Norman Thomas, for over fifty years a relentless advocate for justice and equality for all Americans, was convinced that socialism was the sole path to economic and political justice. He advocated the adoption of economic programs that...

Norman Thomas, for over fifty years a relentless advocate for justice and equality for all Americans, was convinced that socialism was the sole path to economic and political justice. He advocated the adoption of economic programs that ultimately became the fabric of American life Ã??' social security, unemployment insurance, minimum wage laws, a ban on child labor, workersÃ??' compensation, and anti-discrimination laws. Fighting to relieve underprivileged workers from the extremes of a capitalistic system, he was subjected to physical attack, was tear-gassed, arrested, and jailed. Unquestionably a man of great courage, Thomas also was a man far in advance of his time, anticipating an ever-expanding welfare state and an international interdependency inspired by a global economy. Six times the Socialist Party candidate for President, Thomas promoted a brand of socialism that shunned class conflict and the violence of revolution. Thomas repeatedly condemned Communist Party advocacy of violent class warfare, believing that socialism should replace capitalism through democratic means and without violence. But this fundamental difference in Socialist and Communist principles did not deter Thomas from continuing attempts to persuade others that Socialists and Communists could co-operate in attaining that goal. In this work, Raymond F. Gregory examines Norman ThomasÃ??' life from the perspective of his lifelong endeavor to attain justice and equality for the poor and the oppressed of his time.

Introduction. Chapter 1. The Thomas and Mattoon Families. Chapter 2. Working in the Slum Areas of New York City. Chapter 3. Pacifism and Socialism... Chapter 4. Civil Liberties in Time of

Introduction. Chapter 1. The Thomas and Mattoon Families. Chapter 2. Working in the Slum Areas of New York City. Chapter 3. Pacifism and Socialism... Chapter 4. Civil Liberties in Time of War. Chapter 5. Running for Elective Office. Chapter 6. Running for President. Chapter 7. The Depression Years. Chapter 8. The 1932 Presidential Election and the New Deal Chapter 9. Arkansas Sharecroppers. Chapter 10. The Sharecropper Problem and the Roosevelt Administration. Chapter 11. The Decline of the Socialist Party. Chapter 12. Between Elections. Chapter 13. Opposing a U.S. President and a New Jersey Mayor. Chapter 14. Fascism, Communism and Pacifism... Chapter 15. Opposing United StatesÃ??' Entry Into World War II Chapter 16. The Internment of Japanese-Americans and Other Wartime Civil Rights Violations. Chapter 17. Taking Stock. Chapter 18. The Final Run for the Presidency. Chapter 19. Opposing Nuclear Testing, Supporting Disarmament. Chapter 20. Reevaluating Socialism... Chapter 21. Confronting Racism, the Vietnam War, and Injustice. Chapter 22. The Great Dissenter. Chapter 23. Declining Health. Chapter 24. Summing Up.