THE UNITED STATES. Although communism (q.v.) gained an early foothold in the United States, it exercised practically no influence upon the movement now represented by the Socialist parties. American socialism proper begins with the German influence. As a result of the politi cal disorders of 1848 many men of learning and character came to this country from Germany as refugees. There were radicals among them who took the leadership in the establishment of communism of a new type in this country. Among them we may mention Wilhelm \Veitling (q.v.), a German tailor, who started a German newspaper called Die Republik der Arheitcr, and organized an Arbeiter Bund. Ile was essentially a Utopian socialist, and had plans for the estab lishment of a communistic settlement, and was for a time connected with one in Iowa. Never theless, his thought was more in line with mod ern socialism. Weitliug lived until 1871, and was at the last somewhat interested in the Interna tionale of Marx. Next, mention may be made of the German gymnastic unions (Turnvereine), which, in the early days, were avowedly Socialist. The first Socialist Turmrerein was established in New York in 1S50. The Turnvereine formed an organization called the Socialist Gymnastic Union (Socialistische Turner Bund), and in 1S50 the name Socialist Gymnastic Union was adopted. Since the Civil War the socialistic character of the Turnvereine has very largely but not entirely disappeared.
In 1S57 a club of communists was formed. In 1868 the followers of Lassalle held a meeting, the purpose of which was to establish a Social Democratic Party, and an organization was ef fected in New York City. In 1869 the party be came affiliated with the International Working men's Association. Several sections of the In ternationale were formed in this country, and in 1872 the seat of the Internationale was trans ferred to New York City. Scattering sections existed here and there for a few years. The Na tional Labor Union formed a party called the Labor Reform Party in 186S, and the Socialists supported this, but its life was of short dura tion. The Socialists formed a Social Democratic
Workingmen's Party at a convention held in Philadelphia in 1S74, and in 1S77, at a conven tion in New Jersey, they adopted the name So cialist Labor Party, which is still preserved. The party for a long time had much trouble with the anarchists. The convention of the Socialist Labor Party in 1881, in New York City, wit nessed a rebellion of the anarchists against the party, and one of the anarchist leaders, Justus Schwab, started a paper called The Anarchist. Johann Most came to this country in 1S82 from London, having previously been expelled from the Social Democratic Party of Germany. The agi tation of Most produced a crisis, and in 1883, in the convention at Baltimore, the Socialists de cided not to connect themselves in any way with the anarchists, who had effected an organization at Pittsburg in the same year.
The next important events in the history of the Socialist Labor Party are connected with the candidacy of Henry George in 18S6 for the Mayor alty of New York City, and in 1887 for the Governorship of New York. George was nomi nated by what was called the United Labor Party and ran against Abram S. Hewitt and Theodore Roosevelt. The votes received by the three candidates were as follows: Hewitt, 90, 55?: George, 68.110: Roosevelt, 60.435. The Syracuse Convention of the Union Labor Party, 1887, when George was nominated for the Governorship of New York, repudiated social ism. This formed an epoch in the history of American socialism, and in 1SSS the Socialist Labor Party decided to have no affiliations there after with any other party, but to nominate an independent ticket and vote for that without and without any bargains with other parties or factions of parties. It is from this time that organized political socialism has made progress in the United States.