Throughline Podcast: “American Socialist”

By reading this koob, you will discover how Eugene V. Debs became a socialist leader in the early 20th century and an inspiration to many future generations.

You will also discover:

• How historical factors motivated Debs to become a politician

• How fighting for labor unions led him to embrace socialist ideas

• How he was able to put socialism into a context Americans understood

• How he used his presidential platforms to further the Socialist Party agenda

• How World War I forever impacted the socialist movement in the US

Long before Bernie Sanders brought democratic socialism to the front of American politics, Eugene V. Debs ran for president of the United States as a socialist candidate. Although many people in the US today consider it as a dangerous threat to American values, Debs’ journey from labor union leader to the head of the Socialist Party reveals how active socialism became in mainstream American politics well before historical events like the Red Scare demonized it. His legacy not only includes winning meaningful votes, but also helping the movement become embedded in American institutions. Are you ready to discover how the Father of American Socialism left an impact on the US political system?