This is the story of one of the great pioneers of socialism in the United States. Engineer and artillery officer, Joseph Weydemeyer fought for democracy in the German Revolution of 1848, but when reaction triumphed he came to America. For fifteen years after his arrival, his activities were intertwined with all the great questions of American life. Journalist, trade union organiser, political leader, colonel in the Northern Army in the war against slavery, and public official in St. Louis prior to his untimely death in 1866, hist contributions to American progress won him a permanent place of honor in the history of our country.
This book is the first study of the man whom American historians recognize as the founder of Marxism in the United States. It is an important and revealing contribution which fills a long-standing gap in American historical writing.