Eugene V. Debs

Date of Birth: November 5, 1855

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Date of Death: October 20, 1926

Biography

Eugene Victor Debs was an American socialist, political activist, and trade unionist. Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, Debs was a founding member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and a five-time candidate of the Socialist Party of America for President of the United States. Debs’s early work as a labor organizer and his leadership in the American Railway Union (ARU) laid the foundation for his political career. He gained national attention when he was imprisoned for his role in the Pullman Strike of 1894. While in jail, Debs read widely and embraced socialism, which led him to co-found the Socialist Party of America in 1901. He advocated for workers’ rights, social justice, and economic equality throughout his life. Debs’s most famous speech, delivered in Canton, Ohio in 1918, led to his arrest under the Espionage Act for speaking against World War I. He was sentenced to ten years in prison but was released after serving nearly three years when President Warren G. Harding commuted his sentence. Debs continued his advocacy for socialism and labor rights until his death in 1926.

5 Interesting Facts about Eugene V. Debs

1. Eugene V. Debs ran for President of the United States five times, the last time from prison in 1920.

2. He was instrumental in founding the American Railway Union, one of the nation’s first industrial unions.

3. Debs was sentenced to ten years in prison for his anti-war speech in 1918 but was released early by President Harding.

4. He was one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a radical labor union.

5. Despite his frequent runs for office, Debs never held an elected position.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Eugene V. Debs

1. “While there is a lower class I am in it, while there is a criminal element I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.”

2. “The most heroic word in all languages is revolution.”

3. “I would rather a thousand times be a free soul in jail than to be a sycophant and coward in the streets.”

4. “When great changes occur in history, when great principles are involved, as a rule the majority are wrong.”

5. “I am opposing a social order in which it is possible for one man who does absolutely nothing that is useful to amass a fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars, while millions of men and women who work all the days of their lives secure barely enough for a wretched existence.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Eugene V. Debs did not amass significant personal wealth during his lifetime. His highest net worth was modest, consistent with his dedication to socialist principles and workers’ rights.