Eugene Debs and Labor History

Eugene V. Debs, born in 1855 in Terre Haute, Indiana, began as a railroad worker and became a prominent labor leader. He founded the American Railway Union and led the Pullman Strike, which resulted in violent clashes. Imprisoned for violating a court injunction, Debs embraced socialism, founding the Socialist Party of America. He ran for president multiple times, advocating for workers' control over production. His anti-war stance during WWI led to another imprisonment under the Sedition Act. Pardoned in 1921, Debs returned home as a hero. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and remains a significant figure for left-leaning Americans.

What was Eugene Debs' initial profession before he became a prominent labor leader?

• Factory worker

• Lawyer

• Railroad worker

• Teacher

Which labor union did Eugene Debs help to establish, making it the most powerful of its time?

• United Mine Workers

• American Railway Union

• Industrial Workers of the World

• American Federation of Labor

What was the main reason for the Pullman Strike initiated by Debs and the ARU?

• Wage cuts without rent reduction

• Demand for shorter working hours

• Discrimination against workers

• Introduction of new machinery

During his imprisonment, which political ideology did Eugene Debs adopt?

• Conservatism

• Socialism

• Liberalism

• Anarchism

How many times did Eugene Debs run for the presidency of the United States?

• Five times

• Two times

• Three times

• Four times

What was Eugene Debs' stance on capitalism during the American Industrial Revolution?

• He was indifferent

• He opposed it

• He had no opinion

• He supported it

Why was Eugene Debs sentenced to prison during World War I?

• For organizing a strike

• For tax evasion

• For anti-war speeches

• For espionage

Who pardoned Eugene Debs, allowing him to return home to a hero's welcome?

• President Herbert Hoover

• President Woodrow Wilson

• President Calvin Coolidge

• President Warren G. Harding

Which prestigious award was Eugene Debs nominated for by Finnish socialist Carl H. Wyatt?

• Congressional Gold Medal

• Pulitzer Prize

• Nobel Peace Prize

• Presidential Medal of Freedom

Where did Eugene Debs pass away after years of declining health?

• New York, New York

• Chicago, Illinois

• Elmhurst, Illinois

• Terre Haute, Indiana