'' INTERNATIONAL WORKINGMEN'S ASSOCIATION, an organization of the work ingmen of all countries for the•advancement of the interests of labor and the emancipation of The working classes. It grew out of a visit of French workingmen to the Exposition at London in 1862. In 1864 an organization was formed in London, and an and Pro Visional Rules) published;' the rules provided fcir a general congress to be held annually and a central Council appointed by that congress to Mt in London; workingmen's societies to joid the International in their corporate capacity. The principles and 'pelicy were not then defi nitely announced; the first congress held at Geneva in 1866 passed resolutions favoring the limitation of the working day and the abolish ing of child labor; at the next Congress at Lau sanne (1867) socialistic priticiples were first definitely announeed; from this time the in: finetitelof Marx followers grew in tht organization. In '1868 at the Brussels congress the International announced its opposition to War, and favored" he general strike; at the Basel congress in 1869 Bakunin and the anar chists were lint- they were expelled from the association in 1872 at the congress at The Hague; this same congress transfered the seat of the General Council to New York. The anarchists held a separate congress at Geneva •in. 1873. In' 1867 the International ren dered substantial aid to the strike of the bronze workers in Paris, -and the next year to the strike of the Geneva bniklerS;- it assisted the Eriglish workmen, by preventing the importation Of underpaid laborers the. Continent' in time•of strikes. The International was accused of uniplicity in-the Paris Commune; and while the ism .11ac•nu °Miele! connection many of the leaders of the Commune were Internationalists, and its principles and aims were defended by the International. In the United States the
Social party, a socialist political organization, was affiliated with the International in 1868, and later some individual trades-unions were also affiliated; finally the North American Fed eration of the International was formed and held its first national congress in 1872; its organization was in local sections of at least 10 members, with a Federal Council of nine elected by the annual congress. Shortly after the trans fer of the General Council to New York the Internationalists took a prominent part in the eight-hour day demonstration in New York. The formal organization of the International was dissolved in 1875; in Europe the Social Democratic parties of the different countries grew out of it, and in the United States the Socialists-Labor party. The anarchist faction in the United States split into two organiza tions, the International Workingmen's Associa tion and the International Working People's Association. The International was important in the history of the labor movement as being the first expression of the recognition of the common interests of labor in all countries, and as being the means of spreading widely the knowledge of the principles of the Marxian so cialism. Consult Brooks, J. G. 'The Social Un rest' (New York 1903), and 'American Syndi calism> (New York 1913) ; Ely, R T., 'French and German Socialism> (New York 1883), and 'The Labor Movement in America' (New York, new ed., 1905) ; Kelly, E., 'Twentieth Century Socialism' (New York 1910).