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James Connolly's Years in America, 1902-1910

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James Connolly's Years in America, 1902-1910 James Connolly’s Years in America, 1902-1910 Professor Peter H. Buckingham and Sydney Owen Linfield College Introduction Daniel De Leon and the SLP The Industrial Workers of the World The Role of Political Action and the IWW, Socialist Party of America James Connolly, born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1868, Regrettably, it was not so much His welcome was much cooler in ideology but rather a personality With the IWW Connolly also gained experience organizing was an Irish socialist who would 1903, however, with Connolly denied workers, striking to achieve better wages, working hours, and go on to be a leading member clash and factional politics that employment in the SLP and struggling caused the final rupture of conditions. During his time in America, he refined his of the 1916 Easter Rebellion in to find work to support himself. His organization and strike methods, which he would employ upon Ireland. From an early age he relations between Connolly, De letters and papers from this period return to Ireland in 1910 through his work with the Irish Transport became involved in the socialist Leon and the SLP. As a result of alternate between admiration and his conflict with De Leon and and General Workers Union and other labor organization efforts. movement through groups such hatred for De Leon, whose political as the Scottish Socialist subsequent resignation from the ideology he initially admired. They SLP in 1908, Connolly became Federation and the agreed on a number of key stances even more involved with the Independent Labor Party. A self- and issues while differing on others, educated man well read in the IWW, where he wrote a regular but the toxic mix of De Leon’s column, “Notes from New York,” socialist and political literature dogmatism and intolerance, clashing in the Industrial Union Bulletin, the of his day, Connolly eventually with Connolly’s stubbornness and official publication of the IWW. made his way back to Ireland, similar need to be in control came to Formed in 1905, the IWW forming his own socialist group, dominate their relationship. These was a radical labor the Irish Socialist Republican clashes with De Leon, however, organization that Party. forced him to refine his own socialist emphasized using ideology, as he moved from member industrial unionism to of the SLP, to involvement with the form one big union, Connolly in America and the Socialist IWW, and later the Socialist Party of under which all workers Labor Party America as well. would be organized, While the IWW was strongly against Connolly felt strongly that controlling the means of any political involvement, Connolly socialism should be production. Connolly was not ready to give up on all Attracted to the work of American accessible and was attracted to the political, ballot box action. Here was understandable for the IWW’s focus on industrial socialists, particularly that of Daniel the attraction to the Socialist Party, people it was trying to reach, De Leon, he travelled to America for unionism and with the with its broad, political platform and as evidenced by work such the first time in 1902, at the behest of IWW, he worked, giving charismatic, if flawed, leader as his popular book Socialism De Leon’s Socialist Labor Party for a speeches, writing, and Eugene V. Debs. Connolly initially speaking tour. Made Easy. Connolly often organizing unions, rejected the SP for its cooperation worked to organize recent alongside other with the American Federation of immigrants, especially but notables of the socialist Upon return to Ireland, however, the Labor, which practiced “craft not limited to, the Irish. He clash of personalities and ensuing movement, including unionism,” a form of labor also made an effort to work fallout that would come to define figures such as Elizabeth organization that Connolly saw as already established labor much of Connolly’s career resulted in Gurley Flynn, his detrimental to the socialist and socialist organizations to his ejection from his own party. neighbor in NYC and movement. During his later years in Rejected by his comrades and bring them into the SLP and fellow socialist speaker America, however, he came to IWW. and activist. excluded from any position of value and support the role of the consequence within the socialist Connolly saw factionalism within the movement as harmful to Socialist Party. movement in Ireland, which had achieving the goals of socialism. His grassroots work reveals a stagnated anyway, Connolly true dedication to the needs of the worker and his belief in the Conclusion determined to move to America, importance of uniting the movement, however, he deviated In addition to the many articles with its more active socialist and he wrote for the Industrial Union from this when it came to working and cooperating with fellow labor movements, while bringing his Bulletin and the Harp during this Connolly’s years in America had a profound impact on his leadership. In order to reach the Italian Socialist Federation family over later. and try to bring it and other race federations into the fold of period, Connolly also managed political and socialist ideology, providing him real world the SLP, Connolly went so far as to teach himself Italian. to pen the book Labor in Irish experience navigating leadership politics, and refining his History, which retold Irish history, grassroots labor organization and strike methods. He wrote and Bibliography Unfortunately, it was his work with the ISF, and the question of reinserting the voice of everyday Greaves, Charles Desmond. The Life and Times of James Connolly. Lawrence and Wishart Ltd., the role of so called “race” federation’s inclusion within the SLP traveled extensively with the SLP, IWW, and SP, gaining valuable 1987. working men and women into experience he would bring back to Ireland and employ for the Nevin, Donal, ed. Between Comrades: James Connolly, Letters and Correspondence and IWW, which De Leon objected to, that became an 1889-1916. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan, 2007. it’s story. causes of the Irish worker, and of Irish national independence. Reeve, Carl and Ann Barton Reeve. James Connolly and the United States: the road to the 1916 unexpected point of contention that led to Connolly’s exit Irish rebellion. Humanities Press, 1987. from the SLP. .
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