Eugene Debs was born in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1855, the son of poor Alsatian immigrants. In his early years, Debs dropped out of high school to become a locomotive scraper. Later, in the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen, Debs found his calling to raise his voice in defense of the common man. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay He was a founding member of the Industrial Workers of the World and organized major protests for workers seeking to secure the 8-hour day, living wages, and other basic improvements. He argued the debilitating effect on the political rights and economic opportunities of the majority of Americans. In 1893 he began organizing an industrial union of railroad workers, the American Railway Union, and resigned his position as secretary of the fraternity. He earned his living primarily as a lecturer and contributor to various periodicals as he was extremely effective as a public speaker. Debs was jailed for six months for contempt of court after leading the American Railway Union into a confrontation with federal troops. Debs became increasingly critical of traditional political and economic concepts such as capitalism and was deeply influenced by the works of Karl Marx during his prison sentence. in Woodstock, Illinois. When he was released, Debs became a prominent speaker for the Socialist Party and, chosen as their candidate, eventually ran for president in 1900. Unfortunately, he lost but continued to be the party's candidate in several subsequent elections. Debs was a tireless speaker and organizer for the Socialist Party between campaigns and traveled the nation defending workers in their strikes and industrial disputes. Debs had great success in the 1912 election when he opposed Woodrow Wilson who was a Democrat. Debs received nearly one million votes, or 6 percent of the votes cast. In 1916 Debs decided to run for a congressional seat from Indiana after losing four consecutive presidential campaigns. He was elected when he campaigned for American neutrality in World War I on a pacifist platform. Once the United States entered the war, Debs gave an anti-war speech in 1918 and was arrested for violating the Espionage Act. In reality, Debs only mentioned the war once, but under President Wilson's new repressive law , was sentenced to ten years in federal prison. Debs campaigned from his prison cell and garnered over a million votes after being nominated for the fifth time as the Socialist Party's presidential candidate in 1920. Despite continued pleas from Debs' supporters, President Wilson refused to release him from the prison, but on Christmas Day in 1921, President Harding ordered Debs to be released. Debs remained with the Socialist Party he had led for many years as it fragmented in the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution. Debs died in 1926, leaving a legacy as an American labor leader. “When great changes occur in history, when great principles are involved, as a rule the majority is wrong,” he said in a speech in Cleveland, Ohio. Please note: this is just an example. Request a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Debs became one of the best-known socialists living in the United States thanks to his work with labor movements and his presidential bids.