainly showing the tough situation of factory workers against their wealthy bosses. The play starts in a lonely, wooded area, suggesting a difficult life for everyone, and sets up a plot about searching for a lost mine that could mean a better future. Right away, we meet Cap Saunders and Harvey Anderson, who are hunting for a crucial log to locate the mine, all while talking about the everyday struggles of mill workers at the hands of J. Donald Egerton. Their conversations reveal their hopes and disappointments as they navigate through the build-up of a very volatile labor strike.