Israel Amter
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2024) |
Israel Amter | |
---|---|
Denver, Colorado, US | |
Political party | Communist Party USA |
Other political affiliations | Socialist Party of America |
Israel Amter (March 26, 1881 — November 24, 1954) was an American
Background
Israel Amter was born March 26, 1881, in
Career
Communist party
In 1901, he became a member of the
In 1917 Amter rejoined the Socialist Party and was an active member of the
On April 29, 1921, Amter was arrested along with three others in a raid on the UCP's covert headquarters in New York by New York
Amter was a member of the governing Central Executive Committee of the unified Communist Party of America from 1922. He was an adherent of the system of underground party organization and was factionally associated with
Amter was the representative of the WPA to the
In the 1940s, Amter was a member of state secretariat of the CPUSA whose fellows included Si Gerson and Bella Dodd.[5][6]
Communist politics
Amter was a frequent candidate of the Communist Party for various political offices. The first came in 1928 when he ran for
Later life
Amter developed Parkinson's disease in the 1940s. He was indicted under the Smith Act prosecutions of the Communist Party's leadership in 1951, but was severed from the case due to his illness. Amter died on November 24, 1954.[7]
Legacy
Allen Ginsberg mentions Amter by name in the poem "America":
America when I was seven momma took me to Communist Cell meetings they sold us garbanzos a handful per ticket a ticket costs a nickel and the speeches were free everybody was angelic and sentimental about the workers it was all so sincere you have no idea what a good thing the party was in 1935 Scott Nearing was a grand old man a real mensch Mother Bloor made me cry I once saw Israel Amter plain. Everybody must have been a spy."[8][9]
Footnotes
- ^ Amter's running mate was Henry Shepard; Amter received 26,407, or 0.56%, of the popular vote in 1932.
- ^ Amter's running mate was William J. Burroughs; Amter received 45,878 votes, 1.21% of the ballots cast.
- ^ Amter had no running mate, Frank Herron had been nominated but withdrew; Amter received 45,220 votes, or 1.1 % of the ballots cast.
References
- ^ "Portraits in Miniature" (PDF). p. 403. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
- ^ "Israel and Sadie Amter Autobiographical Typescript TAM.079". dlib.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
- ^ CPUSA documents in the Comintern Archive, Moscow. RGASPI f. 515, op. 1.
- ^ Theodore Draper, The Roots of American Communism. New York: Viking, 1957. Pages 360-361.
- ^ Dodd, Bella (1954). School of Darkness. P.J. Kennedy & Sons. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
- ^ "Investigation of Communist activities in the Columbus, Ohio". US GPO. 1953. pp. 1741–1777 (Dodd). Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "ISRAEL AMTER, 75, A.U.S. RED LEADER; nl I1: One of 21 Founders of the Communist Party Here Dies --Under 1951 Indictment". The New York Times. 25 November 1954. p. 29. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
- ^
ISBN 9780061137457. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
- ^ Ginsberg, Allen. America. Poetry. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
Works
- Amter, I., Mirovoe osvoboditelʹnoe dvizhenie negrov [The World Liberation Movement of Negoes]. Moscow: Gosizdat, 1925.
- Silver, A. and Amter, Israel, "Proletarian Dictatorship" or Industrial Unionism: Silver-Amter Debate. New York: New York Labor News, 1927.
- Amter, I., Is the Socialist Party a Party of the Workers? New York: Communist Party, n.d. [c. 1932].
- Amter, I., Make the Democrats Keep Their Promises. New York: National Committee of Unemployed Councils, 1932.
- Amter, I., Industrial Slavery — Roosevelt's "New Deal." New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1933.
- Amter, I., The March Against Hunger. New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1933.
- Amter, I., Why the Workers' Unemployment Insurance Bill? How It Can Be Won. New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1934.
- Amter, I., Social Security in a Soviet America. New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1935.
- Amter, I., Working Class Unity or Fascism? New York: New York District, Communist Party, 1935.
- Amter, I., A Labor Party for New York Workers. New York: New York District, Communist Party, 1935.
- Amter, I., Youth and the Struggle for Unemployment and Social Insurance. New York: Youth Publishers, n.d. [c. 1935].
- Amter, I. and Pius, Pope, To His Holiness, Pope Pius XI, Vatican, Rome, Italy. New York: New York District, Communist Party, n.d. [c. 1936].
- Krumbein, Charles and Amter, Israel, Dollars for Democracy. New York: New York State Communist Party, n.d. [c. 1936].
- Amter, I., The Truth About the Communists. New York: Workers Library Publishers, n.d. [c. 1939].
- Amter, I., May Day 1939: For Labor Unity, For Social and National Security. New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1939.
- Amter, I., A Program for Manhattan's Millions. New York: New York County Committee CPUSA, n.d. [1939].
- Amter, I., Truth About Finland. New York: New York State Committee, Communist Party, n.d. [1939].
- Amter, I., Americans All! New York: Workers Library Publishers, n.d. [1940].
- Amter, I., May Day 1941. New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1941.
- Amter, I., New York Needs Communists in the City Council. New York: New York County Committee CPUSA, n.d. [c. 1941].
- Browder, Earl; Foster, William Z.; Amter, I.; Weiss, Max, et al., Speed the Second Front. New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1942.
- Amter, I., America's Fate Hangs in the Balance! Open a Second Front at Once! New York: New York State Campaign Committee, 1942.