Editing Communist Party of the United States of America

{{Infobox political party|name=Communist Party of the United States of America|logo=CPUSA.png|founded=September 1, 1919|abbreviation=CPUSA|leader1_title=Co-chairs|leader1_name=[[Joe Sims]]<br>Rossana Cambron|founder=[[C. E. Ruthenberg]]|newspaper=''[[People's World]]''|youth_wing=[[Young Communist League USA]]|membership_year=2014|membership=~2500|political_orientation=[[Marxism–Leninism]] (de jure)<br>[[Bill of Rights Socialism]]<br>[[Revisionism]]<br>[[Reformism]] (de facto)<br>[[Patriotic Socialism]]<br>'''Historical:'''<br>[[Browderism]]<br>[[Nationalism|USA nationalism]]|website=https://www.cpusa.org/}}{{Communist parties}}

The '''Communist Party of the United States of America''' ('''CPUSA''') is a [[communist party]] in the [[United States of America|United States]] currently under a [[Revisionism|revisionist]] and [[Opportunism|opportunist]] leadership.<ref>{{News citation|newspaper=Political Affairs|title=Elections, the state, reform and revolution|date=2014-06-23|url=http://www.politicalaffairs.net/elections-the-state-reform-and-revolution/|archive-url=|archive-date=|retrieved=|quote=The CPUSA has long said the transition to US socialism will be much more prolonged and complex. [...] Just like the socialist society we envision - peaceful, humane and democratic – so too must be the path as it will shape every aspect of the new society.<br><br>[...]<br><br>Marx and Engels foresaw the possibility of peaceful transition particularly under conditions of the democratic or bourgeois republic. [...] Even Lenin initially thought a peaceful transition to workers' and peasants' power in Russia would be possible as a result of the crisis brought on by WWI, but the armed intervention of western imperialist powers changed the course of history.|journalist=John Bachtell, chairman of CPUSA until 2019}}</ref><ref>{{News citation|journalist=John Bachtell, chairman of CPUSA until 2019|date=2018-04-25|title=Marxism a vibrant philosophical outlook, says CPUSA leader|url=https://www.cpusa.org/article/marxism-a-vibrant-philosophical-outlook-says-cpusa-leader/|newspaper=CPUSA Blog|archive-url=|archive-date=|retrieved=|quote=Non-violent peaceful resistance is a very important form of struggle. <br><br>[...]<br><br>It will be what we call a democratic path. One that utilizes the electoral  arena but also other democratic venues where we’re constantly trying to expand our right}}</ref><ref name=":32">{{Web citation|author=Gaius Gracchus|newspaper=[[The Red Clarion]]|title=A True Accounting of the CPUSA In Its Members Own Words|date=2024-02-22|url=https://clarion.unity-struggle-unity.org/2024-02-22-cpusa-hypocrisy/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301215326/https://clarion.unity-struggle-unity.org/2024-02-22-cpusa-hypocrisy/|archive-date=2024-03-01}}</ref><ref name=":6" /> It was established in 1919 after a split from the [[Socialist Party of America]]. 

== History ==

=== Formation ===
On July 28, many members of the Socialist Party of America, including [[C. E. Ruthenberg]], [[Louis Fraina]], and [[Bertram D. Wolfe]], decided to split and form a new party.<ref>{{Citation|author=Jacob A. Zumoff|year=2014|title=The Communist International and US Communism, 1919–1929|chapter=The Formation of the Communist Party, 1912–21|page=40–44|pdf=https://discord.com/channels/691004496142401606/735427621982306364/948686196433899560|city=Boston|publisher=Global Oriental and Hotei Publishing}}</ref>

After being expelled from the Socialist Party of America's convention, the Michigan group of the Socialist Party formed the Communist Party of America (CPA) on September 1, 1919. The Communist Party soon reached a membership of 58,000. Another smaller party was formed from this split, the [[Communist Labor Party of America|Communist Labor Party]] (CLP). The CPA decided not to cooperate with non-revolutionary parties.<ref name=":0">{{Citation|author=[[William Z. Foster]]|year=1952|title=History of the Communist Party of the United States|title-url=http://williamzfoster.blogspot.com/|chapter=The Formation of the Communist Party  (1919-1921)|chapter-url=http://williamzfoster.blogspot.com/2013/01/chapter-twelve-formation-of-communist.html}}</ref>

At the request of the Comintern, the CPA and CLP merged to form the CPUSA in 1919. The early CPUSA had two factions: the former CPA led by [[Ruthenberg]] and the former CLP led by [[Jay Lovestone]]. Many members of the [[African Blood Brotherhood]] also went on to join the party, including [[Harry Haywood]].<ref name=":32" />

==== Palmer Raids ====
On October 16, 1919, the police raided the headquarters of the CLP in Cleveland and arrested its leadership. In New York City, 700 police raided meetings celebrating the anniversary of the [[Russian revolution of 1917|October Revolution]]. During the night of January 6, 1920, President [[Woodrow Wilson]] authorized Attorney General [[A. Mitchell Palmer]] to carry out raids in 70 cities that led to approximately 10,000 arrests. Much of the leadership of the communist parties was arrested and over 500 people were deported. As a result of the [[Palmer Raids]], the membership of the CPA dropped from 60,000 to 10,000. In May 1920, the CPA and CLP combined to form the United Communist Party of America.<ref name=":0" />

In August 1922, the government raided a party convention being held in Bridgman, [[Michigan]].<ref>{{Citation|author=William Z. Foster|year=1952|title=History of the Communist Party of the United States|title-url=http://williamzfoster.blogspot.com/|chapter=The Communists and the Capitalist Offensive (1919-1923)|chapter-url=http://williamzfoster.blogspot.com/2013/01/chapter-fourteen-communists-and.html}}</ref>

The majority of party members were foreign-born and the party ran 27 publications in almost 20 languages.<ref name=":3">{{Citation|author=William Z. Foster|year=1952|title=History of the Communist Party of the United States|title-url=http://williamzfoster.blogspot.com/|chapter=Building the Party of the New Type (1919-1929)|chapter-url=http://williamzfoster.blogspot.com/2013/01/chapter-nineteen-building-party-of-new.html}}</ref>

=== Anti-Lovestone struggle ===
Jay Lovestone's faction believed capitalism was stronger in the USA than in any other country and believed the party should wait for capitalism to decay instead of taking action.<ref name=":32" />

In October 1928, the CPUSA expelled about 100 [[Trotskyism|Trotskyists]] led by [[James Cannon]] and [[Max Shachtman]]. They went on to found the [[Socialist Workers Party (United States)|Socialist Workers' Party]]. In June 1929, following the sixth congress of the Comintern, the party expelled the group of [[Right-opportunism|right-oppositionists]] led by Lovestone.<ref name=":3" />

=== Great Depression ===
In October 1929, a major economic crisis known as the [[Great Depression]] began. 17 million workers became unemployed and basic industrial production dropped by 50%. During the first four years of the Depression, party membership increased from under 10,000 to 18,000.

On March 6, 1930, the CPUSA organized a demonstration of over a million workers and unemployed. In [[New York City]], the demonstration was met with 25,000 police and firemen.<ref name=":1">{{Citation|author=William Z. Foster|year=1952|title=History of the Communist Party of the United States|title-url=http://williamzfoster.blogspot.com/|chapter=The Communist Party and the Great Economic Crisis (1929-1933)|chapter-url=http://williamzfoster.blogspot.com/2013/01/chapter-twenty-communist-party-and.html}}</ref>

The Seventh National Convention of the CPUSA was held in New York City in 1930 with 306 delegates. Party leaders, including [[William Z. Foster]], did not participate because they were in jail after attempting to present the demands of the [[Unemployment|unemployed]] to Mayor [[Jimmy Walker]].<ref>{{Citation|author=Marxists Internet Archive|year=2009|title=Communist Party of the United States of America (1919–1946)|chapter=The Communist Party, USA|publisher=|mia=https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/eam/cpa/communistparty.html}}</ref>

In 1932, William Z. Foster ran for president and received over 100,000 votes.<ref name=":1" /> During the early 1930s, the party considered [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Roosevelt]] a fascist and opposed working with the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]].<ref name=":32" />

=== Browder period ===

==== Initial opportunism ====
In the early 1930s, the CPUSA considered president [[Theodore Roosevelt|Roosevelt]] to be a fascist, and opposed joint work with the [[Democratic party|Democrats]]. [[Earl Browder]] set out to convince the Comintern that a new detente with capitalists was necessary to fight European fascism. By 1936, communists were in key positions of the Roosevelt administration as part of a people's front. Foster, now sidelined, fought against Browder’s collaborationism with Roosevelt, but Browder controlled the key party positions.<ref name=":32" />

==== Second World War ====
The CPUSA was initially opposed to U.S. involvement in the [[Second World War]] but changed its position after [[German Reich (1933–1945)|Nazi Germany]] attacked the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1922–1991)|Soviet Union]]. 15,000 party members fought against [[fascism]] during the war. While many communist men were fighting in the war, women increased their share of leadership in the party and four women were elected to the National Committee. 

In 1943, Communist [[Peter V. Cacchione]] was elected to City Council in the [[State of New York|New York]] municipal elections. At the same time, [[Benjamin J. Davis Jr.]] became the first Black communist to be elected to public office. By 1944, the party had 80,000 members.

General Secretary Earl Browder made an opportunist error and assumed that the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|United Kingdom]] and United States would support the communist movement because they had agreed to help the Soviet Union in the war.<ref>{{Citation|author=William Z. Foster|year=1952|title=History of the Communist Party of the United States|title-url=http://williamzfoster.blogspot.com/|chapter=The Communists in the War (1941-1945)|chapter-url=http://williamzfoster.blogspot.com/2013/01/chapter-twenty-nine-communists-in-war.html}}</ref>

In 1944, Browder briefly dissolved the CPUSA. Due to the intervention of the [[French Communist Party|PCF]], the party was reestablished and Browder was purged.<ref name=":32" />

==== Postwar period ====
In 1947, the party affirmed the line that the [[African diaspora in the United States|African diaspora]] has a right to full nationhood,<ref name=":4" /> a position that Browder had rejected.<ref name=":32" />

In the 1948 presidential election, the CPUSA supported the [[Progressive Party]], led by [[Henry A. Wallace]], which had been created in 1948. The Progressive Party received 1,158,000 votes in the election.<ref name=":4" />

In July 1948, the USA brought indictments against 12 of 13 National Board members under the [[Smith Act]], including William Z. Foster, Eugene Denis, Benjamin Davis, and [[Gus Hall]]. 11 of the 12 defendants received five-year sentences.<ref name=":0233">{{Citation|author=Albert Szymanski|year=1984|title=Human Rights in the Soviet Union|chapter=The Land of the Free|page=175–176|pdf=https://cloudflare-ipfs.com/ipfs/bafykbzaceazdmtb2y3qq27fve5ib3gk7uv2unt6ae2xss74xmfpur7k5uhl5m?filename=Albert%20Szymanski%20-%20Human%20Rights%20in%20the%20Soviet%20Union_%20Including%20Comparisons%20with%20the%20U.S.A.-Zed%20Books%20Ltd.%20%281984%29.pdf|city=London|publisher=Zed Books Ltd|isbn=0862320186|lg=https://libgen.rs/book/index.php?md5=C597B1232D9EA6B0F3DCB438D7E15A81}}</ref>

The CPUSA opposed the [[Korean War]] and [[Syngman Rhee]]'s puppet government in [[Republic of Korea|South Korea]] as well as the U.S. puppet states in [[Taiwan Province]] and [[Republic of Vietnam (1955–1975)|South Vietnam]]. On June 29, 1951, the CPUSA held the [[People's Congress for Peace]] in [[Chicago]]. The congress had 5,000 delegates, including 1,500 Black delegates and over 1,600 women.<ref name=":4">{{Citation|author=William Z. Foster|year=1952|title=History of the Communist Party of the United States|title-url=http://williamzfoster.blogspot.com/|chapter=The Communist Party and the "Cold War" (1945-1951)|chapter-url=http://williamzfoster.blogspot.com/2013/01/chapter-thirty-three-communist-party.html}}</ref>

=== Hall period ===
During the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]], the CPUSA took the side of the United States government by attempting to impose "international inspections" on [[Republic of Cuba|Cuba]].<ref name=":5">{{Web citation|newspaper=Renmin Ribao|title=A Comment On The Statement Of The CPUSA|date=March 8, 1963|url=https://en.prolewiki.org/wiki/Library:A_Comment_On_The_Statement_Of_The_CPUSA|quote=As for revolutionary Cuba, you say that you support her five demands for safeguarding her independence and sovereignty, but on the other hand you try to impose “international inspection” on her.

Why don’t these leaders of the CPUSA stop and consider: What is the difference between your present embellishment of U.S. imperialism and Browder’s revisionism?

if they combat the corrosive influence of the bourgeoisie and the poison of reformism in the working-class movement and eliminate the revisionist influence of the Lovestones and Browders from their ranks}}</ref>

In the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the CPUSA was accused by the [[Communist Party of China]] (CPC) of breaking communist solidarity by not only siding against Cuba and slandering the CPC and its positions regarding the Cuban Missile Crisis, but also of "prettifying U.S Imperialism", breaking from Marxism-Leninism, and pledging loyalty to the Bourgeois government of the [[United States of America|U.S]]. The CPC described General Secretary Gus Hall as being no different than Earl Browder<ref name=":5" /> and that the influence of both Browder and Jay Lovestone permeated the CPUSA.<ref name=":5" />

=== Modern era ===

==== Webb period ====
[[Sam Webb]] served as National Chairman of CPUSA from 2000 to 2014.<ref>{{Web citation|author=CPUSA|title=Sam Webb|url=https://www.cpusa.org/authors/sam-webb/}}</ref> While in this function, he enacted policies to purge out the Marxist-Leninist elements within the party and wanted to abandon the word ''communism'' from the party's name.<ref name=":6" />

In a 2002 Club Educational Study Guide published on the CPUSA website, they claimed that "... the people of Israel, Jewish and Arab, also have a right to their own independent state",<ref>{{Web citation|author=Communist Party USA|newspaper=cpusa.org|title=Club Educational Study Guide: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict|date=2002-04-26|url=https://cpusa.org/materials/club-educational-study-guide-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict/|archive-url=https://archive.ph/nTMvB}}</ref> effectively claiming "Israel" has a right to exist, which is contrary to the one-state solution of Palestine supported by most ruling communist parties.{{Citation needed}}

In 2008, before he became national chairman, [[Joe Sims]] published an article in [[Political Affairs]] titled ''Ten Worst and Best Ideas of Marxism'',<ref>{{Web citation|author=Joe Sims|newspaper=Political Affairs|title=Ten Worst and Best Ideas of Marxism|date=2008-08-05|url=https://paeditorsblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/ten-worst-and-best-ideas-of-marxism.html?m=1|archive-url=https://archive.ph/KFAe4}}</ref> a magazine associated with the party that he is now the editor of. His article has been criticized as denouncing core principles of [[Marxism]] and has raised questions as to how someone so hostile to Marxism could become national chairman of a communist party. Conversely, the article has also been defended as satire by CPUSA members.

==== Bachtell period ====
In 2015, then-national chairman [[John Bachtell]] admitted that he was previously active in both of [[Obama]]'s presidential campaigns (2008 and 2012) and even served as precinct captain for his senatorial campaign, describing Obama as a "progressive."<ref>{{Web citation|author=Hamilton Nolan|newspaper=Gawker|title=Mistakes Were Made: A Talk With the Head of the Communist Party USA|date=2015-08-17|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150823143643/https://gawker.com/talking-politics-with-the-head-of-the-communist-party-u-1723918251|archive-date=2015-08-17|retrieved=2024-03-03|quote=I was really active in both Obama campaigns. Actually I was his precinct captain for his Senate campaign in Illinois.}}</ref> At the 31st National Convention, John Bachtell was replaced by [[Rossana Cambron]] and Joe Sims as co-chairs of the CPUSA, while Bachtell took up new roles with [[Long View Publishing Co.]], the publisher of ''People’s World'', and eventually became its president.<ref>{{Web citation|author=John Wojcik And C.J. Atkins|newspaper=People's World|title=U.S. Communists elect new leaders to begin party’s second century|date=2019-06-25|url=https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/u-s-communists-elect-new-leaders-to-begin-partys-second-century/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626012827/https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/u-s-communists-elect-new-leaders-to-begin-partys-second-century/|archive-date=2019-06-26|retrieved=2024-03-03}}</ref> 

The CPUSA published an article promoting and endorsing voting for [[Hillary Clinton]] in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections against [[Donald Trump]]. The article went on to promote the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] as a whole due to the claiming that they have the support of [[LGBT+]] people, racial minorities, and women.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Cameron Orr|newspaper=CPUSA|title=Defeating Trump: A strategy for uniting progressive forces|date=2016-11-08|url=https://www.cpusa.org/article/defeating-trump-a-strategy-for-uniting-progressive-forces/|archive-url=https://archive.ph/wip/88g5a|retrieved=2023-12-01}}</ref>

==== Sims period ====
In 2022, an anonymous party member published a criticism of the party's leadership for isolating itself from the rank and file. In it, the member decries the Webbite tendency (named after ex-national chairman Sam Webb) and which, the member believes, survives to this day in the CPUSA.<ref name=":6">{{Web citation|author=Anonymous CPUSA member|newspaper=ProleWiki|title=On the Webbite Tendency in CPUSA|date=2022-07-07|url=https://en.prolewiki.org/wiki/Essay:On_the_Webbite_Tendency_in_CPUSA}}</ref>

As President of Long View Publishing, Bachtell used Nazi rhetoric and propaganda of the "Holodomor" to denounce Stalin.<ref>{{Web citation|author=John Bachtell|title=It includes the Stalin years during Soviet times, e.g. Holomodor.|date=2023-09-12|url=https://twitter.com/johnbachtell/status/1701958692009050400|archive-url=https://archive.ph/62urX|archive-date=2024-03-03|retrieved=2024-03-03|quote=}}</ref>

The CPUSA has significantly promoted the [[Maki (political party)|Israeli Communist Party]], even going as far to state, “Long live the Communist Party of [[Israel]]!” in a statement adopted by the CPUSA National Committee a month after [[Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa]].<ref>{{Web citation|author=CPUSA National Commitee|newspaper=CPUSA|title=A ceasefire is the first step toward peace and liberation|date=2023-12-11|url=https://cpusa.org/article/a-ceasefire-is-the-first-step-toward-peace-and-liberation/|archive-url=https://archive.ph/wip/O0YND|retrieved=2023-12-20}}</ref> The Israeli Communist Party has denounced [[Hamas]] several times in the midst of the Operation, promoting settler-colonial views.<ref>{{Web citation|author=Communist Party of Israel|newspaper=Maki|title=Sexual Violence Perpetrated by Hamas Must be Investigated as Crimes Against Humanity|date=2023-11-27|url=https://maki.org.il/en/?p=31397}}</ref><ref>{{Web citation|author=Communist Party of Israel|newspaper=Maki|title=Human Rights Organizations, MK Cassif Raise a Clear Voice Against the Harming of Civilians|date=2023-10-16|url=https://maki.org.il/en/?p=31270|retrieved=2023-12-20}}</ref>

== Structure ==

=== National level ===
National conventions of the CPUSA are held once every four years. They may be postponed by a 75% vote of the National Committee or special conventions may be held with a 40% vote of the National Committee or a majority vote of all state and district committees. The national convention can amend the party constitution with a majority vote.

At the national convention, a new National Committee is elected. The National Committee meets at least three times a year and can amend the party constitution with a 75% vote in addition to a majority vote of the majority of state and district committees.<ref name=":2">{{Citation|author=30th National Convention|year=2014|title=Constitution of the Communist Party of the United States of America|title-url=https://www.cpusa.org/party_info/cpusa-constitution/}}</ref>

=== District level ===
The National Committee of the CPUSA can establish state and district organizations. District organizations may cover multiple states or parts of states. State and district conventions meet once every four years, before the National Convention does. Additional state/district conventions can be called with a one-third vote of the State/District Committee or upon the request of clubs representing a third of the state or district's party membership. The State/District Committee meets at least four times a year, or three times a year in districts covering large geographic areas.<ref name=":2" />

=== Club level ===
Clubs are the smallest organizations of the CPUSA and represent local communities or workplaces. Club conventions meet once a year and elect a chair. Additional officers may also be elected depending on the club's size.<ref name=":2" />

== Districts ==
The CPUSA website has a list of districts with contact information:<ref>{{Web citation|newspaper=Communist Party USA|title=Contact|url=https://www.cpusa.org/contact/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707000105/https://www.cpusa.org/contact/|archive-date=2022-07-07|retrieved=2022-08-08}}</ref>

* Arizona
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota and the Dakotas
* Missouri/Kansas
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* San Francisco Bay Area
* South Carolina
* Southern California
* Texas
* Virginia
* Washington (state)
* Washington, D.C.
* Western Pennsylvania

== Further reading ==

* ''[[Library:Black Bolshevik|Black Bolshevik]]''
* ''[[Library:History of the Communist Party of the United States|History of the Communist Party of the United States]]''

==References==
<references />
[[Category:Communist parties]]
[[Category:Communist Party USA]]
[[Category:Statesian communist parties]]