Eugene Victor Debs
Born November 5, 1855 (Terre Haute, Indiana)
Died October 20, 1926 (Elmhurst, Illinois)
Labor activist
Presidential candidate
By the late nineteenth century the industrial workforce in the United States had grown very large. Factory workers labored long hours at dull, repetitive, often dangerous jobs, yet many did not make enough money to provide food, clothing, and shelter for their families. The fear of losing their jobs prevented most people from speaking out against the unfair working conditions in the country's big industries, and there were few organizations or reformers willing to help. Labor leader Eugene Victor Debs was one man who devoted his life to providing a strong voice for the workers. He struggled tirelessly for twenty years to promote the labor union movement, which sought to protect the common interests of workers, particularly with respect to wages and working conditions. Debs believed that if they united, laborers could have more control over the workplace. When he felt the labor movement had failed, he attempted to lead an independent political party that would support American workers. Although in the early years of his fight for reform he was viewed as a radical and even a criminal by many Americans, by the end of his life Debs was almost universally
known as someone who had selflessly committed himself to helping others.
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