Workers Party of America
Encyclopedia
The Workers Party of America was the name of the legal party organization used by the Communist Party USA
from the last days of 1921 until the middle of 1929. As a legal political party the Workers Party accepted affiliation from independent socialist groups such as the African Blood Brotherhood
, the Jewish Socialist Federation
and the Workers' Council of the United States
. In the meantime, the underground Communist Party, with overlapping membership, conducted political agitation despite the repression of the Palmer raids
. By 1923, the aboveground party sought to engage the Socialist Party of America
in united front
actions, but was rebuffed. Both the Workers Party of America and the Socialist Party of America engaged in separate labor party efforts, prior to the Presidential election of 1924
. The Socialist Party of America participated in the Conference for Progressive Political Action
, which dissolved itself into the Progressive Party
. The Workers Party of America succeeded in dominating the national Farmer-Labor Party
, but that organization quickly returned to its constituent parts.
At the groups 1925 convention, the group renamed itself the Workers (Communist) Party, and in 1929 the Communist Party, USA. The parties youth affiliate was named the Young Workers League, Young Workers (Communist) League and Young Communist League in tandem with the parent organization.
As the Comintern
entered the "Third Period
", the principle of a leftist united front was abandoned in favor of a single above ground Communist Party. The aboveground Workers Party of America and underground party were gradually merged in a series of party conferences in the late 1920's.
.
Communist Party USA
The Communist Party USA is a Marxist political party in the United States, established in 1919. It has a long, complex history that is closely related to the histories of similar communist parties worldwide and the U.S. labor movement....
from the last days of 1921 until the middle of 1929. As a legal political party the Workers Party accepted affiliation from independent socialist groups such as the African Blood Brotherhood
African Blood Brotherhood
The African Blood Brotherhood for African Liberation and Redemption was a radical U.S. black liberation organization established in 1919 in New York City by journalist Cyril Briggs. The group was established as a propaganda organization built on the model of the secret society...
, the Jewish Socialist Federation
Jewish Socialist Federation
The Jewish Socialist Federation was a secular Jewish Yiddish-oriented organization founded in 1912 which acted as a language federation in the Socialist Party of America . Many of the founding members of the JSF had previously been members of the Bund in Eastern Europe and sought to bring Bundist...
and the Workers' Council of the United States
Workers' Council of the United States
The Workers' Council of the United States, commonly known as the "Workers' Council," was a short-lived organized faction of former Socialist Party of America members who had wanted the party to affiliate with the Comintern. Failing that, they agitated for the creation of an open communist party...
. In the meantime, the underground Communist Party, with overlapping membership, conducted political agitation despite the repression of the Palmer raids
Palmer Raids
The Palmer Raids were attempts by the United States Department of Justice to arrest and deport radical leftists, especially anarchists, from the United States. The raids and arrests occurred in November 1919 and January 1920 under the leadership of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer...
. By 1923, the aboveground party sought to engage the Socialist Party of America
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...
in united front
United front
The united front is a form of struggle that may be pursued by revolutionaries. The basic theory of the united front tactic was first developed by the Comintern, an international communist organisation created by revolutionaries in the wake of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.According to the theses of...
actions, but was rebuffed. Both the Workers Party of America and the Socialist Party of America engaged in separate labor party efforts, prior to the Presidential election of 1924
United States presidential election, 1924
The United States presidential election of 1924 was won by incumbent President Calvin Coolidge, the Republican candidate.Coolidge was vice-president under Warren G. Harding and became president in 1923 when Harding died in office. Coolidge was given credit for a booming economy at home and no...
. The Socialist Party of America participated in the Conference for Progressive Political Action
Conference for Progressive Political Action
The Conference for Progressive Political Action was officially established by the convention call of the 16 major railway labor unions in the United States, represented by a committee of six: William H. Johnston of the Machinists' Union, Martin F. Ryan of the Railway Carmen, Warren S. Stone of the...
, which dissolved itself into the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (United States, 1924)
The Progressive Party of 1924 was a new party created as a vehicle for Robert M. La Follette, Sr. to run for president in the 1924 election. It did not run candidates for other offices, and it disappeared after the election except in Wisconsin. Its name resembles the 1912 Progressive Party, which...
. The Workers Party of America succeeded in dominating the national Farmer-Labor Party
Farmer-Labor Party
The first modern Farmer–Labor Party in the United States emerged in Minnesota in 1918. Economic dislocation caused by American entry into World War I put agricultural prices and workers' wages into imbalance with rapidly escalating retail prices during the war years, and farmers and workers sought...
, but that organization quickly returned to its constituent parts.
At the groups 1925 convention, the group renamed itself the Workers (Communist) Party, and in 1929 the Communist Party, USA. The parties youth affiliate was named the Young Workers League, Young Workers (Communist) League and Young Communist League in tandem with the parent organization.
As the Comintern
Comintern
The Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
entered the "Third Period
Third Period
The Third Period is a ideological concept adopted by the Communist International at its 6th World Congress, held in Moscow in the summer of 1928....
", the principle of a leftist united front was abandoned in favor of a single above ground Communist Party. The aboveground Workers Party of America and underground party were gradually merged in a series of party conferences in the late 1920's.
Publications
Before the Party established its own publishing house for books (International Publishers) and pamphlets (Workers Library Publishers) the Workers Party and Workers (Communist) Party published a number of items under its own imprint, or in association with the Daily WorkerDaily Worker
The Daily Worker was a newspaper published in New York City by the Communist Party USA, a formerly Comintern-affiliated organization. Publication began in 1924. While it generally reflected the prevailing views of the party, some attempts were made to make it appear that the paper reflected a...
.
Books
- Dictatorship vs. democracy (Terrorism and communism) a reply to Karl Kautsky by Leon Trotsky with a preface by H.N. Brailsford, and a foreword by Max Bedact Workers Party Library Vol. I
- http://digitool.fcla.edu:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?application=DIGITOOL-3&owner=resourcediscovery&custom_att_2=simple_viewer&forebear_coll=&user=GUEST&pds_handle=&pid=246002&con_lng=ENG&search_terms=lovestone&adjacency=N&rd_session=http://digitool.fcla.edu:80/R/RKX4JNBL1BRGMMER5KSUFECGX2S1A4A4JMHFCSBJQEQIYPV4J3-00554The government -- strikebreaker; a study of the role of the government in the recent industrial crisis]. by Jay Lovestone Workers Party of America, New York. May 1, 1923. (The first book published by the party written by an American.) Workers Party Library Vol. II
- ABC of communism by Nikolai Bukharin and E. Preobraschensky. New York, Lyceum-Literature Dept., Workers Party of America 1922 Vol. I
Pamphlets
- Program and constitution, Workers Party of America, adopted at national convention, New York City, December 24, 25, 26, 1921. New York, Lyceum and Literature Dept., Workers Party 1922
- Workers, unite for the struggle against the bosses: manifesto of the Workers Party of America. New York : The Party, 1922
- Should communists participate in reactionary trade unions? by N. Lenin New York City: Literature Dept., Workers Party of America, 1922
- For a labor party: recent revolutionary changes in American politics by John Pepper New York : Workers Party of America (Three separate editions, the first in fall 1922, the next, substantially revised in spring and summer 1923. Only latter two had authors name.)
- Constitution of the Workers Party of America, as amended by the Second National Convention, New York December 24-25 and 26, 1922 n.l., n.d.
- Blood and Steel: An Exposure of the 12-Hour Day in the Steel Industry. by Jay Lovestone New York: Workers Party of America, n.d. [1923].
- What's What About Coolidge? by Jay Lovestone Chicago, Workers Party of America, n.d. [c. 1923]
- The fifth year of the Russian revolution: a report of a lecture by James P. Cannon New York: Workers Party of America 1923.
- American foreign-born workers by Clarissa Ware New York, Workers party of America 1923 alternate linke
- Strategy of the communists; a letter from the Communist International to the Mexican communist party. Chicago, Workers party of America 1923
- "Underground radicalism;" an open letter to Eugene V. Debs and to all honest workers within the Socialist Party by John Pepper Workers Party of America, New York. [1923]
- Why Every Worker Should Be a Communist and Join the Workers Party by Charles E. Ruthenberg Chicago, Ill. : Workers Party of America, 1923
- The second year of the Workers Party of America: report of the Central Executive Committee to the Third National Convention held in Chicago, Ill., Dec. 30, 31, 1923 and Jan. 1, 2, 1924 : theses, program, resolutions. Chicago : Literature Dept., Workers Party of America 1924
- Program and constitution Adopted at National Convention, New York City, December 24-25-26-27, 1921. Amended at National Convention, Chicago, Ill., December 30-31, 1923, and January 1, 1924. Chicago : Literature Dept., Workers Party of America 1924
- Nikolai Lenin: his life and work by Grigory Zinovyev Chicago : Workers Party of America, Mourning ed., Jan., 1924.
- Our immediate work : program adopted by the Central Executive Committee of the Workers Party of America Chicago : Literature Dept., Workers Party of America, 1924
- The Farmer-Labor United Front by Charles E. Ruthenberg. Literature Department, Workers Party of America, Chicago. 1924.
- Parties and Issues in the Election Campaign. by Alexander Bittelman Chicago: Literature Department, Workers Party of America, 1924
- Unemployment, why it occurs and how to fight it by Earl Browder Chicago, Ill. : Literature Dept., Workers Party of America, 1924.
- The LaFollette Illusion: As Revealed in an Analysis of the Political Role of Senator Robert M. LaFollette. by Jay Lovestone Chicago: Literature Department, Workers Party of America, 1924.
- The white terrorists ask for mercy Chicago; Published for the Workers Party of America by the Daily Worker Pub. Co. Feb 1925
- Class Struggle vs. Class Collaboration. by Earl Browder Chicago: Published for the Workers Party of America by the Daily worker publishing company, 1925 (The little red library #2)
- Principles of Communism: Engels's Original Draft of the Communist Manifesto. translated by Max Bedacht Chicago: Published for the Workers Party of America by the Daily worker 1925. (Little Red Library #3)
- Worker Correspondents: What? When? Where? Why? How? by William F. Dunne Chicago, Ill. : Published for the Workers Party of America by the Daily Worker Pub. Co., 1925 (The Little red library #4)
- Poems for workers, an anthology Chicago : Published for Workers Party of America by Daily Worker Pub. Co., 1925 (Little Red Library #5)
- The theory and practice of Leninism by Joseph Stalin Chicago: Published for the Workers Party of America by the Daily Worker Pub. Co., 1925
- Leninism or Trotskyism by Joseph Stalin, Lev Kamenev and Grigory Zinovyev Chicago: Published for the Workers Party of America by the Daily Worker Pub. Co., 1925
- American Imperialism: The Menace of the Greatest Capitalist World Power. by Jay Lovestone Chicago: Literature Department, Workers Party of America, n.d. [1925].
- The fourth national convention of the Workers (Communist) Party of America : Report of the Central Executive Committee to the 4th national convention held in Chicago, Illinois, August 21st to 30th, 1925 : resolutions of the Parity Commission and others. Chicago: Daily Worker Publishing Co., 1925
- From the Third through the Fourth Convention of the Workers (Communist) Party of America by Charles E. Ruthenberg Chicago, Ill. : Published for the Workers (Communist) Party of America by the Daily Worker Pub. Co., 1925
- The Workers (Communist) Party: What It Stands For, Why Workers Should Join by Charles E. Ruthenberg Chicago, Ill: Workers (Communist) Party 1925
- The Party Organization. Chicago: Published for the Workers (Communist) Party by the Daily Worker Publishing Co. 1925
- Passaic: The Story of a Struggle against Starvation Wages and for the Right to Organize. by Albert Weisbord Chicago; Published for the Workers (Communist) Party by the Daily Worker Pub. Co., November 1926.
- A souvenir: the Paris Commune (March 28th to May 28th, 1871) in historical pictures. Chicago, Ill. : Workers (Communist) Party of America, 1926
- The General Strike and the General Betrayal. by John Pepper Chicago: Workers (Communist) Party of America, 1926.
- Proletarian song book of lyrics from the operetta The last revolution by Mike Gold, J Ramirez and Rudolph Liebich [Chicago, Ill.] : Local Chicago Workers Party of America, 1920s
- On a labor faker's trail: the shady record of Frank Farrington T. J. O'Flaherty, Chicago, Pub. by Workers Party of America, Dist. no.8
Other Parties with similar names
- Workers Party of the United StatesWorkers Party of the United StatesThe Workers Party of the United States was established in December 1934 by a merger of the American Workers Party led by A.J. Muste and the Trotskyist Communist League of America led by James P. Cannon. The party was dissolved in 1936 when its members entered the Socialist Party of America en...
the name was used by the fused organisation of the Socialist Workers PartySocialist 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...
and the American Workers PartyAmerican Workers PartyThe American Workers Party was a socialist organization established in December 1933 by activists in the Conference for Progressive Labor Action, a group headed by A.J. Muste.-Formation:...
of A. J. MusteA. J. MusteThe Reverend Abraham Johannes "A.J." Muste was a Dutch-born American clergyman and political activist. Muste is best remembered for his work in the labor movement, pacifist movement, and the US civil rights movement.-Early years:...
in 1934, prior to its temporary merger with the Socialist Party of AmericaSocialist Party of AmericaThe 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...
in 1935. - Workers Party (US)Workers Party (US)Not to be confused with the modern Marxist-Leninist party, Workers Party, USA.The Workers Party was a Third Camp Trotskyist group in the United States. It was founded in April 1940 by members of the Socialist Workers Party who opposed the Soviet invasion of Finland. They included Max Shachtman,...
. Party led by Max ShachtmanMax ShachtmanMax Shachtman was an American Marxist theorist. He evolved from being an associate of Leon Trotsky to a social democrat and mentor of senior assistants to AFL-CIO President George Meany.-Beginnings:...
after his break with the Socialist Workers Party. 1940-1949. - Workers Party, USAWorkers Party, USANot to be confused with the defunct Trotskyist party, Workers Party .The Workers Party is a small left-wing political party in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, the Workers Party stands on a platform of anti-imperialism and anti-capitalism, and publishes a biweekly newspaper The Worker...
. Chicago-based organization. 1992 - present.
External links
- Workers' Council of the United States (1921). Predecessor organization of first Workers' Party, originating in split of the Socialist Party of America. Retrieved August 23, 2006.