Rise of Socialism in the US

Extracted Attributes

• Origins

  Utopian communities (early 19th century), immigration from Europe of radical labor activists (1860s)

• Challenges to Growth

  Deep racial divisions within the American working class, stigmatization by association with authoritarian regimes (e.g., Soviet Union, Venezuela), used as a pejorative term against progressive policies

• Ideological Currents

  Anarchists, Communists, Democratic Socialists, Social Democrats, Marxists, Marxist–Leninists, Trotskyists, Utopian Socialists

• Misconceptions of Socialism

  Mistakenly used for any state/government-operated industry or service (proper term: municipalization or nationalization), any tax-funded programs, or to argue against economic interventionism

• Notable Socialist Mayors (Milwaukee)

  Emil Seidel, Daniel Hoan, Frank Zeidler

• Public Opinion (September 2025 Gallup Poll)

  54% of American adults had a positive view of capitalism (down from 60% in 2021)

Timeline

• Early 19th century: Utopian communities (e.g., Shakers, inspired by Josiah Warren and Charles Fourier) take root in the US. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1800-01-01

• 1860s: Immigration of radical labor activists from Europe (German, Jewish, Scandinavian backgrounds) leads to increased socialist activity. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1860-01-01

• International Workingmen's Association established. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1864-01-01

• Socialist Labor Party of America established. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1877-01-01

• 1870s: Socialists actively participate in early American labor organizations and advocate for improved working conditions and labor rights. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1870-01-01

• Haymarket massacre in Chicago results in the death of eleven people, leading to the establishment of International Workers' Day. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1886-05-04

• Edward Bellamy's novel 'Looking Backward' is published, marking a high point in the popularity of socialist ideas in America. (Source: web_search_results)

  1887-01-01

• 1890s-1920s (Progressive Era): First emergence of peacetime socialism in the US, with growing concern for the urban poor. (Source: web_search_results)

  1890-01-01

• Multiple socialist parties merge to create the Socialist Party of America (SPA). (Source: Wikipedia)

  1901-01-01

• Anarchists create the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). (Source: Wikipedia)

  1905-01-01

• Socialist candidate Eugene V. Debs earns 6% of the popular vote in the presidential election. (Source: web_search_results)

  1912-01-01

• Socialist Party of America plays a crucial role in igniting widespread opposition to World War I. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1914-07-28

• Opposition to WWI and the Communist seizure of power in Russia contribute to the nationwide governmental repression known as the First Red Scare. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1917-01-01

• Socialist Party presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs wins nearly one million votes in the U.S. presidential election. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1920-01-01

• 1920s: The Socialist Party declines. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1920-01-01

• Circa 1928: The ideological rigidity of the Third Period begins to crack. (Source: web_search_results)

  1928-01-01

• The 1929 stock market crash heralds the arrival of the Great Depression, forcing permanent changes to America's government and economy. (Source: web_search_results)

  1929-10-24

• 1930s: The Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA) plays a significant role in labor and racial struggles. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1930-01-01

• Franklin D. Roosevelt is elected President of the United States. (Source: web_search_results)

  1932-01-01

• Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Nazi Germany and the passage of the National Industrial Recovery Act spark an upsurge in union organizing. (Source: web_search_results)

  1933-01-01

• The Social Security Act is created, establishing a federal pension system and the first systems of wealth redistribution. (Source: web_search_results)

  1935-08-14

• Many CPUSA members part ways and, under James P. Cannon, found the Trotskyist Socialist Workers Party (SWP). (Source: Wikipedia)

  1938-01-01

• 1950s: Socialism is severely affected by McCarthyism. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1950-01-01

• 1960s: Socialism is revived by the widespread radicalization brought by the New Left and similar movements' social struggles and revolts. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1960-01-01

• 1960s: Michael Harrington and other socialists assist the Kennedy and Johnson administrations' War on Poverty and Great Society programs, also playing important roles in the civil rights movement. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1960-01-01

• 1990s: Interest in socialism slowly begins to rise again, particularly among Millennials; the alter-globalization movement leads protests against the World Trade Organization. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1990-01-01

• Occupy Wall Street further spurs the growth of socialist organizations. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2011-09-17

• Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign leads to an explosion of socialist organizing, with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) reaching membership levels similar to those of the 1900s. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2015-04-30

• Self-declared democratic socialist Bernie Sanders wins 13 million votes in the Democratic Party presidential primary. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2016-01-01

• Gallup poll reports 60% of American adults had a positive view of capitalism. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2021-01-01

• A Gallup poll reports 39% of American adults had a positive view of socialism and 54% had a positive view of capitalism. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2025-09-01

History of the socialist movement in the United States

The history of the socialist movement in the United States has encompassed various types of tendencies, including anarchists, communists, democratic socialists, social democrats, Marxists, Marxist–Leninists, Trotskyists, and utopian socialists. These movements trace their origins back to utopian communities that took root in the early 19th century, such as the Shakers, the activist visionary Josiah Warren, and intentional communities inspired by Charles Fourier. In the 1860s, immigration from Europe of radical labor activists, particularly of German, Jewish, and Scandinavian backgrounds, led to the establishment of the International Workingmen's Association in 1864 and the Socialist Labor Party of America in 1877. During the 1870s, socialists of various tendencies actively participated in early American labor organizations and workers' demands to improve working conditions, as well as to officially recognize and practically implement the basic labor rights. These grievances culminated in the 1886 Haymarket massacre in Chicago, which resulted in the death of eleven people. One of the consequences of this tragic event was the establishment of International Workers' Day, which was proclaimed as a fundamental labor holiday. Apart from that, workers' organizations and socialist parties worldwide made the establishment of an eight-hour workday their primary objective. In 1901, multiple socialist parties merged to create the Socialist Party of America (SPA). In 1905, anarchists created the Industrial Workers of the World. The Socialist Party of America, led by its national chairman Eugene V. Debs (who was also the SPA's candidate in the U.S. presidential elections), played a crucial role in igniting a widespread socialist opposition to World War I, which eventually led to the nationwide governmental repression collectively known as the First Red Scare. The Socialist Party declined in the 1920s, but the party nonetheless often ran Norman Thomas for president. In the 1930s, the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA) played a significant role in the labor and racial struggles of that time, despite being severely affected by an internal split, when many of its members parted ways and, in 1938, under the leadership of James P. Cannon, founded the Trotskyist Socialist Workers Party (SWP). In the 1950s, socialism was affected by McCarthyism, and in the 1960s, it was revived by the widespread radicalization brought by the New Left and similar movements' social struggles and revolts. In the 1960s, Michael Harrington and other socialists were called to assist the Kennedy administration and then the Johnson administration's War on Poverty and Great Society, while socialists also played important roles in the civil rights movement. In the 1990s, interest in socialism slowly began to rise again, particularly among Millennials. The anarchist-associated alter-globalization movement led numerous protests against the World Trade Organization. In 2011, Occupy Wall Street further spurred the growth of socialist organizations. In 2015, Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign led to an explosion of socialist organizing, with the associated Democratic Socialists of America reaching membership levels similar to those of the 1900s. Unlike in Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, a major socialist party has never materialized in the United States, whose socialist movement was relatively weak in comparison. The legacy of slavery entrenched deep racial divisions within the American working class, in stark contrast to the more cohesive labor movements in countries without such a history. These divisions created a two-tiered labor force with differing political priorities along racial lines, ultimately undermining class solidarity. This racial stratification posed a formidable obstacle to left-wing politics, constraining support for progressive policies on taxation, social welfare, and economic equality. In the United States, socialism can be stigmatized because it is commonly associated with authoritarian socialism, the Soviet Union, and other authoritarian Marxist–Leninist regimes. Writing for The Economist, Samuel Jackson argued that socialism has been used as a pejorative term, without any clear definition, by conservatives and right-libertarians to taint liberal and progressive policies, proposals, and public figures. The term socialization has been mistakenly used to refer to any state or government-operated industry or service (the proper term for such being either municipalization or nationalization). The term has also been used to mean any tax-funded programs, whether privately run or government-run. The term socialism has been used to argue against economic interventionism, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Medicare, the New Deal, Social Security, and universal single-payer health care, among others. Milwaukee has had several socialist mayors, such as Emil Seidel, Daniel Hoan, and Frank Zeidler, whilst Socialist Party presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs won nearly one million votes in the 1920 U.S. presidential election. Moreover, self-declared democratic socialist Bernie Sanders won 13 million votes in the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primary, gaining considerable popular support, particularly among the younger generation and the working class. A September 2025 Gallup poll reported 39% of American adults had a positive view of socialism and 54% had a positive view of capitalism, down from 60% in 2021.

Web Search Results

• The Rise and Fall of Socialism | American Enterprise Institute - AEI

  Yet behind the surface of these dazzling political successes, socialism was suffering two critical failures. The first was its inability to sink any roots in America. The history of socialism in American consists of European socialists immigrating here, and setting up socialist parties, clubs, and newspapers only to have their own convictions or those of their children dissolved in the American atmosphere of freedom and social mobility. [...] America itself did not embody a formal ideology but it offered a model. It showed the world a system of prosperity, opportunity, and civic equality, or, to put it more simply, a society in which the good life was available to the common man. Although lacking in theoretical paraphernalia, the American way presented an alternative to socialism. [...] Even Edward Bellamy, whose 1887 novel, _Looking Backward_, constituted a highpoint in the popularity of socialist ideas in America, and who was free to create his socialist society however he liked since he was building it only in a work of fiction, created a chilling image. All laborers were first to be sent for three years to “a very strict [school] in which the young men are taught habits of obedience, subordination and devotion to duty.” After that, any slackers are put in solitary

• History of the socialist movement in the United States - Wikipedia

  In the 1990s, interest in socialism slowly began to rise again, particularly among Millennials. The anarchist-associated alter-globalization movement led numerous protests against the World Trade Organization. In 2011, Occupy Wall Street further spurred the growth of socialist organizations. In 2015, Bernie Sanders's presidential campaign led to an explosion of socialist organizing, with the associated Democratic Socialists of America reaching membership levels similar to those of the 1900s. [...] The ideological rigidity of the Third Period (from c. 1928) began to crack with two events: the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt as President of the United States in 1932 and Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Nazi Germany in 1933. Roosevelt's election and the passage of the National Industrial Recovery Act in 1933 sparked a tremendous upsurge in union organizing in 1933 and 1934. Many conservatives equated the New Deal with socialism or with Communism as practiced in the Soviet Union and saw its [...] In 1901, multiple socialist parties merged to create the Socialist Party of America (SPA). In 1905, anarchists created the Industrial Workers of the World. The Socialist Party of America, led by its national chairman Eugene V. Debs (who was also the SPA's candidate in the U.S. presidential elections), played a crucial role in igniting a widespread socialist opposition to World War I, which eventually led to the nationwide governmental repression collectively known as the First Red Scare. The

• The Evolution of Socialism and Its Influence in the US | TheCollector

  The wartime nationalization of industries in 1862 may technically have been socialism, but few would link it to Marxism due to the emergency nature of war. The first emergence of peacetime socialism occurred during the Progressive Era (1890s-1920). In 1901, the Socialist Party of the United States was founded and grew rapidly. For the first time, many Americans cared about the plight of the urban poor, including children. The federal government and state governments began passing reforms to [...] While the Progressive Era saw the rise of federal regulations for many industries, social welfare remained the purview of local and state governments up through the 1920s. Although World War I saw another spike in temporary government nationalization of key industries, the Roaring Twenties restored the power of capitalism. The 1929 stock market crash that heralded the arrival of the Great Depression, however, forced permanent changes to America’s government and economy. By 1932, up to a quarter [...] The New Deal, crafted by incoming US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, featured a rapid flurry of economic and social reforms. Although no industries were nationalized, thus not reaching the threshold of true socialism, the federal government did create its first systems of wealth redistribution. The Social Security Act of 1935 created a federal pension system for US citizens, with a payroll tax instituted on most workers to fund it. Upon age 65, after having paid into the system for decades,

• Socialism: Understanding Its Core Principles - The Policy Circle

  Socialism gained momentum in the early 1900s, including in the U.S., where socialist governors held offices in over 300 cities. In the 1912 presidential election, socialist candidate Eugene V. Debs earned 6% of the popular vote. Socialism’s role in electoral politics shrunk substantially in the U.S. after World War I, when the “Communist seizure of power in what became the Soviet Union” contributed to the first Red Scare in the United States. [...] Socialism is now associated with Venezuela, Russia, China, the Scandinavian countries, and is gaining traction in the U.S. political scene. Each nation’s governments, societies, and economies are very different yet described by the same word. The History Channel explains how views of socialism in the U.S. have changed over time (6 min): ### WHY IT MATTERS [...] the Industrial Revolution. Marx argued that the capitalist motive of profit harmed workers: “Factory owners exploited workers… by subjecting them to debilitating working conditions and exhausting hours.” Socialism arose as a response to these economic and social changes, meant “to remedy the economic and moral defects of capitalism.”

• A Brief History of American Socialism - Literary Hub

  As part of mass movements, socialists have followed the same pattern throughout American history: they do all they can to compel elites to make reforms in the existing order. The paradox of their success is that it often limits the growth of socialism itself. Perceptive politicians understand that a rising opposition force that aims to replace the entire system has to be co-opted, not simply repressed. [...] During the first two decades of the twentieth century, several thousand members of the Socialist Party of America did win a share of local power—from the mayor of Milwaukee to the mayor of the little town of Antlers, Oklahoma. Yet only two Socialists became members of the House of Representatives, and none came close to winning a seat in the US Senate or a high executive office in any state. [...] Another way to gauge the influence of socialism in US history is to list some of the prominent American writers, artists, intellectuals, activists, and scientists who either publicly embraced the label or favored a socialist blueprint for the nation. It’s quite a distinguished roster. At various times it has included Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walter Lippmann, John Dewey, Charles and Mary Beard, W. E. B. Du Bois, Jack London, Carl Sandburg, Upton Sinclair, Theodore Dreiser, Helen Keller, John Reed,