Carl Skoglund
Encyclopedia
Carl Skoglund was a Swedish-American socialist
, affectionately called Skogie by all his American friends and comrade
s. He was born in Dalsland
and went to the United States in 1911. After spending some time in the I.W.W. he became one of the founders of the American Communist Party and later became a Trotskyist and one of the co-founders of the Socialist Workers Party
.
and lead a strike for better conditions.
Through his experience in the class struggle
, he became interested in Marxism
and joined the Swedish Social Democratic Party
. Later on Skoglund was called up for service in the Swedish army
. When the conscripts were kept in uniform beyond the legal period of compulsory service, he became one of the leaders of a soldiers’ protest movement demanding that they be demobilized. For his militant political activities, Skoglund was blacklisted and could not find a job in Sweden. In 1911, he decided to go to the United States. His fiancée remained behind and they were never rejoined.
Skoglund went to Minneapolis where he sought medical care, maintaining himself by working as a janitor and boiler tender. As the injury mended and he could get around better, he worked as a mechanic and took job as a car repairman in the railway shop. Skoglund joined the Socialist Party
of Eugene V. Debs
in 1914 and became one of the left-wing leaders of the Party’s Scandinavian Federation. Skoglund helped translate the works of Karl Marx
from German to English.
In 1917, a split in the Socialist Party was caused by the Russian Revolution
in which the left-wing of the party provided the main force to found the American Communist Party in 1919, which became affiliated with the Communist International led by Lenin, Zinoviev
and Trotsky. Carl Skoglund was one of the founding members of the American Communist Party. In 1922, after having been the organizer and leader of a major strike, Skoglund was blacklisted on the railroads, and he had to turn to driving a coal truck for a living.
and supporting Trotsky and Bolshevik-Leninism. Carl Skoglund helped the American Trotskyist James P. Cannon
(also expelled from the CP) to found the Socialist Workers Party in 1938. Skoglund also played an important part in the great Teamsters strike
in Minneapolis in the 1930s together with Farrell Dobbs
. Skoglund was one of the 18 SWP leaders (including Cannon and Dobbs) imprisoned in World War II under the Smith Act
. The US government tried to deport Carl Skoglund in the 1950s and he was still under deportation orders on the day he died in 1960.
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
, affectionately called Skogie by all his American friends and comrade
Comrade
Comrade means "friend", "colleague", or "ally". The word comes from French camarade. The term is frequently used by left-wing organizations around the globe. "Comrade" has often become a stock phrase and form of address. This word has its regional equivalents available in many...
s. He was born in Dalsland
Dalsland
Dalsland is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland in southern Sweden. Lying to the west of Lake Vänern, it is bordered by Värmland to the north, Västergötland to the southeast, Bohuslän to the west, and Norway to the northwest....
and went to the United States in 1911. After spending some time in the I.W.W. he became one of the founders of the American Communist Party and later became a Trotskyist and one of the co-founders of the Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (United States)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far-left political organization in the United States. The group places a priority on "solidarity work" to aid strikes and is strongly supportive of Cuba...
.
Early Life in Sweden
As Carl entered his teens his father died, making it necessary for him, as the oldest child, to leave school and earn a living for the family. He found a job in a pulp mill. Wages were low and working conditions hard in the mill, so Skoglund organized a unionTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
and lead a strike for better conditions.
Through his experience in the class struggle
Class struggle
Class struggle is the active expression of a class conflict looked at from any kind of socialist perspective. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote "The [written] history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle"....
, he became interested in Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
and joined the Swedish Social Democratic Party
Swedish Social Democratic Party
The Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party, , contesting elections as 'the Workers' Party – the Social Democrats' , or sometimes referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' and most commonly as Sossarna ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1889...
. Later on Skoglund was called up for service in the Swedish army
Swedish Army
The Swedish Army is one of the oldest standing armies in the world and a branch of the Swedish Armed Forces; it is in charge of land operations. General Sverker Göranson is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Army.- Organization :...
. When the conscripts were kept in uniform beyond the legal period of compulsory service, he became one of the leaders of a soldiers’ protest movement demanding that they be demobilized. For his militant political activities, Skoglund was blacklisted and could not find a job in Sweden. In 1911, he decided to go to the United States. His fiancée remained behind and they were never rejoined.
In America
In the United States, Skoglund joined the I.W.W. (Industrial Workers of the World) and spent a period on a railroad construction gang after which he went into the woods working as a lumberjack. There he suffered a serious foot injury, after which the company fired him.Skoglund went to Minneapolis where he sought medical care, maintaining himself by working as a janitor and boiler tender. As the injury mended and he could get around better, he worked as a mechanic and took job as a car repairman in the railway shop. Skoglund joined the Socialist Party
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
of Eugene V. Debs
Eugene V. Debs
Eugene Victor Debs was an American union leader, one of the founding members of the International Labor Union and the Industrial Workers of the World , and several times the candidate of the Socialist Party of America for President of the United States...
in 1914 and became one of the left-wing leaders of the Party’s Scandinavian Federation. Skoglund helped translate the works of Karl Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
from German to English.
In 1917, a split in the Socialist Party was caused by the Russian Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
in which the left-wing of the party provided the main force to found the American Communist Party in 1919, which became affiliated with the Communist International led by Lenin, Zinoviev
Grigory Zinoviev
Grigory Yevseevich Zinoviev , born Ovsei-Gershon Aronovich Radomyslsky Apfelbaum , was a Bolshevik revolutionary and a Soviet Communist politician...
and Trotsky. Carl Skoglund was one of the founding members of the American Communist Party. In 1922, after having been the organizer and leader of a major strike, Skoglund was blacklisted on the railroads, and he had to turn to driving a coal truck for a living.
Socialist Workers Party
Carl Skoglund was expelled from the Communist Party in 1928 for opposing StalinismStalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
and supporting Trotsky and Bolshevik-Leninism. Carl Skoglund helped the American Trotskyist James P. Cannon
James P. Cannon
James Patrick "Jim" Cannon was an American Trotskyist and a leader of the Socialist Workers Party.Born on February 11, 1890 in Rosedale, Kansas, he joined the Socialist Party of America in 1908 and the Industrial Workers of the World in 1911...
(also expelled from the CP) to found the Socialist Workers Party in 1938. Skoglund also played an important part in the great Teamsters strike
Minneapolis Teamsters Strike of 1934
The Minneapolis General Strike of 1934 grew out of a strike by Teamsters against most of the trucking companies operating in Minneapolis, a major distribution center for the Upper Midwest. The strike began on May 16, 1934 in the Market District and ensuing violence lasted periodically throughout...
in Minneapolis in the 1930s together with Farrell Dobbs
Farrell Dobbs
Farrell Dobbs was an American Trotskyist and trade unionist.He was born in Queen City, Missouri where his father was a worker in a coal mine. They moved to Minneapolis, and he graduated from North High School in 1925. In 1926, he left for North Dakota to find work, but returned the following fall...
. Skoglund was one of the 18 SWP leaders (including Cannon and Dobbs) imprisoned in World War II under the Smith Act
Smith Act
The Alien Registration Act or Smith Act of 1940 is a United States federal statute that set criminal penalties for advocating the overthrow of the U.S...
. The US government tried to deport Carl Skoglund in the 1950s and he was still under deportation orders on the day he died in 1960.
other Sources
- Ross, Carl Radicalism in Minnesota, 1900-1960: a survey of selected sources (Minnesota Historical Society Press. 1994)