New York Communist Club

Communist Club of New York
Founded	1857;168 years ago (1857)
Dissolved	1867;158 years ago (1867)
Preceded by	American Workers League
Succeeded by	International Workingmen's Association in America
Ideology	Communism Humanism Abolitionism
Political position	Left
Politics of the United States Political parties Elections

The New York Communist Club was a communist organisation set up in New York City in 1857. It was particularly active in the abolitionist struggle. ^[1]

Around 30 German immigrants formed the New York Communist Club on October 25, 1857, at a meeting at 148 Fulton Street, New York City. It was the only socialist organization before the American Civil War that allowed black people to join. ^[2] Friedrich Sorge, Albert Komp and Abraham Jacobi were involved in forming the organisation. ^[3] The Club adopted as a fundamental principle that "every [doctrine] not founded on the perception of concrete objects" should be rejected. ^[4] They also stated: "We recognize no distinction as to nationality or race, caste, or status, color, or sex; our goal is but reconciliation of all human interests, freedom, and happiness for mankind, and the realization and unification of a world republic." ^[5]

The club did not hold any meetings during the Civil War as so many of its members joined the Union army. Fritz Jacobi, vice-president of the club, died at the Battle of Fredericksburg. ^[6]

In 1867, the New York Communist Club affiliated as Section 1 of the International Workingmen's Association. ^{[7] [8]}

References

1. Nimtz, August H. Jr. (2003). Marx, Tocqueville, and Race in America: The 'Absolute Democracy' or 'Defiled ... Lexington Books. p. 79.
2. History 1977, p. 334.
3. Ernst, Robert (1994). Immigrant Life in New York City, 1825-1863. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press. p. 119.
4. Messer-Kruse, Timothy (1988). The Yankee International: Marxism and the American Reform Tradition, 1848-1876. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. p. 73. ISBN   0-8078-2403-8.
5. Foster, William Z. "History of the Communist Party of the United States" . Retrieved 13 June 2014.
6. Foner 1977, p. 31.
7. Arneson, Eric, ed. (2007). Encyclopedia of U.S. labor and working-class history. New York: Routledge. p. 1288. ISBN   978-0-415-96826-3.
8. Foner 1977, p. 36.

Works cited

• Foner, Philip (1977). American Socialism and Black Americans: From The Age of Jackson to World War II. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN   0837195454.
• Foner, Philip (1977). "Statuten Des Kommunisten Klubs in New York". Science & Society . 41 (3). Guilford Press: 334–37. doi:10.2307/40402034. JSTOR   40402034.