what was the purpose for the creation of the workingmen's party
Workingmen's Party of the United States The WPUS was formed in 1876, when a congress of socialists from around the United States met in Philadelphia in an attempt to unify their political power. Seven societies sent representatives, and within four days the party was formed under the name of the Workingmen's Party of the United States. The party, composed mostly of foreign-born laborers, represented a collection of socialist ideas from different groups, most notably followers of Karl Marx and Ferdinand Lassalle. The Lassallean faction believed in forming a Socialist political party to advance their agenda incrementally through the electoral process. Marxian Socialists, however, opposed to reformism believed in forming a Socialist party as an instrument of organization of the proletariat to propagate consciousness leading to an ultimate revolutionary seizing of state power. They championed strong trade unions, strikes, and boycotts to develop class consciousness through class conflict. [1]