William Z. Foster
William Z. Foster was an influential American labor leader and political activist, born in Taunton, Massachusetts, and raised in Philadelphia. His early life was marked by hardship, as he had to leave school at the age of ten to work and support his family. Foster's political views were shaped by his experiences and by the writings of Karl Marx, leading him to join the Socialist Party in 1901 and later the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in 1909. He believed in the necessity of labor organization and rose to prominence as a leader during the 1919 steel strike.
Foster's political journey continued with his involvement in the American Federation of Labor, and he later became a member of the American Communist Party, running for the presidency multiple times in the 1920s and early 1930s. His health declined after a heart attack in 1932, and he eventually saw a shift in leadership within the party. Although he was a staunch supporter of the Soviet Union, his refusal to criticize Soviet actions, particularly during the Hungarian Revolution, led to his removal from power in 1957. Throughout his life, Foster authored several works reflecting on labor and his political ideology, including "From Bryan to Stalin" and "Pages from a Worker's Life." His legacy remains one of activism and unwavering commitment to his beliefs in labor rights and communism.
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Subject Terms
William Z. Foster
Union Leader
- Born: February 25, 1881
- Birthplace: Taunton, Massachusetts
- Died: September 1, 1961
Biography
William Zebulon Foster was born in Taunton, Massachusetts, though his family later moved to Philadelphia. At the age of ten, Foster had to quit school to search for work so that he could help support the family. He traveled around the United States, working a variety of unskilled labor jobs. A self-educated man, Foster had a deep hatred of the existing political order and was determined to find a way to undermine it. Foster’s political opinions were probably influenced by Karl Marx’s writings.
In 1901, Foster joined the Socialist Party, and eight years later he became a member of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). Foster believed that the IWW would be more effective if it disbanded and its members joined the American Federation of Labor. The leadership of the IWW did not agree with his opinion, so Foster left the organization. After World War I, Foster joined the American Federation of Labor and quickly rose through the union. He emerged as a nationally prominent labor leader when he led the bloody steel strike of 1919. In 1920, he formed his own organization, the International Trade Union Educational League. Foster later joined the American Communist Party, and eventually ran, unsuccessfully, for the presidency of the United States in 1924, 1928, and 1932. Later in 1932, Foster suffered a serious heart attack, and leadership of the America Communist Party passed to Earl Browder. In 1945, Foster was again elected as chairman of the Party. In 1948, Foster and other party leaders were indicted for subversive activities against the government, but Foster was never tried because of his ill health.
Foster was always a loyal supporter to the Soviet Union, and this steadfast belief in the Soviet political leadership proved to be his undoing. He refused to condemn the Soviet suppression of the Hungarian Revolution, and he was removed from power in the American Communist Party in 1957. Foster wrote several books during his lifetime, including two personal reflections on his life as a labor leader. The first of these volumes, From Bryan to Stalin was published in 1937. The second volume, Pages from a Worker’s Life, was published two years later.