The American Socialist Movement

The union of the Social Democratic party and a faction of the Socialist Labor party in the 1900 led to the formation of the Socialist Party of America. This movement challenged various capitalist principles and lobbied for a socialistic approach in American politics. Historians largely attribute the movement’s significant influence on its promotion of evolutionary socialism. The election of an estimated 1200 candidates from the Socialist party considerably boosted the movement’s strength within the American politics (Conlin, 1974). This victory resulted from the collaborative actions of the movement with local parties, especially in the industrial cities, and the favor on its principles among ethnic communities such as the Jewish and Finnish. The American Socialist Movement promoted policies that encourage the formation of cooperative organization of prison. Furthermore, it lobbied for the establishment of a health bureau that addressed the needs of all Americans. In this regard, the movement contributed to the revolution of the American health system. In addition, the movement influenced the review of various stipulations in the constitution to adopt a people-oriented approach (Kipnis, 1952). The Socialist Party of America was at the forefront in opposing the participation of America in the First World War. Socialists viewed the war to have arisen due to the conflict of imperialist systems. In this regard, they undertook mass protests to prevent young men from enrolling in the war. Furthermore, the movement lobbied for a referendum before the commencement of the war. Although the movement’s efforts failed, its activities considerably influenced American’s views regarding the war. The construction of the Espionage Act at around 1917, upon America’s entry in the war resulted in the imprisonment of a significant number of the Socialist Movement members. The movement demonstrated its opposition on communism through its stance on the Russian Revolution. Although there were opposing views within the movement, it highlighting the need for neutral international polices.