Helen Schiff Papers

Collection

Identifier: LP001172

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The Helen Schiff Collection consists of materials documenting the 1940 split in the Socialist Workers Party and the founding of the Young Socialist Alliance and the Young Socialists (Canada) in the early 1960's. In addition, it contains miscellaneous reports, bulletins, and newsletters of the Socialist Workers Party and the Fourth International.

Important subjects covered in this collection are: Fascism Radical youth SWP factionalism SWP in Michigan

Among the important correspondents are: Martin Abern Farrell Dobbs Albert Goldman

Dates

1940 - 1967

Creator

Schiff, Helen (Person)

Language of Materials

Material entirely in English.

Access

Collection is open for research.

Use

Refer to the Walter P. Reuther Library Rules for Use of Archival Materials. Restrictions: Researchers may encounter records of a sensitive nature – personnel files, case records and those involving investigations, legal and other private matters. Privacy laws and restrictions imposed by the Library prohibit the use of names and other personal information which might identify an individual, except with written permission from the Director and/or the donor.

History

In 1940 the Socialist Workers Party split into majority and minority factions over the Hitler-Stalin Pact. The majority faction followed Leon Trotsky's unconditional defense of the Soviet Union's policies; the minority condemned the Hitler-Stalin Pact as an unjustifiable alliance. These differences led the minority faction to leave the Party and to form the Workers Party.

In 1957 young members of the Socialist Workers Party joined with left-wing members of the independent Young Socialist League, who were in opposition to their organization's proposed merger with the Socialist Party-Social Democratic Federation, and members of the Labor Youth League, youth section of the Communist Party-USA, to form the Young Socialist Supporters and to publish Young Socialist. In April 1960 the Supporters held a convention and reorganized themselves into the Young Socialist Alliance, youth section of the Socialist Workers Party. In 1965 Young Socialists (Canada) was founded as the youth section of the League for Socialist Action, a fraternal organization of the SWP.