Theodore Draper's incredibly detailed book about the many groups, factions and individuals that would form what became the Communist Party USA. Mostly focusing on the years 1917-1921, Draper traces the roots from the 'Left-Wing' of the Socialist Party of America and the IWW, to the Third International-linked CPUSA.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Theodore Draper The Roots of American Communism 2003.pdf | 37.45 MB |
Partial archive of articles from the newspaper of the revolutionary union, the Industrial Workers of the World.
The history of the anarchist international from its origins in the 1860s through its height of several million members, to its later decline and current resurgence.
The libcom library contains nearly 20,000 articles. If it's your first time on the site, or you're looking for something specific, it can be difficult to know where to start. Luckily, there's a range of ways you can filter the library content to suit your needs, from casual browsing to researching a particular topic. Click here for the guide.
If you have an ebook reader or a Kindle, check out our guide to using ebook readers with libcom.org.
If you'd like to upload content to the library which is in line with the aims of the site or will otherwise be of interest to libcom users, please check out our guides to submitting library/history articles and tagging articles. If you're not sure if something is appropriate for the library, please ask in the feedback and content forum. If you don't have permissions to post content yet, just request it here.
Click here to register now. Logged in users:
▶ Can comment on articles and discussions
▶ Get 'recent posts' refreshed more regularly
▶ Bookmark articles to your own reading list
▶ Use the site private messaging system
▶ Start forum discussions, submit articles, and more...
Comments
It's been years since I read this & Draper's sequel (the title of which escapes me right now). It's an important book, well-written, fully documented and objective. Draper himself was a member of CPUSA in the 'thirties, leaving the Party after the announcement of the Hitler-Stalin Pact. While remaining a social progressive, he maintained an anti-Stalinist position. His brother, Hal Draper, was among the Trots & wrote Karl Marx's Theory of Revolution, an important work that, while critical of Anarchism, does present the libertarian roots of Marxism.
Draper's tale of the ins & outs of the Bolshevik-inspired movement in the US Left plainly & without polemic, shows the demise & moral corruption of the Left in this country, which still suffers the effects of Leninism. One of the key histories of the US Left.