Selected Plays of Marcus Thrane

Marcus Thrane (1817-1890) was a prophet of social democracy in Norway. For his activities as a labor leader and agitator, he was sentenced to four years in prison. After his release, Thrane took his causes to America and quickly emerged as a critic of the government, the economic order, social structures, and what he perceived to be the narrowness of Norwegian-American life. As a writer, speaker, and editor, he showed himself a keen observer and critic of both the larger American society and the smaller ethnic community to which he belonged. Among a number of more and less successful ventures…