Difference between revisions of "Socialist Party of America"
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The [[Socialist Party of America]] was founded in 1901.<ref>Tim Davenport, [http://www.marxisthistory.org/subject/usa/eam/socialistparty.html Socialist Party (1897-1946): Party History.], Early American Marxism website, updated: Sept. 19, 2011, accessed 19 April 2012.</ref> | The [[Socialist Party of America]] was founded in 1901.<ref>Tim Davenport, [http://www.marxisthistory.org/subject/usa/eam/socialistparty.html Socialist Party (1897-1946): Party History.], Early American Marxism website, updated: Sept. 19, 2011, accessed 19 April 2012.</ref> | ||
| − | The party split in the early 1970s into three factions, the [[Social Democrats USA]], the [[ | + | The party lost many of its members in the split which led to the emergence of the [[Communist Party USA]] in 1919.<ref name="Alexander107">Robert J. Alexander, ''The Right Opposition: The Lovestoneites and the International Communist Opposition of the 1930s'', Greenwood Press, 1981, p.107.</ref> |
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| + | By the early 1930s, the party was divided between a reformist "Old Guard" faction, and a younger generation of "Militants"<ref name="Alexander108">Robert J. Alexander, ''The Right Opposition: The Lovestoneites and the International Communist Opposition of the 1930s'', Greenwood Press, 1981, p.108.</ref> | ||
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| + | Between 1935 and 1937, the Socialist leadership sought to create an "all-inclusive socialist party". The Trotskyists and ex-Lovestoneites [[Ben Gitlow]] and [[Herbert Zam]] joined in this period. Negotiations with the Lovestoneites failed because of Lovestoneite distrust of the Trotskyists.<ref name="Alexander105">Robert J. Alexander, ''The Right Opposition: The Lovestoneites and the International Communist Opposition of the 1930s'', Greenwood Press, 1981, p.105.</ref> The Old Guard left to form the [[Social Democratic Federation]], after the 1936 convention which allowed the Trotskyites to enter the party.<ref name="Alexander107">Robert J. Alexander, ''The Right Opposition: The Lovestoneites and the International Communist Opposition of the 1930s'', Greenwood Press, 1981, p.107.</ref> | ||
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| + | Between 1934 and 1936, the [[Revolutionary Policy Committee]] (RPC) was the most left-wing faction of the party. National Secretary [[Clarence Senior]] regarded the RPC's [[J.B. Mathews]] as a Stalinist, and [[Irving Brown]] and [[Francis Henson]] as Lovestoneites. Henson later denied being a member of the Lovestoneite organisation during this period, but admmitted he was close to Lovestone, and regarded Brown as Lovestone's spokesman in the Socialist Party.<ref name="Alexander109-110">Robert J. Alexander, ''The Right Opposition: The Lovestoneites and the International Communist Opposition of the 1930s'', Greenwood Press, 1981, pp.109-110.</ref> | ||
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| + | As the Lovestoneites abandoned communism in the late 1930s, the two parties became closer and collaborated in the [[Keep America Out of War Committee]].<ref name="Alexander111">Robert J. Alexander, ''The Right Opposition: The Lovestoneites and the International Communist Opposition of the 1930s'', Greenwood Press, 1981, p.111.</ref> Lovestoneite interest in a potential merger came to nothing when the Lovestoneite group dissolved in 1940.<ref name="Alexander112">Robert J. Alexander, ''The Right Opposition: The Lovestoneites and the International Communist Opposition of the 1930s'', Greenwood Press, 1981, p.112.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | The party split in the early 1970s into three factions, the [[Social Democrats USA]], the [[Democratic Socialists of America]] and the [[Socialist Party USA]].<ref>David McReynolds, NORMAN THOMAS'S FOLLOWERS SUPPORT A FREEZE, ''New York Times'', 23 June 1982.</ref> | ||
==Members== | ==Members== | ||
| − | [[Walter Lippmann]] | + | [[Walter Lippmann]] | [[Norman Thomas]] | [[Ben Gitlow]] | [[Irving Brown]] | [[Francis Henson]] | [[William B. Chamberlain]] | [[Frank N. Trager]] |
| + | |||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
[[Category:United States]] | [[Category:United States]] | ||
Latest revision as of 08:46, 10 July 2018
The Socialist Party of America was founded in 1901.[1]
The party lost many of its members in the split which led to the emergence of the Communist Party USA in 1919.[2]
By the early 1930s, the party was divided between a reformist "Old Guard" faction, and a younger generation of "Militants"[3]
Between 1935 and 1937, the Socialist leadership sought to create an "all-inclusive socialist party". The Trotskyists and ex-Lovestoneites Ben Gitlow and Herbert Zam joined in this period. Negotiations with the Lovestoneites failed because of Lovestoneite distrust of the Trotskyists.[4] The Old Guard left to form the Social Democratic Federation, after the 1936 convention which allowed the Trotskyites to enter the party.[2]
Between 1934 and 1936, the Revolutionary Policy Committee (RPC) was the most left-wing faction of the party. National Secretary Clarence Senior regarded the RPC's J.B. Mathews as a Stalinist, and Irving Brown and Francis Henson as Lovestoneites. Henson later denied being a member of the Lovestoneite organisation during this period, but admmitted he was close to Lovestone, and regarded Brown as Lovestone's spokesman in the Socialist Party.[5]
As the Lovestoneites abandoned communism in the late 1930s, the two parties became closer and collaborated in the Keep America Out of War Committee.[6] Lovestoneite interest in a potential merger came to nothing when the Lovestoneite group dissolved in 1940.[7]
The party split in the early 1970s into three factions, the Social Democrats USA, the Democratic Socialists of America and the Socialist Party USA.[8]
Members
Walter Lippmann | Norman Thomas | Ben Gitlow | Irving Brown | Francis Henson | William B. Chamberlain | Frank N. Trager
Notes
- ↑ Tim Davenport, Socialist Party (1897-1946): Party History., Early American Marxism website, updated: Sept. 19, 2011, accessed 19 April 2012.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Robert J. Alexander, The Right Opposition: The Lovestoneites and the International Communist Opposition of the 1930s, Greenwood Press, 1981, p.107.
- ↑ Robert J. Alexander, The Right Opposition: The Lovestoneites and the International Communist Opposition of the 1930s, Greenwood Press, 1981, p.108.
- ↑ Robert J. Alexander, The Right Opposition: The Lovestoneites and the International Communist Opposition of the 1930s, Greenwood Press, 1981, p.105.
- ↑ Robert J. Alexander, The Right Opposition: The Lovestoneites and the International Communist Opposition of the 1930s, Greenwood Press, 1981, pp.109-110.
- ↑ Robert J. Alexander, The Right Opposition: The Lovestoneites and the International Communist Opposition of the 1930s, Greenwood Press, 1981, p.111.
- ↑ Robert J. Alexander, The Right Opposition: The Lovestoneites and the International Communist Opposition of the 1930s, Greenwood Press, 1981, p.112.
- ↑ David McReynolds, NORMAN THOMAS'S FOLLOWERS SUPPORT A FREEZE, New York Times, 23 June 1982.
