Trotskyism in the United States: historical essays and reconsiderations

Description

The essays in this volume deal with various aspects of the history of the revolutionary socialist current in United States that came to be identified as "American Trotskyism. " One of the most dynamic currents in the U.S. Left from the late 1920s to the 1980s, deeply committed to working-class democracy and internationalism, it had an intellectual and political impact well beyond the number of its members. The essays offer the most definitive history of that movement to be produced so far, giving a sense of some of its most colorful personalities and outstanding achievements - as well as it serious limitations. This work is an essential starting point, offering an ample bibliography for those who wish to carry out further research. More than this, the authors develop interpretations that confront the meaning of revolutionary politics in the United States, as they relate the efforts of the Trotskyists to the broader developments of the twentieth century. Part I. Outlines and essentials. Trotskyism in the United States : the first fifty years / Paul Le Blanc -- The liberating influence of the transitional program : three talks / George Breitman -- George Novack, 1905-92 : meaning a life / Alan Wald -- Part II. Reconsiderations. Leninism in the United States and the decline of American Trotskyism / Paul Le Blanc -- From the Old Left to the New Left and beyond : the legacy and prospects for socialism in the United States / Alan Wald -- The end of "American Trotskyism"? : problems in history and theory / Alan Wald.