Great American Heroes: Part 1, Eugene Victor Debs

From:

http://www.eugenevdebs.com/

Debs first experience in politics was as a young man in Terre Haute, as City Clerk, where he served two terms beginning in 1879. In 1894, he ran successfully as a Democrat to represent Terre Haute in the Indiana General Assembly. History considers the 1885 State Assembly a productive legislature, but Debs did not see it that way and chose not to run for another term. By this time his official duties in the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen were demanding much of his time and energy, and the labor movement seemed to Debs to be a promising way to the achievement of his reformist goals.

The experience of the Pullman Strike taught Debs that major changes were necessary in our laws if workers’ rights were to be advanced, so after his release from Woodstock his efforts were turned more to the political arena. He eventually aligned with the American Socialist Party and ran five times as the party’s Presidential candidate.

Debs had the courage to oppose World War I and faced federal prison to do so. He garnered 1 million votes for president from prison in 1920.

I'm posting this to make us all aware of the long history of activism we have in the USA, of the founders of our movements, and to inspire us to continue to move forward.

If Debs can campaign for president from a prison cell, think what we can do!

More heroes to come....