The People's Council of America for Democracy and the Terms of Peace, commonly known as the "People's Council," was an American

pacifist Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...

political organization established in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in May 1917. Organized in opposition to the decision of the

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

administration's decision to enter

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the People's Council attempted to mobilize American

workers The workforce or labour force is a concept referring to the pool of human beings either in employment or in unemployment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic regio ...

and

intellectual An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the normative problems of society. Coming from the world of culture, either as a creator or a ...

s against the war effort through publication of literature and the conduct of mass meetings and public demonstrations. The organization's dissident views made it a target of federal, state, and local authorities, who disrupted its meetings and arrested a number of its leading participants under provisions of the

Espionage Act The Espionage Act of 1917 is a United States federal law enacted on June 15, 1917, shortly after the United States entered World War I. It has been amended numerous times over the years. It was originally found in Title 50 of the U.S. Code (War ...

. The People's Council was succeeded in 1919 by a new group based in the same New York City headquarters, the

People's Freedom Union The People's Freedom Union was a left wing American political group which existed from 1919 to 1920. Established as a federation of liberal and radical organizations in New York City, the People's Freedom Union conducted marches in support of pol ...

Organizational history

Forerunners

The eruption of

in August 1914 saw its response in the United States of America with the emergence of a national peace movement. One of the pioneer American

organizations was the

Woman's Peace Party The Woman's Peace Party (WPP) was an American pacifist and feminist organization formally established in January 1915 in response to World War I. The organization is remembered as the first American peace organization to make use of direct action ...

, initiated by Chicago social worker

Jane Addams Laura Jane Addams (September 6, 1860 May 21, 1935) was an American settlement activist, reformer, social worker, sociologist, public administrator, and author. She was an important leader in the history of social work and women's suffrage ...

. In October 1914, the Minneapolis chapter of this organization passed a "Tentative Program for a Constructive Peace," which called for the convocation of an international conference of Neutral countries to bring an end to the European conflict. Archibald Stevenson, ed., ''Revolutionary Radicalism: Its History, Purpose and Tactics with an Exposition and Discussion of the Steps Being Taken and Required to Curb It, Being the Report of the Joint Legislative Committee Investigating Seditious Activities, Filed April 24, 1920, in the Senate of the State of New York: Part 1: Revolutionary and Subversive Movements Abroad and at Home, Volume 1.'' Albany, NY: J.B. Lyon Co., 1920; pg. 971. Hereafter: ''Lusk Report.'' The Woman's Peace Party organized a mass meeting in Chicago early in December 1914, from which emerged a December 19 session which brought together 21 delegates from various peace, labor, political, religious, and civic organizations. This alliance of interested organizations constituted itself as the Chicago Emergency Peace Federation.Stevenson (ed.), ''Lusk Report,'' vol. 1, pg. 972. The Emergency Peace Federation elected

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

Louis P. Lochner its executive secretary, with Jane Addams continuing to play a leading role in the organization as well. The group issued a publication known as the ''Emergency Peace Federation Bulletin,'' and was the organizing force behind a national peace conference held in Chicago from February 27 to 28, 1915.Stevenson (ed.), ''Lusk Report,'' vol. 1, pg. 974. Throughout 1915 and 1916, a coordinated campaign was conducted in the United States on behalf of military "Preparedness," culminating on July 22, 1916 with

Preparedness Day The Preparedness Movement was a campaign led by former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, Leonard Wood, and former President Theodore Roosevelt to strengthen the U.S. military after the outbreak of World War I. Wood advocated a summer training sc ...

. This campaign for increased military spending in the shadow of the European bloodbath drove American

pacifists Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigne ...

to action. One of the groups organized in an effort to staunch America's slide to war was the

American Union Against Militarism The American Union Against Militarism (AUAM) was an American pacifist organization established in response to World War I. The organization attempted to keep the United States out of the European conflict through mass demonstrations, public lectur ...

, founded in January 1916 from an "Anti-Preparedness Committee" established the previous year.Frank Moore Colby with Allen Leon Churchill, "International Peace and Arbitration," i
''The New International Year Book: A Compendium of the World's Progress for the Year 1917.''
New York: Dodd, Mead and Co., 1918; pg. 362. In early 1917, the American Union Against Militarism were leading advocates for the idea of holding of a national

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

on the question of American entry into the European war, believing that those agitating for foreign intervention were a distinct minority of the population. A third pacifist organization emerged in February 1917, just as America appeared on the cusp of entering the European conflagration. This New York group, originally called the Emergency Peace Committee, dedicated itself to agitating for a continuation of the policy of American neutrality towards the World War combatants. This group later emerged as the New York

Emergency Peace Federation The People's Council of America for Democracy and the Terms of Peace, commonly known as the "People's Council," was an American pacifist political organization established in New York City in May 1917. Organized in opposition to the decision of the ...

, and worked hand-in-glove with the Chicago organization of the same name. The Emergency Peace Federation rallied a group of thousands to the United States Capital to oppose

American entry into World War I American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry ...

on April 2, 1917. One member,

Alexander Bannwart Alexander William Bannwart (December 25, 1880 – February 21, 1959), also known as Al Winn, was a Swiss-American businessman. He was involved in baseball, politics, and real estate. Bannwart graduated from Phillips Academy and Princeton Univer ...

, got into a fistfight with

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Henry Cabot Lodge Henry Cabot Lodge (May 12, 1850 November 9, 1924) was an American Republican politician, historian, and statesman from Massachusetts. He served in the United States Senate from 1893 to 1924 and is best known for his positions on foreign policy. ...

. That day, President

delivered a speech to

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

calling for a declaration of war against

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. As pro-war fervor swept the country, a new phase was entered by activists in the American peace movement — attempting to terminate Wilson's so-called "War to Make the World Safe for Democracy." In keeping with this new task, these three main pacifist organizations of America joined forces in a new organization, ultimately known as the People's Council of America for Democracy and Peace.

Establishment

On May 2, 1917, more than 40 members of the Emergency Peace Federation assembled at the

Hotel Astor Hotel Astor was a hotel on Times Square in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Built in 1905 and expanded in 1909–1910 for the Astor family, the hotel occupied a site bounded by Broadway, Shubert Alley, and 44th and 45th Stre ...

in New York City to consider the course for the peace movement in America.Frank L. Grubbs, Jr., ''The Struggle for Labor Loyalty: Gompers, the AF of L, and the Pacifists, 1917-1920.'' Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1968; pg. 22. Participants were split between radicals and pacifists who favored the peace conditions advanced by the

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

government of

Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

— including

Morris Hillquit Morris Hillquit (August 1, 1869 – October 8, 1933) was a founder and leader of the Socialist Party of America and prominent labor lawyer in New York City's Lower East Side. Together with Eugene V. Debs and Congressman Victor L. Berger, Hillqui ...

Norman Thomas Norman Mattoon Thomas (November 20, 1884 – December 19, 1968) was an American Presbyterian minister who achieved fame as a socialist, pacifist, and six-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America. Early years Thomas was the ...

, and Roger Baldwin — and those who favored a more moderate and Americanized approach. When this latter group, headed by

Lillian Wald Lillian D. Wald (March 10, 1867 – September 1, 1940) was an American nurse, humanitarian and author. She was known for contributions to human rights and was the founder of American community nursing. She founded the Henry Street Settlement in N ...

of the

, realized that it was in the minority, it walked out of the meeting in order to retain its independence from the forthcoming organization. Those remaining determined to establish a new peace organization, patterned loosely on the workingmen's councils of Russia. Socialist leader Morris Hillqut was named the ceremonial Chairman of the organizing committee of the new group and Louis P. Lochner was tapped as Secretary, in charge of day-to-day activities. Lochner's attempt to build a broad-based organization ran into difficulty. Prominent liberals sympathetic to the Wilson administration, such as attorney

Frank P. Walsh Francis Patrick Walsh (July 20, 1864 – May 2, 1939) was an American lawyer. Walsh was noted for his advocacy of progressive causes, including Georgism and the land value tax, improved working conditions, better pay for workers, and equal employ ...

, refused to associate with the organization.Grubbs, ''The Struggle for Labor Loyalty,'' pg. 23. Radicals were more sympathetic, with a number of prominent members of the

Socialist Party of America The Socialist Party of America (SPA) was a socialist political party in the United States formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party of Ameri ...

and left-wing members of the American Union Against Militarism joining the new group's ranks, as well as key members of the Emergency Peace Federation, such as

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

Judah L. Magnes. A "Tentative Program" was circulated on May 7, in preparation for the gathering. New York City's

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

was booked for an organizational mass meeting.Grubbs, ''The Struggle for Labor Loyalty,'' pg. 24.

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

President

David Starr Jordan David Starr Jordan (January 19, 1851 – September 19, 1931) was the founding president of Stanford University, serving from 1891 to 1913. He was an ichthyologist during his research career. Prior to serving as president of Stanford Univer ...

, a leading public figure among the American peace movement, was sought as a keynote speaker. Lochner appealed to the

American Federation of Labor The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutu ...

to also lend its support to the new peace organization.Grubbs, ''The Struggle for Labor Loyalty,'' pg. 25. AFL President

Samuel Gompers Samuel Gompers (; January 27, 1850December 13, 1924) was a British-born American cigar maker, labor union leader and a key figure in American labor history. Gompers founded the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and served as the organization's ...

replied angrily in the negative, answering Lochner's cable with a terse declaration that "I prefer not to ally myself with the conscious or unconscious agents of the Kaiser in America." Despite Gompers' refusal, work on the new organization proceeded apace, with a program committee consisting of Hillquit, Lochner, Norman Thomas, Henry W. L. Dana of

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, and peace activists Rebecca Shelly and

Elisabeth Freeman Elisabeth Freeman (September 12, 1876 – February 27, 1942) was a British-born American suffragist and civil rights activist, best known for her investigative report for the NAACP on the May 1916 spectacle lynching of Jesse Washington in Wa ...

named.Grubbs, ''The Struggle for Labor Loyalty,'' pg. 26. The committee decided to endorse a peace proposal calling for peace without annexations or indemnities and the

self-determination The right of a people to self-determination is a cardinal principle in modern international law (commonly regarded as a ''jus cogens'' rule), binding, as such, on the United Nations as authoritative interpretation of the Charter's norms. It stat ...

of all peoples as a basis of its own demands and to cooperate closely with the staunchly

anti-militarist Antimilitarism (also spelt anti-militarism) is a doctrine that opposes war, relying heavily on a critical theory of imperialism and was an explicit goal of the First and Second International. Whereas pacifism is the doctrine that disputes (esp ...

Socialist Party. Leading academics were targeted by Lochner and brought into the new organization's fold during the initial preparatory period, including such worthies as economists

Emily Green Balch Emily Greene Balch (January 8, 1867 – January 9, 1961) was an American economist, sociologist and pacifist. Balch combined an academic career at Wellesley College with a long-standing interest in social issues such as poverty, child labor, a ...

and

Scott Nearing Scott Nearing (August 6, 1883 – August 24, 1983) was an American radical economist, educator, writer, political activist, pacifist, vegetarian and advocate of simple living. Biography Early years Nearing was born in Morris Run, Tioga County, ...

.Grubbs, ''The Struggle for Labor Loyalty,'' pg. 27. Lochner envisioned an organization which was nationwide in scope and that would unite local peace organizations from around the United States.

First American Conference for Democracy and Terms of Peace

At 10 am on May 30, 1917, the Madison Square Garden organizational meeting, called the First American Conference for Democracy and Terms of Peace, was gaveled to order by Judah Magnes.Grubbs, ''The Struggle for Labor Loyalty,'' pg. 29. The meeting was held amidst a strong presence by New York City police, who feared violence either by revolutionary participants or

nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

mobs intent on dispersing attendees. Policemen carrying riot guns were posted on street corners surrounding Madison Square Garden, while police vehicles cruised the streets. More than 400 policemen were detailed to the operation. Delegates began work on a preamble which called upon Americans to "aid our government in bringing to ourselves and the world a speedy, righteous, and lasting peace." Magnes delivered the keynote address, later published as a pamphlet in an edition of 50,000 copies, in which he bitterly attacked Britain and France for pursuing a war which offered little of worth to the working class, and intimating that the United States was engaged in a war to preserve

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for Profit (economics), profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, pric ...

in Europe. Also addressing the gathering was

Algernon Lee Algernon H. "Al" Lee (1873 – 1954) was an American socialist politician and educator. In addition to serving as a member of the New York City Council during World War I, Lee was one of three co-authors of the controversial anti-war resolution at ...

of the Socialist Party-affiliated

Rand School of Social Science The Rand School of Social Science was formed in 1906 in New York City by adherents of the Socialist Party of America. The school aimed to provide a broad education to workers, imparting a politicizing class-consciousness, and additionally served a ...

, who detailed ongoing efforts of the Zimmerwald movement to hold an international peace conference at

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

.Grubbs, ''The Struggle for Labor Loyalty,'' pg. 30. Lee read a statement written by Morris Hillquit detailing a concrete plan for the participation of the leading belligerents in such a gathering and the establishment of an international body to resolve future economic disagreements amongst the warring parties — proposals which met with strong approval from the assembled delegates. Afternoon speakers included Professor William I. Hull, a former college student of Woodrow Wilson's, who cautioned the President against making secret agreements with the

Entente powers The Triple Entente (from French '' entente'' meaning "friendship, understanding, agreement") describes the informal understanding between the Russian Empire, the French Third Republic, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland as well a ...

which might in the future commit the United States to participation in future wars. Former Socialist Congressman

Victor L. Berger Victor Luitpold Berger (February 28, 1860August 7, 1929) was an Austrian–American socialist politician and journalist who was a founding member of the Social Democratic Party of America and its successor, the Socialist Party of America. Born in ...

also spoke, bitterly condemning the wartime profiteering of the American ruling class. An evening session on the labor movement was addressed by

James Maurer James Hudson Maurer (April 15, 1864 – March 16, 1944) was a prominent American trade unionist who twice ran for the office of Vice President of the United States on the ticket of the Socialist Party of America. Biography Early years James H. ...

, a Socialist Party activist who was the elected leader of the AFL in Pennsylvania. Maurer focused his rhetoric upon Samuel Gompers and the national leadership of the AFL, which he charged had sold out the interests of the working class to the interests of the

capitalist class The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. They ...

.Grubbs, ''The Struggle for Labor Loyalty,'' pg. 31. Maurer was followed at the rostrum by Scott Nearing, who emphasized the need of Americans to support an activist labor movement, without which American workers would be suppressed by the combined forces of big business and the government during the war. On the second day of the conference, sociologist

Florence Kelley Florence Moltrop Kelley (September 12, 1859 – February 17, 1932) was a social and political reformer and the pioneer of the term wage abolitionism. Her work against sweatshops and for the minimum wage, eight-hour workdays, and children's rig ...

called on the Wilson administration to improve working conditions of American workers. Numerous speakers followed calling for the repeal of

military conscription Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day und ...

and an endorsement of the policy of immediate peace without annexations or indemnities. In the afternoon a formal call was made by Rebecca Shelly for the establishment of a new national organization, the People's Council of America, composed of locals across the country organized through universal suffrage and national referendums. Shelly called for a national convention to be held in the

Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

on September 1, for the establishment of a national office for the fledgling organization, and for the publication of a regular bulletin for national distribution.Grubbs, ''The Struggle for Labor Loyalty,'' pg. 32. These proposals were approved by the assembled delegates, and the People's Council of America for Democracy and Peace was formally born. The People's Council maintained its national headquarters in New York City in an office located at 2 West 13th Street.

Repression

The People's Council frequently saw its gatherings banned or disbanded. On August 24, 1917, a meeting of the organization in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

was disrupted and shut down by a mob of soldiers and sailors."The People's Council of America for Democracy and Peace,"
''The Advocate of Peace'' ashington, DC vol. 59, no. 9 (October 1917), pp. 279-280. That same day, city authorities in

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

denied the group use of a public hall for its meeting. On August 28, a People's Council gathering in

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo ( /ˈfɑɹɡoʊ/) is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 125,990, making it the most populous city in the state and the 219th-most populous city in ...

, was quashed by the coordinated mass singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." On August 30, 1917, a mob of 1,000 gathered in Hudson, WI and held a night rally in front of the armory protesting the attempt by the People's Council to hold a conference in the city's prizefighting arena. The crowd then moved on the four organizers in the lobby of their hotel and threatened to hang them. Only after the pleadings of county attorney N. O. Varnum were the four allowed to leave town at once and unharmed. Effort was made to hold a national conference in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

on September 1, but the organization was denied use of a hall in the city. When the alternative of meeting in a

circus tent A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...

was advanced, With less than a week remaining before the start of its scheduled national convention,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

Governor Joseph Burquist of Minnesota intervened to ban the People's Council from gathering anywhere in the state on the grounds that it would give aid and comfort to the enemies of the United States.Peterson and Fife, ''Opponents of War,'' pp. 76-77. The People's Council scrambled and attempted to hold its convention in Chicago, but the event was broken up by the police.Peterson and Fife, ''Opponents of War,'' pg. 77. When Chicago Mayor "Big Bill" Thompson attempted to reverse this action, on the grounds that "pacifists are law-abiding citizens" and that he would not "have it spread broadcast that Chicago denies free speech to anyone," Illinois Governor

Frank Lowden Frank Orren Lowden (January 26, 1861 – March 20, 1943) was an American Republican Party politician who served as the 25th Governor of Illinois and as a United States Representative from Illinois. He was also a candidate for the Republican pres ...

responded by mobiling the

Illinois National Guard The Illinois National Guard comprises both Army National Guard and Air National Guard components of Illinois. As of 2013, the Illinois National Guard has approximately 13,200 members. The National Guard is the only United States military force emp ...

, sending four companies of troops to Chicago the next day to make sure that the People's Council could not gather. The People's Council sought to make

President

its delegate to a proposed September 9, 1917, peace meeting in

, but political pressure seems to have forced Jordan to decline the appointment and sever all relations with the organization as its treasurer effective September 1 of that year.

Publications

Beginning August 7, 1917, the People's Council published a tabloid-sized monthly (later semi-monthly) newspaper called ''The Bulletin of the People's Council of America.''"The Bulletin of the People's Council of America,"
Janus catalog, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR. The publication was terminated effective with the issue of January 1919. A run of the publication exists on microfilm as reel 2 of the Swarthmore College Peace Collection's People's Council of America papers.
Swarthmore College Peace Collection, Swarthmore College, www.swarthmore.edu/ The organization also issued a plethora of

pamphlet A pamphlet is an unbound book (that is, without a hard cover or binding). Pamphlets may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths, called a ''leaflet'' or it may consist of a ...

s, including material written by

Max Eastman Max Forrester Eastman (January 4, 1883 – March 25, 1969) was an American writer on literature, philosophy and society, a poet and a prominent political activist. Moving to New York City for graduate school, Eastman became involved with radical ...

Judah Magnes Judah Leon Magnes ( he, יהודה לייב מאגנס; July 5, 1877 – October 27, 1948) was a prominent Reform rabbi in both the United States and Mandatory Palestine. He is best remembered as a leader in the pacifist movement of the World War ...

, and

Alexander Trachtenberg Alexander "Alex" Trachtenberg (23 November 1884 – 26 December 1966) was an American publisher of radical political books and pamphlets, founder and manager of International Publishers of New York. He was a longtime activist in the Socialist Part ...

Dissolution and legacy

The People's Council was succeeded in the post-war period by the

, which operated from the same New York headquarters and carried forward the People's Council's publishing imprint, "The People's Print." This new incarnation of the People's Council dedicated itself to the fight to free

political prisoners A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention. There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, although nu ...

, to stop the spread of militarism, and to halt military intervention in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and

. An archive of papers relating to the People's Council of America may be found at

Swarthmore College Swarthmore College ( , ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1864, with its first classes held in 1869, Swarthmore is one of the earliest coeduca ...

in Pennsylvania. The bulk of the collection has been filmed on two reels of microfilm, both of which are available through

inter-library loan Interlibrary loan (abbreviated ILL, and sometimes called interloan, interlending, document delivery, document supply, or interlibrary services, abbreviated ILS) is a service where patrons of one library can borrow materials and receive photocopies ...

. Papers related to the People's Council of America as well as the American Alliance for Labor and Democracy may be found in the Frank Leslie Grubbs collection, housed at the Hoover Institution archives at

Palo Alto Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. The city was estab ...

, California."Overview of the Frank Leslie Grubbs collection,"
Online Archive of California, Collection 82097. The collection includes one folder of material and ten reels of microfilm gathering correspondence, minutes, and printed publications.

Footnotes

Publications

''Report of the First American Conference for Democracy and Terms of Peace, Held at Madison Square Garden, New York City, May 30th and 31st, 1917.''
New York: Organizing Committee, People's Council of American for Democracy and Peace, n.d.

917 __NOTOC__ Year 917 ( CMXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * August 20 – Battle of Achelous: A Byzantine expeditionary fo ...

* ''The People's Council for Democracy and Peace.'' New York: People's Council for Democracy and Peace, 1917. * ''British Labor Demands: A People's Peace...'' New York: People's Council of America, 1917. * ''The Case Against Universal Military Training.'' New York: People's Council, 1917. * ''Democracy and Peace: Why the World is at War and What Must Come Out of the Struggle.'' New York: People's Council of America, 1918. * ''Patriotism by Patriots: For the Heroes of 1917.'' Los Angeles: Southern California Organizing Committee of the People's Council of America for Democracy and Peace, n.d

* ''Peace Terms of Belligerent Governments.'' Committee on Terms of Peace of the People's Council of America, n.d.

* ''People of America, Unite for Peace.'' New York: People's Council of America for Democracy and Peace, n.d.

* ''People's Peace Terms.'' New York: Committee on Terms of Peace of the People's Council of America, n.d.

* ''Secret Diplomacy and Profiteering: Hidden Treaties Published by Bolsheviki...'' New York: People's Council of America, 1918. * ''Three Things You Should Do!'' New York: People's Council of America for Democracy and Peace, n.d.

* ''Who are the Bolsheviki? The Truth about the New Government of Russia.'' Chicago: Chicago People's Council, n.d. . 1918 * Max Eastman, ''Washington to Petrograd — Via Rome: Some Observations on President Wilson's Reply to Pope Benedict XV.'' New York: People's Council of America, 1917. * Judah Leon Magnes, ''For Democracy and Terms of Peace: Address at Opening of First American Conference for Democracy and Terms of Peace, New York City, May 30–31, 1917.'' New York: People's Council, 1917. * Judah Leon Magnes, ''Let the Peace Conference Convene.'' Chicago: People's Council of America, 1917. * William E. Mason; James H Maurer; and John D. Works, ''Things We Care About.'' New York: People's Council of America for Democracy and Peace, 1917. * Basil Maxwell Manly, ''War: Who Gets the Profits? What are You Going to Do about It?'' New York: People's Council of America, 1917. * Scott Nearing, ''Open Letters to Profiteers: An Arraignment of Big Business in its Relation to the World War.'' New York: People's Council of America, 1917. * Theodore Schroeder, ''The Meaning of Free Speech for Pacifists: A Statement.'' New York: People's Council of America for Democracy and Peace, n.d. . 1917 * Alexander Trachtenberg, ''The Message of New Russia: The Answer Given by the Largest Nation in Western Civilization to the Question: What Shall We Do with Plutocracy at Home and Abroad? Excerpts from an Article.'' New York: People's Council of America, n.d.

918 __NOTOC__ Year 918 ( CMXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * December 23 – King Conrad I, injured at one of his battles with Arnu ...

* John D. Works and Morris Hillquit, ''Why We Are at War.'' Milwaukee: People's Council of Milwaukee, 1917.

External links

Swarthmore College Peace Collection, Swarthmore College. {{DEFAULTSORT:People's Council of America for Peace and Democracy 1917 establishments in the United States 1919 disestablishments in the United States Opposition to World War I Organizations disestablished in 1919 Organizations established in 1917 Peace organizations based in the United States Presidency of Woodrow Wilson United States home front during World War I

Organizational history

Forerunners

Establishment

First American Conference for Democracy and Terms of Peace

Repression

Publications

Dissolution and legacy

See also

Footnotes

Publications

Further reading

External links