November 05, 1855 - Eugene Debbs Born - Founder of American Socialist Party
Birth of Socialism in the United States
November 05, 1855 - Eugene Debbs Born - Founder of American Socialist Party
Pioneer in industrial unionism, social reformer, peace advocate and founder of the American Socialist Party, Terra Haute native Eugene Debbs ran five times for President of the Socialist Party, once from the confines of a prison cell.
Eugene Victor "Gene" Debs (November 5, 1855 – October 20, 1926)
During his lifetime Debs was an important labor leader, founder of the Industrial Workers of the World, and political activist. He founded three Socialist political parties, the Social Democracy of America (1897), the Social Democratic Party of America (1898), and the Socialist Party of America. He ran five times for the Presidency of the United States for the Socialist Party of America, which he founded in 1901.
Birth and Early Career
The son of Jean Daniel and Marguerite Mari Bettrich Debs, Eugene was a native of Terre Haute, Indiana. He left school at age fourteen and became employed by the Vandalia Railroad. He remained at this company until, urged by his mother, he took a job with a wholesale grocery company. While at this company, he attended night classes for business. He became active in the labor movement, joining the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen on February 27, 1875. He rose to become editor of their magazine, a position he held until 1894. He became president of the Occidental Literary Club of Terre Haute and was instrumental in bringing many leading national figures to lecture at Terra Haute.
Labor Socialist and Peace Activist
In 1894, he became involved in the Pullman Boycott and Strike. The United States Army broke up the strike and Debs was sent to prison for the first time, convicted of contempt of court. During his time in prison, he split from the Democratic Party and joined the Socialist Movement. He ran the first time for the Presidency in 1895 at the head of the Social Democratic Party. He founded the American Socialist Party and ran as its candidate in the 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1920 elections. An opponent of the war effort at the start of World War One, he gave a speech denouncing the war effort in Canton, Ohio on June 6, 1918. After the speech, authorities arrested him and tried him for violating the Espionage Act of 1917. He ran the last time for President from his prison cell in the Atlanta, Georgia Federal prison. His health detonated after serving his sentence. He went to Chicago’s Lindlahr sanitarium. He died there in 1926. His body was transferred back to Terra Haute and was interred after cremation at Highland Lawn Cemetery in Terra Haute.
From the Book:
A Year of Indiana History Stories - Book 1
A Year of Indiana History Stories Book 1 includes three hundred and sixty-six stories of Indiana history. Written in a this day in history format, this journal is ideal for kids and adults alike. Children will especially benefit as they can learn history local to Indiana by reading one story a day for a year.
536 Pages
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