White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America – Nancy Isenberg

In this groundbreaking work, historian Nancy Isenberg examines America’s hidden class structure across four centuries. She unearths how poor white Americans—labeled “white trash,” “waste people,” “stop-me-dogs,” and more—were consistently stigmatized, controlled, and excluded, despite the myth of a class-free society. From colonial indentured servitude to modern pop culture portrayals, Isenberg traces how class, race, politics, and power intertwined to shape the American identity. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the deeper layers of inequality, this book challenges the familiar story of upward mobility and exposes how class still defines America today.