Plutocracy: Part I – Divide et Impera (Divide and Rule)

Plutocracy, a multi-part series by filmmaker Scott Noble, is the first documentary to comprehensively examine early American history through the lens of class and class warfare.

In Part I – Divide et Impera (Divide and Rule) the focus is on the the ways in which the American people have historically been divided on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex and skill level.

Divide et Impera features interviews with political scientist John Manley, historian Julie Green, activist Brian Jones together with authors Justin Chacon, Sharon Smith, and Kristian Williams who present segments on Mother Jones, the American Constitution; the Civil War draft riots; The Reconstruction Era; Industrialization; the evolution of the police; the robber barons; early American labor unions; and major mid-to-late 19th Century labor events including the uprising of 1877, the Haymarket Affair, the Homestead strike and the New Orleans General Strike. The introduction examines the West Virginian coal wars of the early 20th Century, culminating in the Battle of Blair Mountain.

The film has been aired on Films For Action and is available at Metaonia Films.