Language Federations were formed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century by immigrants to the United States, primarily from Eastern Europe is, by convention, that part of Europe from the Ural and Caucasus mountains in the East to an arbitrarily chosen boundary in the West. ...Eastern and Southern Europe is a region of Europe. ...Southern Europe, who shared a commitment to some form of The color red and particularly the red flag are traditional symbols of Socialism. ...socialist politics. Some of these groups joined the The Socialist Labor Party of America (SLP) is the oldest socialist political party in the United States and the second oldest socialist party in the world. ...Socialist Labor Party; later, many joined the The Socialist Party of America is a socialist political party in the United States. ...Socialist Party and then later joined one of the precursors of the The Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA) is one of several Marxist_Leninist groups in the United States. ...Communist Party; a number of federations also remained in the Socialist Party. The Russian and Finnish federations were particularly important in the early years of the Communist Party.

The Language Federations also served as an important cultural resource for immigrants, allowing them to maintain contact with political developments in their homelands and providing a gathering place for strangers in a strange land. Many groups had their own halls for dances and social gatherings which still exist, in name if not in function, in The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America¹, the States, or (archaically) Columbia — is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ...America's largest cities of the The East Coast (also known as the Eastern Seaboard) is a term referencing the easternmost coastal states in the United States of America. ...East and See: West Coast of the United States West Coast, New Zealand West Coast, Tasmania This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...West Coasts and Midwest States (United States of America, ND to OH) The Midwest is a common name for a region of the United States of America. ...Midwest.

Each Language Federation arose at different times, as members of those national, ethnic or religious groups arrived in the United States. In addition, they typically sprung up at the grassroots level, affiliating with other local groups to form national federations before attaching themselves to political parties. They often resisted attempts by the parties to which they were affiliated to bring them into line with the aims or platform of the group as a whole; indeed, at some points the various Language Federations made up such a large portion of socialist groups as to make top-down dictation of a uniform policy very difficult.

The SPUSA had a vexed relation with Language Federations: while it began recognizing them in the first decade of the twentieth century and incorporating them within the party in the decade that followed, the party had often veered in the direction of The term Nativism is used in both politics and psychology in two fundamentally different ways. ...nativism, particularly in the case of exclusion of Asian workers, but also directed against Eastern and Southern European immigrants. The SPUSA often appeared as if it did not know what to make of these foreign-language organizations and let them develop more or less independently. Even so, they grew exponentially during Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...World War I and made up roughly half the SPUSA by 1918.

The Executive Committee of the SPUSA formally expelled seven of these Language Federations in May, 1919 when it became clear that they favored the left wing in the impending split within the party. The expelled federations formed the bulk of the membership of the new Communist Party of America led by Charles Ruthenberg (July 14, 1884 – 1927) became famous for founding the Communist Party in the USA. Ruthenberg was born in New York City, New York, the son of an immigrant from Russia who was a prosperous garment merchant. ...Charles Ruthenberg and Louis Fraina; the Communist Labor Party, created later, appealed more to American-born workers. Not all federations aligned with Ruthenburg, however, in the factional infighting within the CPUSA in the years that followed: the German and Yiddish language federations, for example, were identified with the more conservative faction led by Ludwig Lore until he was expelled from the party.

The CPUSA, then named the Workers Party, tried in 1924 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...1924 to disband the federations and reorganize the party on the cell structure that the Bolsheviks had employed, on directives from the The first edition of Communist International, journal of the Comintern published in Moscow and Petrograd (now Saint Petersburg) in May 1919. ...Comintern. The party met with resistance, however, particularly from the Finnish Federation, whose members feared losing what influence they had if they were submerged within a larger English-speaking organization. While the party succeeded in "Bolshevizing" the federations, it may have lost fifty percent or more of these members in the process.

Although the SPUSA went into decline in the Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s - 1920s - 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 Referred to as the Roaring 20s. ...1920s, it still drew a large part of its base from the foreign-born in these years. The old Language Federations within the SPUSA nearly all disappeared, however, by the early Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented Science Nuclear fission discovered by Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann Pluto, the ninth planet from the Sun, is discovered by Clyde Tombaugh British biologist Arthur Tansley coins term ecosystem War, peace and politics Socialists proclaim The death of Capitalism Rise to...1930s.

The following groups formed the most significant Language Federations:

Finnish Federations

Arising first in Boston redirects here. ...Boston, Massachusetts and State nickname: North Star State Other U.S. States Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Governor Tim Pawlenty Official languages None Area 225,365 km² (12th)  - Land 206,375 km²  - Water 18,990 km² (8. ...Minnesota as benevolent organizations, the federation affiliated with the SPUSA around 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...1907. During its affiliation with the SPUSA it established its own Workers' College in Minnesota, published three newspapers, and divided the federation into three regional districts, with differing political outlooks. A power struggle soon ensued, with the national SPUSA intervening on the side of the conservative Eastern District. The Western and Central District branches were barred from establishing a rival federation, but Central District militants succeeded in taking control of the Workers College.

In 1919 the Federation split: a large number of Finnish members joined the CPUSA, representing nearly half of the members of the party at one point in the 1920s and maintaining a separate organizational presence within it, in the form of Finnish Workers' Clubs, until 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...1941. The Finnish Federation remained the largest foreign language federation within the SPUSA throughout the 1920s.

German Federations

German-speaking socialists made up so much of the early socialist groups that no steps were taken to organize a separate German language grouping either outside or within the SPUSA until 1912 is a leap year starting on Monday. ...1912. That group drew heavily on organizations in State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ...New York and State nickname: The Garden State Other U.S. States Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Governor Richard Codey Official languages None defined Area 22,608 km² (47th)  - Land 19,231 km²  - Water 3,378 km² (14. ...New Jersey. Those chapters split to join the CPUSA in 1919.

Hungarian Federations

Hungarian language political groups first appeared in the The 1890s were sometimes referred to as the Gay Nineties, under the then-current usage of the word gay which referred simply to merriment and frivolity, with no connotation of homosexuality as in current-day usage. ...1890s and affiliated with both the SLP and the SPUSA in the following decade. Some federations affiliated with the SLP later migrated to the The IWW Label A Wobbly membership card The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or the Wobblies) is an international union headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, having much in common with anarcho-syndicalist unions, but also many differences. ...Industrial Workers of the World. Most ended up with the SPUSA; relatively few left to join the CPUSA.

Italian Federations

A socialist Italian language federation was formed as part of the SLP in Events January-April January 28 - The Carnegie Institution is founded in Washington, DC with a $10 million gift from Andrew Carnegie. ...1902, but split from it the following year. The majority of the federation's members were Syndicalism is a political and economic ideology which advocates giving control of both industry and government to labor union federations. ...syndicalist and remained unaligned with either party, while a minority affiliated with the SPUSA in 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...1910. Most of those members remained with the SPUSA in 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...1919, although the This is an article about New York City; see also NYC, New York, and New York, New York. ...New York City branch joined the CPUSA. There were apparently never enough Italian-speaking members within the CPUSA to constitute a separate Federation. Italian-speaking garment workers in New York City also maintained their own locals within the The International Ladies Garment Workers Union, once one of the largest labor unions in the United States, one of the first U.S. unions to have a primarily female membership, and a key player in the labor history of the 1920s and 1930s, merged with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile...International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, both when they were aligned with the SPUSA and under Communist leadership in the Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s - 1920s - 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 Referred to as the Roaring 20s. ...1920s.

Jewish Federations

While Jewish workers of various nationalities also took part in those federations, Jewish workers also formed groups known as Arbeiterrings ("Workmen's Circles") in major cities in the late 1800s. More formal parties, however, tended to fragment, both on ideological grounds and on the distinction between newly arrived "greenhorns" with A Bundist demonstration, 1917 The General Jewish Labour Union of Lithuania, Poland and Russia, in Yiddish the Algemeyner Yidisher Arbeter Bund in Lite, Poyln un Rusland (אלגמײנער ײדישער ארבײטרסבונד אין רוסלנד, ליטא אונד פוילן), generally called The Bund (בונד), was a Jewish political party operating in several European countries between...Bundist politics and the more assimilated immigrants from earlier decades. The Bundist tendency eventually prevailed after thousands of Jewish socialists fled Poland and Russian in the aftermath of the failed (Redirected from 1905 Revolution) The Russian Revolution of 1905 was a country-wide spasm of anti-government and undirected violence. ...1905 Revolution. The Jewish Federation within the SPUSA–not fomally established until 1912 is a leap year starting on Monday. ...1912–grew rapidly, publishing its own weekly newspaper. It split in 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...1919, with significant numbers of members remaining with the SPUSA.

Latvian Federation

The Latvian Federation within the CPUSA, with a high proportion of forestry workers, was the third largest within the party in 1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...1921.

Lithuanian Federation

The Lithuanian Socialist Federation, founded in 1905 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...1905, grew rapidly with an influx of members who had come to the United States to escape repression after the 1905 Revolution. The organization suffered splits, however, when anarchist and more strictly nationalist elements left and lost nearly half its members when it affiliated with the SPUSA in 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...1914. It published a number of weekly newspapers and a monthly journal while affiliated with the SPUSA. THe SPUSA suspended the Federation in 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...1919, when a large number of members left for the CPUSA, where the Lithuanian Federation was one of the largest constituents.

Polish Federations

The Alliance of Polish Socialists in America was formed as an emigre group, dedicated to making revolution in The Republic of Poland, a democratic country with a population of 38,626,349 and area of 312,685 km², is located in Central Europe, between Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south, Ukraine and Belarus to the east, and the Baltic Sea, Lithuania and...Poland, rather than the United States. It merged with the Polish Section of the Socialist Party in 1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...1913. It published a daily newspaper in Chicago and two weekly newspapers. It formally disaffiliated from the SPUSA in 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) Events January_February January 1 _The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ...1916, although a minority remained with the party. A few hundred members joined the CPUSA.

Russian Federations

A formal Russian Federation within the SPUSA was not created until 1917 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...1917. It claimed more than 5,000 members in 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...1919, and largely went over to the CPUSA that year. It lost a number of members to deportation in the The Palmer Raids were a number of attacks on Socialists and Communists in the United States from 1918 to 1921. ...Palmer Raids that followed.

Scandinavian Federations

The SLP had an early Danish affiliate, although this organization appears to have disappeared in factional infighting in 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...1899. The SLP continued to publish in Swedish as late as the Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s - 1920s - 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 Referred to as the Roaring 20s. ...1920s. Much of the SPUSA's Scandinavian Federation went over to the CPUSA in 1919.

Slovak Federation

The Slovak Socialist Federation, founded in Chicagos skyline at day Chicago is the third largest city in the United States, after New York City and Los Angeles, with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 US Census. ...Chicago in 1904 is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...1904, remained an autonomous organization until 1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...1913, when it affiliated with the SPUSA. It continued to grow after affiliation, publishing several newspapers and maintaining more than twenty chapters.

South Slavic Federation

This federation, which consisted mostly of Croat and Slovenian members, affiliated with the SPUSA in 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...1910. The Slovenian members generally remained with the SPUSA after the split, while many Croat members went over to the CPUSA.

External sources

"The Finns and the Crisis Over 'Bolshevization' in the Worker's Party, 1924-25" (http://www.genealogia.fi/emi/art/article265e.htm) by Auvo Kostiainen

"For White Men Only: The Socialist Party of America and Issues of Gender, Ethnicity and Race" (http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/jga/2.3/miller.html) by Sally M. Miller

"Foreign Language Federations (1890s–1930)" (http://www.marxistsfr.cjb.net/subject/usa/eam/languagefeds.html)