HISTORY OF SOCIALISM IN THE UNITED STATES HISTORY OF SOCIALISM IN THE UNITED STATES BY MORRIS HILLQUIT AUTHOR OF "SOCIALISM IN THEORY AND PRACTICE FIFTH REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION \* FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY NEW YORK AND LONDON COPYRIGHT, 1903 AND 1910 BY FUNK & WAGNALLS COMPANY [Printed in the United States of American Published, April, 1910 PEEPACE TO REVISED EDITION SINCE the first appearance of this book (October, 1903), four editions of it have been printed without any change in the text. But now, when my publishers are about to send it out into the world for the fifth time, I feel that the task of subjecting it to a thorough revision can no longer be delayed. There are several reasons why such revision should be undertaken at this time. The last six years have been years of uncommon interest and eventfulness for the socialist movement of this country, and no history of the movement can claim to be complete without at least a brief record of these events. The task of bringing the narrative down to date has made necessary the addition of an entirely new and somewhat extended chapter. An attempt has also been made in this edition to analyze the character of the American socialist movement and to ' * forecast its probable future. When the of Social- " History ism in the United States was first written, socialism was only beginning to gain a foothold in this country, and the organized socialist movement was barely in its formative stage. The Socialist Party, which, to-day represents the bulk of all organized socialist activities in the United States, was only two years old. Its following was small, and its policy was somewhat unsettled. During the last six years, the party has almost doubled the number of its voters and trebled its enrolled membership. It has largely extended and perfected its organization, and has evolved more fixt and efficient methods of action. Since its organization in 1901, the Socialist Party has held three conventions and has passed through two national political campaigns. Its mission and place in the politics of the country have become more definitely settled. And as American socialism is 5 6 , PREFACE TO REVISED EDITION gradually unfolding itself and revealing its nature, aims and methods, the future of the movement and its probable effects on the life and destinies of the nation are becoming the subjects of legitimate inquiry. For, after all, the his- tory of socialism in the United States is as yet by no means a closed book. Notwithstanding its many picturesque chap- ters, it must on the whole be regarded as a mere prelude. What will follow that mysterious prelude? Will it be a tuneful opera, a farce-comedy or a stormy drama? This is a question of deep concern to all thinking Americans, and especially to the toiling masses of the people, to whom the message of Socialism addresses itself in the first in- stance. I have endeavored to answer that question without passion or bias in the light of the past course of the de- velopment of the socialist movement at home and abroad. .. Besides adding these new chapters, I have found it neces- sary to make many minor changes in the text of the first edition. In attempting to write a "History of Socialism in the United States," I ventured into a practically new and hitherto uncultivated field, and the book has not es- caped the faults of most pioneer works of this kind a number of inaccurate statements and some important omis- sions. These I have attempted to correct and to supply with the aid of the many friendly and helpful criticisms of the first edition of this book and of several new and valuable works on separate phases of the American socialist and labor movement which have appeared within the last years. I realize keenly that the work is still by far not perfect or even complete. But I consider the importance of the sub- ject and the favorable reception of the first edition of the book, a sufficient justification for the publication of this revised edition. MOREIS HILLQUIT. New York, November, 1909. PEEFACE TO FIRST EDITION * ' WHEN John Humphrey Noyes published his History of " American Socialisms (1870), the modern socialist move- ment was almost unknown in this country. The "social- isms" described by Noyes are merely the social experi- ments of the early schools of communism. Most of these experiments have since passed out of existence, and those still surviving can not be considered part of contempora- neous socialism. Socialism to-day is a vastly different movement from what it was in the days of Noyes. The numerous isolated communities, with their multiform social- isms of various hues and shades, have given way to one or- ganized and uniform socialist movement of national scope. The growth of the socialist movement in the United States has become an object of interest to all students of social problems. Many books have been written in recent years on the theories of socialism, but its history has re- ceived very scant attention. In 1890 A. Sartorius von Wal- tershausen published a scholarly work on Modern Socialism 1 in the United States, which contains much valuable mate- rial on the history of the movement during the period of 1850 to 1890. One year later S. Cognetti de Martiis pub- 2 lished a book under a similar title. The author dealt with the earlier stages of the socialist movement as well as with its more modern phases, but contributed little new informa- tion on the subject. Neither work can at this date be re- garded as a complete history of the socialist movement in America, and, moreover, both were written in foreign lan- guages, and are for this reason inaccessible to the majority of American readers. Of writers in the English language 1 "Der Moderne Sozialisrnus in den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika." 2 "11 Socialism Negli Stati Uniti." I 8 , PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION Prof. E. T. Ely was the only one to attempt a concise and 3 intelligent history of American socialism, but Mr. Ely's book was written in 1886, and the subject was only inci- dental to the thesis of his work. A knowledge of the history of socialism is, however, indispensable for an intelligent appreciation of the move- ment. The circumstances of its origin and the manner of its growth furnish the only trustworthy key to its present condition and significance, and to the tendencies of its fu- ture development. In preparing this work I have endeavored to fill a gap in the literature of the subject, and I now present it to the public in the hope that it may contribute in some degree to a better understanding of a movement which is fast be- coming an important factor in the social and political life of our country. MORRIS HILLQUIT. New York, October, 1903. 8 "The Labor Movement in America." CONTENTS PAGE GENERAL INTRODUCTION. The Industrial Revolution of the Nineteenth Century Social Theories and Socialism "Utopian" Socialism, its Characteristics and Origin Development of Modern Socialism "Utopian" and Mod- ern Socialism Contrasted 17 PAET I Early Socialism INTRODUCTION. UTOPIAN SOCIALISM AND COMMUNISTIC EX- PERIMENTS. Communistic Experiments as a Form of "Utopian" Socialism The United States as the Princi- pal Field of Operation of Social Communities Num- ber, Strength, and Classification of American Com- munities 21 CHAPTER I SECTARIAN COMMUNITIES I. THE SHAKERS. Origin and Growth of the Sect Social Organization and Classes Religious Beliefs and Mode of Life The Communism of the Shakers .... 29 II. THE HARMONY SOCIETY. The "Separatists" and George Rapp Migrations of the Harmonites "Count De Leon" Present Condition and Accumulated Wealth of the Society 32 III. ZOAR. Immigration of the Sect into the United States Joseph BUumeler Origin of the Zoar Community Incorporation Litigation Dissolution 34 IV. THE AMANA COMMUNITY. The "True Inspiration Soci- ety" Christian Metz and Barbara Heynemann First Settlement in Buffalo, N. Y. Emigration to Iowa The Seven Amana Villages Administration of Affairs Cus- toms and Mode of Life 37 V. BETHEL AND AURORA. Adventurous Career of Dr. Keil Life and Industries of the Communists Loose Form of Organization Dissolution 40 VI. THE ONEIDA COMMUNITY. John Humphrey Noyes and 9 10 CONTENTS PAGE "Perfectionism" Establishment of the Oneida Settle- ment High Standard of Culture Religious Doctrines "Complex Marriages" Schools and Literature An In- stance of "Mutual Criticism" Transformation into a Joint-Stock Company ... - 42 CHAPTER II THE OWENITE PERIOD I. ROBEBT OWEN. Life of Owen Theory of the Formation of the Human Character The Manufacturing Village of New Lanark Owen's Business Partners Conver- sion to Communism Theories of Social Reconstruc- tion-Asocial Experiments Work of Propaganda in England and the United States "Equitable Banks of Labor Exchange" "Association of all Classes and Na- tions" Death of Owen Robert Dale Owen The Two Evanses Beginnings of Trade-Union Movement Early American Writers on Socialism First Political Working-Men's Party in New York 48 II. NEW HABMONY. Location and Appearance of the Settle- ment Founders of the Community Heterogeneous Crowd of Settlers Seven Successive "Constitutions" Division of the Community Failure of the Enter- prise 58 III. YELLOW SPRINGS COMMUNITY. The Swedenborgians of Cincinnati Dr. Roe Enthusiasm of the Settlers Brief Career of the Experiment 64 IV. NASHOBA. Life of Frances Wright Purpose and Man- agement of the Settlement Abandonment of the Ex- periment 65 V. OTHER OWENITE EXPERIMENTS. The Haverstraw Com- munity and the "Church of Reason" The Coxsackie Community and Debates on Constitutions The Ill- fated Kendal Community 67 CHAPTER III THE FOURIERIST PERIOD I.