James P. Cannon and the Emergence of Trotskyism in the United States, 1928-38

1230 Pages·2021·16.717 MB·English

by  Bryan D. Palmer

JamesP.CannonandtheEmergenceofTrotskyismintheUnitedStates,
1928–38
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Historical Materialism
Book Series
EditorialBoard
LorenBalhorn(Berlin)
DavidBroder(Rome)
SebastianBudgen(Paris)
SteveEdwards(London)
JuanGrigera(London)
MarcelvanderLinden(Amsterdam)
PeterThomas(London)
volume 232
Thetitlespublishedinthisseriesarelistedatbrill.com/hm
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James P. Cannon and the
Emergence of Trotskyism in the
United States, 1928–38
By
BryanD.Palmer
leiden | boston
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LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Names:Palmer,BryanD.,author.
Title:JamesP.CannonandtheemergenceofTrotskyismintheUnitedStates,
1928-38/byBryanD.Palmer.
Description:Boston:Brill,[2021]|Series:Historicalmaterialismbookseries,
1570-1522;volume232|Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
Identifiers:lccn2021031079(print)|lccn2021031080(ebook)|isbn
9789004471511(hardback)|isbn9789004471528(e-book)
Subjects:lcsh:Communism–UnitedStates–History–20thcentury.|Cannon,
JamesPatrick,1890-1974.|Trotsky,Leon,1879-1940.|Workingclass–Political
activity–UnitedStates–History–20thcentury.
Classification:lcc hx83.p2662021(print)|lcc hx83(ebook)|
ddc335.430973–dc23
LCrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2021031079
LCebookrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2021031080
TypefacefortheLatin,Greek,andCyrillicscripts:“Brill”.Seeanddownload:brill.com/brill‑typeface.
issn1570-1522
isbn978-90-04-47151-1(hardback)
isbn978-90-04-47152-8(e-book)
Copyright2022byKoninklijkeBrillnv,Leiden,TheNetherlands.
KoninklijkeBrillnvincorporatestheimprintsBrill,BrillNijhoff,BrillHotei,BrillSchöningh,BrillFink,
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ForMikeDavis,story-tellerextraordinaire,
amilitant’smilitanthistorian;
&
ForErnieTate,‘defenderofoldpositions’and
afighterfornewones
∵
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vi
“BryanPalmer’sbiographyofJamesCannonisabrilliant,lucidlyand
compellinglywrittentourdeforce.Palmerhastakenthelifeof the
leaderofasmall,seeminglyobscureUSrevolutionaryorganization
toshedlightnotonlyonUSoppositionalpolitics,butonthedeepest
currentsofUS,NorthAmerican,andworldhistory.Thisisanessen-
tial primer for all who have an interest in radical labor and social
movementsacrosstheglobe.”
michael goldfield,author,mostrecently,ofTheSouthernKey:Class,
Race,andRadicalisminthe1930sand1940s
…
“The second volume of Bryan Palmer’s study of James P. Cannon,
afounderofTrotskyismintheUnitedStates,isacrucialcontribu-
tiontoourunderstandingof revolutionarypoliticsinthe1930s.It
grappleswithbothCannon’spoliticalandorganizationalstrengths
andweaknesses,providinganessentialadditiontothehistoryofthe
globalandUSmobilizationsoftheleftandtheirrelationswiththe
ongoingstrugglesofworkingpeople.”
charles post,authorofTheAmericanRoadtoCapitalismmemberofthe
editorialboardofSpectre:AMarxistJournal
…
“JamesP.CannonhasfoundtheperfectbiographerinBryanPalmer,
the accomplished historian of the international working class.
Palmer’sdetailedaccountof theAmericanLeftOpposition’sbreak
fromtheStalinizedCommunistInternationalin1928-38exposesthe
violent lengths to which the Communist Party, USA, would go to
suppresscriticsontheleft,aswellasdeftlydemonstratinghowCan-
non,itsleadingfigure,intervenedinthetitaniclaborstrugglesand
othereventsofthetumultuous1930s.Impressivelyresearched,this
isaprofoundworkof scholarshipthatissimultaneouslyariveting
narrative.Youcan’tputitdown.”
suzi weissman,authorofVictorSerge:APoliticalBiography,longtime
radiobroadcaster,andco-producerofaTrotskydocumentary,“TheMost
DangerousManintheWorld”
∵
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Contents
PrefaceandAcknowledgments xi
ListofFigures xx
Introduction:JamesP.Cannonandthe‘Prince’sFavors’ 1
1 HopeandtheDogDays 2
2 Historiography’sHouseofMirrors 10
3 MirrorImageRefusals 16
4 AnalyticAlternative 34
5 CannonandtheHistoryofAmericanTrotskyism 46
1 AnAmericanLeftOpposition 51
1 ExileoffMainStreet 51
2 StalinismConsolidating 56
3 StalinistSlowDancing:Guile 60
4 PickingupthePace:Gangsterism 72
5 RecruitingtheAmericanLeftOpposition:ThreePhases 97
6 Cannon:CaretakeroftheOriginalLeftOppositionCadre 98
7 Recruitment’sSecondPhase:Stalinism’sHeavyHand 113
8 ‘AnArmyofaMillionPeople’:Hungarians,Italians,Finns,and
ImmigrantBirthControllers 118
9 APublicationProgram 125
10 TheFoundingoftheCommunistLeagueofAmerica
(Opposition) 133
2 DogDays 157
1 Downturn:EconomicDepression 157
2 ‘LeftTurn’:RevolutionaryPoliticsandtheThirdPeriod 169
3 DimensionsofCannon’sCrisis:MaterialBeing 178
4 DimensionsofCannon’sCrisis:ReconstitutedFamiliesandDomestic
Complications 181
5 DimensionsofCannon’sCrisis:RoseKarsner’sBreak-Down 186
6 Cannon’sCollapsingWorld:ThePersonalBecomesPolitical 191
7 TheWeisbordWhirlwind 212
8 BranchBickerings:NewYorkCliquismandYouthRecruits 225
9 FactionalWaystation:June1932,NationalCommitteePlenum 240
10 FactionalismInternationalized:TheTurntoEurope 256
11 InternationalIntervention 287
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viii contents
12 DogDaysDenouement:NewTurns 300
13 InternalIronies 304
3 Daylight:AnalysisandAction 312
1 1933–34:Past,Present,andFuture 312
2 Context:Revival/Reorientation 314
3 TheLongandTryingMarchBacktoaLaborPartyPerspective 324
4 BlackOppressioninAmerica:NationalSelf-Determinationvs.The
RevolutionaryStruggleforEquality 337
5 TheMomentumofMobilizations:UnemployedandLaborDefense
Work 379
6 MinerMilitants:Cannon’s‘BonaFideProletarians’ 407
7 B.J.Field:ANapoleonamongNewYork’sFrenchChefs 461
8 DawnofaNewLeftOppositionDay 487
4 MinneapolisMilitants 507
1 GeneralStrike 507
2 ClassRelationsinMinneapolis 521
3 TrotskyistsamongtheTeamsters:PropagandisticOldMoles 528
4 JanuaryThaw;FebruaryColdSnap:TheCoalYardsonStrike 539
5 LessonsoftheCoalYardsStrike 545
6 StrikePreparations:UnemployedAgitationsandIndustrial
Unionism 547
7 Overcoming‘BureaucraticObstacles’ 557
8 TheLadies’/Women’sAuxiliary 559
9 RebelOutpost:1900ChicagoAvenue 565
10 TheTribuneAlleyPlotandtheBattleofDeputiesRun 568
11 May1934:SettlementSecured;VictoryPostponed 584
12 StalinistSlurs 596
13 Farmer-LaborTwoClassHybridvs.ClassStrugglePerspective 602
14 Interlude 606
15 TowardtheJulyDays 612
16 AStrikeDeclared;APlotExposed 623
17 BloodyFriday 629
18 Labor’sMartyr:HenryB.Ness 639
19 MartialLaw/RedScare 645
20 Olson:TheDefective‘Merits’ofaProgressivePragmatism 655
21 StandingFast:SatireandSolidarity 660
22 Mediation’sMeanderings 667
23 SuddenandUnexpectedVictory 671
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contents ix
5 Entryism 691
1 1934:MilitancyandMarginalization’sMovement 691
2 TheFrenchTurn 697
3 Cannon,Trotsky,andthePreparatoryGroundofEntryism:
Transcendingthe‘OrganicUnity’Imbroglio 705
4 FusionwiththeMusteites 721
5 BuildingthePartyamidFusion’sFallouts 752
6 AnticipatingtheFrenchTurn 763
7 AmericanizingtheFrenchTurn:FactionsandCombinations 770
8 TheIntensificationofOehleriteSectarianism 777
9 OustingtheOehlerites 787
10 SocialistPartySchismsandWorkersPartyEntry 815
11 PreludetoEntry:CannoninHarnessandMuste’sConversions 833
12 Entryism&Subordination 851
13 AFarmer-LaborDetourandtheReturnoftheOehlerite
Repressed 860
14 EntryProclaimed 867
15 CannoninCalifornia:The‘FootLooseRebel’andtheAgitational
Road 871
16 EntryistEstrangement 886
17 TheReturnoftheProdigalAgitator 903
18 ReactionfromAbove 920
19 TheEndofEntry 927
20 AssessingtheFrenchTurninAmerica 933
6 Trials,Tragedies,andTradeUnions 947
1 1937’sImperative:AssimilatingRevolution’sRecruits 947
2 TheOriginsoftheAmericanCommitteefortheDefenseofLeon
Trotsky 952
3 TheNon-partisanOriginsofTrotsky’sDefense 958
4 DancingwithDewey 965
5 Trotsky’sTestimony 984
6 CarletonBealsandStalinismatWorkinthePreliminary
Sub-commission 988
7 DelimitationbyDefault 992
8 Social-DemocraticDelimitation 1008
9 BrandBarcelonaonCentristForeheads:TrotskyismandtheSpanish
CivilWar 1014
10 TrotskyismFindsits‘SeaLegs’:CannonandtheMaritimeFederation
ofthePacific 1034
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x contents
11 Frame-UpinMinneapolis:WhoKilledPatrickJ.Corcoran? 1052
12 TrotskyismontheLine:FootholdsinMassProductionandthe
cio 1077
Conclusion:Party/International 1117
SelectedReferences 1155
Index 1191
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