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William Dudley Haywood (also known as Big Bill Haywood; February 4, 1869 – May 18, 1928) was a founding member and leader of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and a member of the executive committee of the Socialist Party of America before being expelled by Opportunists. He blamed the executive committee of the SPA for influencing Reactionary law of the Statesian Government, with the SPA's amendments to Party constitution forbidding direct action, which in his view lead to the Criminal syndicalism laws[1]. During the first two decades of the 20th century, Haywood was involved in several important labor battles, including the Colorado Labor Wars, the Lawrence Textile Strike, and other textile strikes in Massachusetts and New Jersey.
Haywood was an advocate of industrial unionism, a labor philosophy that favors organizing all workers in an industry under one union, regardless of the specific trade or skill level; this was in contrast to the craft unions that were prevalent at the time, such as the AFL. He believed that workers of all ethnicitic groups should be united, and favored direct action over political action.
Haywood was often targeted by prosecutors due to his support for violence. An attempt to prosecute him in 1907 for his alleged involvement in the murder of Frank Steunenberg failed, but in 1918 he was one of 101 IWW members jailed for anti-war activity during the First Red Scare. He was sentenced to twenty years. In 1921, while out of prison during an appeal of his conviction, Haywood fled to the Soviet Union, where he spent the remaining years of his life.
Despite the impression of Haywood being uneducated and uninterested in theory, Haywood actually took the effort to educate himself in classical literature, Revolutionary writings and most critically, the writings of Marx and Engels[2]. Haywood even described the IWW of his time as being fundamentally "Marxian" in nature.
- ↑ “It was submitted to a referendum vote and I was recalled from the National Executive Committee. I had been a member of the Socialist Party since its inception, but had paid no dues into the organization since I had been recalled as a member of the National Executive Committee.”
William D. Haywood (1929). Bill Haywood’s Book, originalBIG BILL HAYWOOD The Autobiography of William D. Haywood, electronic.: '“Article 2, Section 6”'. New York: International Publishers Co, original NightHawk Books, electronic.
- ↑ “A part of the time I spent in the Ada County jail was the most quiet, peaceful period of my life. I have never enjoyed myself better than the first months I was there. It was my first real opportunity to read. There I went through Buckle’s History of Civilization, and extended my acquaintance with Voltaire. I read many English classics, Tristram Shandy, the Sentimental Journey, Carlyle and others on the French Revolution, much revolutionary literature, Marx and Engels.”
William D. Haywood (1929). Original: Bill Haywood’s BookElectronic: BIG BILL HAYWOOD The Autobiography of William D. Haywood.: 'Undesirable Citizens'. New York: Original: International Publishers Co, original Electronic: NightHawk Books.