Socialist Labor Party collection HLL.2019.037
Allison Ransom
Holt Labor Library at CSU Dominguez Hills
April 2022
Contributing Institution:
Holt Labor Library at CSU Dominguez Hills
Title: Socialist Labor Party collection
Creator:
Socialist Labor Party
Identifier/Call Number: HLL.2019.037
Physical Description:
.42 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): 1976-1994, undated
Abstract: The collection reflects the activities, statuses, and guiding principles of the Socialist Labor Party (SLP) from 1976-1994.
It comprises documents from National Conventions from 1976 to 1993, pamphlets, leaflets, one Constitution, and one catalogue
from New York Labor News, the Party's publisher.
Language of Material: Collection material is in English.
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
The collection is alphabetically arranged in one series.
The Socialist Labor Party collection was donated to the Holt Labor Library in San Francisco, California between 1992 and 2019,
and was acquired by the Gerth Archives and Special Collections at California State University, Dominguez Hills, in 2019.
For information about citing archival material, see the
Citations for Archival Material guide, or consult the appropriate style manual.
Allison Ransom processed the collection and wrote the finding aid in April 2022.
The collection contains minutes, reports, and resolutions from the 1976-1978, 1980-1981, 1983-1984, 1987, 1989, 1991, and
1993 National Conventions of the Socialist Labor Party, Socialist Studies pamphlets published by New York Labor News and the
Socialist Labor Party, leaflets comprising statements by the Socialist Labor Party, one Constitution, and one New York Labor
News catalogue with related materials.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives
and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical
materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
The Socialist Labor Party (SLP), established in 1876 as the Workingmen's Party of the United States, was the first socialist
party in the United States. It changed its name to the Socialist Labor Party in 1877, and by 1899 had distinguished itself
by adhering to the libertarian Marxist theory of early SLP leader Daniel De Leon, which resulted in dissenting members of
the Party leaving to form the Socialist Party of America. The SLP published its official organ,
The People, from 1891 to 2008, with a later online edition ending publication in 2011, as well as a series of pamphlets titled
Socialist Studies from 1983 to 1984, many of which were reprinted in later years. The SLP ran candidates for presidential election from 1892
through 1976 and advocated for an anti-capitalist Socialist Industrial Union government to be achieved by way of fostering
class consciousness among the working class, an approach to Socialism is that is distinctly Marxist. The organization closed
its national office on September 1, 2008.
Bibliography:
"Facts about the Socialist Labor Party of America." Socialist Labor Party of America. The Home of Marxism-De Leonism. http://www.slp.org/facts.htm
[Winger, Richard] (December 31, 2008). "Socialist Labor Party Closes Office." Ballot Access News. http://ballot-access.org/2008/12/31/socialist-labor-party-closes-office/
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Socialism
Labor unions
Marxism -- United States
box 1, folder 1
"Constitution. Socialist Labor Party of America" 1993
box 1
"National Convention Minutes, Reports, Resolutions, Etc." 1976-1978, 1980-1981, 1983-1984, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993
Comprises volumes from the following National Conventions of the Socialist Labor Party: Twenty-Ninth, Feburary 7-11, 1976;
Thirtieth, May 28-June 1, 1977; Thirty-First, May 26-31, 1978; Thirty-Third, June 27-July 1, 1980; Thirty-Fourth, June 5-10,
1981; Thirty-Sixth, July 18-23, 1983; Thirty-Seventh, July 16-21, 1984; Thirty-Eigth, July 27-31, 1987; Thirty-Ninth, April
29-May 3, 1989; Fortieth, April 28-30, 1991; Forty-First, May 1-4, 1993.
box 1, folder 1
New York Labor News catalogue, order form, and promotional leaflets undated
box 1, folder 1
box 1, folder 2
box 1, folder 2
Socialist Studies pamphlets. Sunnyvale and Palo Alto, Calif.: New York Labor News June-July 1994