Eugene victor debs
(1855-1926)
Born to Marguerite Bettrich and Jean Daniel Debs on November 5, 1855 in Terre Haute, Indiana, no one knew the amazing impact "Gene" Debs would have on the Labor Union Movement as he grew up. At eighteen, Debs suffered the effects of the Depression of 1873 when he was laid off from his job as a locomotive fireman.
Debs kicked off his career as a union supporter following the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 as he gave a speech at the Brotherhood's annual convention. In the early 1880s, Debs was a huge supporter of the union, holding many political careers and leading many strikes.
However, in 1886, Debs opinions began to change and he started questioning his motives. He wondered if large corporations could ever be truly dedicated to democracy, and his views changed in a shocking way on the subject of unions. Contradicting his former whole-hearted support, Debs began to believe that unions actually made it harder for the common people to join together and protest unjust work conditions.
Debs took another turn in his political views in 1894 when he established the American Railway Union, later going to prison several times for his leadership role in the Union and for the strikes that he led. Also, he co-founded the IWW, or the Industrial Workers of the World, in 1905. In 1901, Debs founded the Social Party of America, yet another political party, when he combined his Social Democratic Party with the reformist wing of the Socialist Labor Party. He ran for president five times as the Socialist candidate. Although Debs collected millions of presidential votes between 1900 and 1920, including a staggering million votes in the 1912 election, he never won an election. The Socialist was too sick to run for president in 1916, but returned from his illness with many speeches in protest of a war with Imperial Germany. Convicted to federal prison for ten years because of his efforts, Debs ran for president in 1920 while behind bars, earning approximately one million votes but still not winning his fifth and final campaign.
With a long legacy of organizations, Debs paved the way for a future of laborer rights and will forever be remembered by his rightfully earned his title, a man "too good for this world."
Debs kicked off his career as a union supporter following the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 as he gave a speech at the Brotherhood's annual convention. In the early 1880s, Debs was a huge supporter of the union, holding many political careers and leading many strikes.
However, in 1886, Debs opinions began to change and he started questioning his motives. He wondered if large corporations could ever be truly dedicated to democracy, and his views changed in a shocking way on the subject of unions. Contradicting his former whole-hearted support, Debs began to believe that unions actually made it harder for the common people to join together and protest unjust work conditions.
Debs took another turn in his political views in 1894 when he established the American Railway Union, later going to prison several times for his leadership role in the Union and for the strikes that he led. Also, he co-founded the IWW, or the Industrial Workers of the World, in 1905. In 1901, Debs founded the Social Party of America, yet another political party, when he combined his Social Democratic Party with the reformist wing of the Socialist Labor Party. He ran for president five times as the Socialist candidate. Although Debs collected millions of presidential votes between 1900 and 1920, including a staggering million votes in the 1912 election, he never won an election. The Socialist was too sick to run for president in 1916, but returned from his illness with many speeches in protest of a war with Imperial Germany. Convicted to federal prison for ten years because of his efforts, Debs ran for president in 1920 while behind bars, earning approximately one million votes but still not winning his fifth and final campaign.
With a long legacy of organizations, Debs paved the way for a future of laborer rights and will forever be remembered by his rightfully earned his title, a man "too good for this world."