United Labor Party (New York City)
United Labor Party | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | ULP |
| Founded | 1886 |
| Dissolved | 1888 |
| Succeeded by | People's Party Socialist Labor Party |
| Ideology | Georgism Laborism Marxism Socialism |
| Political position | Left-wing |
The United Labor Party was a short-lived alliance of 115 different labor unions and labor parties including the Central Labor Union, Knights of Labor, and the Socialist Labor Party.[1][2]
History
Origins
The ULP was formed as a response of the rising "red scare" following the Haymarket Affair.[3]
Henry George mayoral campaign
After the formation of the party, the party leaders reached out to Henry George, who was sympathetic enough to labor to run under a labor banner but also educated enough to be a viable candidate, who eventually agreed to run for the United Labor Party after seeing 36,000 signatures in support of him.[1][3] The party ran for the New York City mayoral position in 1886 with the candidate Henry George, who ended in second, ahead of Republican Candidate Theodore Roosevelt and behind the Democratic Candidate Abram Hewitt.
The Party also had an unsuccessful attempt to run in the 1887 Philadelphia mayoral election with the candidate Tomas Phillips.[4]
Split
After the two elections, there was heavy conflict between the Georgist faction of the party and the Socialist faction of the party, eventually ending in a Georgist-Socialist split in 1887, which effectively ended the alliance.[1][5]
Members
- Henry George, economist, candidate for Mayor of New York City (1886)
- James J. Coogan, merchant, candidate for Mayor of New York City (1888), future Borough President of Manhattan
- John Vincent, lawyer, candidate for Justice of the New York Supreme Court (1887), future New York County District Attorney
- James A. O'Gorman, lawyer, candidate for Justice of the New York City Civil Court (1887), future United States Senator
- Louis F. Post, newspaper editor, chairman of the 1887 party convention,[6] future United States Assistant Secretary of Labor
- Laurence Gronlund, writer, delegate to the 1887 party convention[6]
- John McMackin, delegate to the 1887 party convention,[6] future New York State Labor Commissioner[7]
- Sergei Shevitch, newspaper editor, delegate to the 1887 party convention[6]
- Walter Vrooman, educationalist, delegate to the 1887 party convention[6]
Supporters
- Jacob Ralph Abarbanell, playwright[8]
- Thomas Davidson, professor[8]
- Benjamin Franklin DeCosta, Episcopalian priest[8]
- Samuel Gompers, President of the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions[9]
- Daniel De Leon, lecturer
- Edward Bliss Foote, doctor[8]
- Edward McGlynn, Catholic priest
- R. Heber Newton, Episcopalian priest[8]
- Terence V. Powderly, General Master Workman of the Knights of Labor
- Sylvanus H. Sweet, former New York State Engineer and Surveyor (1874–1875)
- John Swinton, journalist
- Gideon J. Tucker, former New York Secretary of State[8]
- Charles F. Wingate, philanthropist[8]
References
- ^ a b c Genovese, Frank C. (1991). "Henry George and Organized Labor: The 19th Century Economist and Social Philosopher Championed Labor's Cause, but Used Its Candidacy for Propaganda". The American Journal of Economics and Sociology. 50 (1): 113–127. doi:10.1111/j.1536-7150.1991.tb02500.x. ISSN 0002-9246. JSTOR 3487043.
- ^ "THE UNITED LABOR PARTY". The New York Times. August 11, 1876. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ a b O’Donnell, Edward (October 22, 2015). "Henry George and the Crisis of Inequality". www.c-span.org. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ "LABOR MEN IN POLITICS.; NOMINATIONS MADE BY THE UNITED LABOR PARTY IN PHILADELPHIA". The New York Times. January 25, 1887. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ "UNITED LABOR PARTY MEETINGS". The New York Times. August 23, 1887. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "HENRY GEORGE AS A BOSS HIS DISMAL FAILURE IN RUNNING A CONVENTION" (PDF). The New York Times. New York. August 18, 1887. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ "JOB FOR JOHN McMACKIN.; Ex-Labor Commissioner Made Consul to Georgetown, British Guiana". The New York Times. New York. July 20, 1905. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g "All in earnest for George". New-York Tribune. New York. October 2, 1886. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- ^ Fine, Nathan (1928). Labor and Farmer Parties in the United States, 1828-1928. New York: Rand School of Social Science. pp. 35–55. Retrieved June 1, 2025.