Seymour Stedman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Seymour Stedman
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Stedman in 1920
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| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 13th district |
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| In office 1913–1915 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | July 4, 1871 Hartford, Connecticut |
| Died | July 9, 1948 (aged 77) Chicago |
| Political party | Socialist (1896-1948) Democratic (until 1894) |
| Alma mater | Northwestern University |
Seymour "Stedy" Stedman (born July 4, 1871 – died July 9, 1948) was an American lawyer and political leader. He grew up in tough times, starting work as a shepherd and later a janitor. He became a well-known lawyer who fought for people's civil liberties, which are basic rights and freedoms. Stedman was also a key leader in the Socialist Party of America. He is most remembered for being the party's candidate for Vice President in the 1920 United States presidential election, running alongside Eugene V. Debs.
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About Seymour Stedman
His Early Life
Seymour Stedman was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on July 4, 1871. His family faced money problems, which made them move west to Solomon, Kansas. But bad weather there made their situation even harder. Young Seymour had to leave school when he was only in third grade. He took a job looking after sheep to help his family, earning just $5 a month.
In 1881, the Stedman family moved to Chicago. Seymour found work as a messenger boy for a company. Later, he became a janitor. This job gave him lots of time to read. Through his reading, he became interested in political ideas. He often talked with friends about world problems. He became a supporter of the "Single Tax system," a reform idea popular at the time.
Becoming a Lawyer
In 1889, Seymour Stedman decided he wanted to be a lawyer. He went to the dean of the Northwestern University School of Law. He told the dean he only had three years of formal schooling. The dean questioned him for an hour to see how well he could read and think. Impressed, the dean let Seymour join the university. Seymour kept working as a janitor during the day and went to law classes at night. He worked hard and became a lawyer in 1891.
Starting in Politics
In 1890, Stedman became a public speaker for the Democratic Party. He got good at speaking about topics like taxes. But his path in the Democratic Party changed in 1894. This was when a big strike by the American Railway Union, led by Eugene V. Debs, happened in Chicago. Stedman supported the union as a speaker. However, the strike was stopped by a court order and federal troops sent by President Grover Cleveland. Stedman left the Democratic Party because he disagreed with this strong action by the president.
After the strike ended, Gene Debs was put in jail for six months. While there, he learned about socialism from a newspaper editor named Victor L. Berger. Stedman soon followed Debs into the socialist movement. He first joined the People's Party, a group that wanted big changes. Stedman was an early supporter of Debs for president. He helped start the "Central E.V. Debs Club" in Chicago in 1896 and became its president.
Stedman went to the People's Party meeting in St. Louis in 1896. He tried to get the delegates to choose Gene Debs as their candidate for president. Nearly one-third of the 1300 people there signed a petition Stedman shared. But his plan was stopped when the lights in the convention hall were turned off by supporters of another candidate, William Jennings Bryan. The next day, a statement from Debs was read, saying he didn't want to run for president. So, Stedman ended up supporting Bryan in that election.
Joining the Socialist Movement
In 1897, Victor Berger wanted to turn the Social Democracy of America into a real socialist political party. This group had planned to build a socialist community in a western state. Berger gathered Debs, Stedman, and others to help with this goal. At a meeting in June 1898, there was a big debate. The group voted to keep the idea of building a community. Because of this, Berger, Debs, Stedman, and their friends left the meeting. They started their own new political group called the Social Democratic Party of America (SDP).
Stedman was part of the SDP's main leadership committee starting in 1898. After many discussions, the SDP joined with another socialist group in 1901. This new, bigger group became the Socialist Party of America (SPA). Stedman was a founding member of this new party.
Running for Office
At the SPA's 1908 meeting in Chicago, Stedman was suggested as a candidate for Vice President of the United States. But he lost the vote to Benjamin Hanford. In 1912, Stedman was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives. He represented the 13th district. He was the Socialist Party's candidate for Speaker of the Illinois House. In 1914, Stedman tried to be re-elected but did not win.
In 1915, Stedman ran for Mayor of Chicago. Then, in 1920, he ran for Vice President of the United States. He was on the same ticket as Eugene V. Debs. During World War I, Stedman was a strong defender of people who spoke out against the war. He notably defended Rose Pastor Stokes, who was accused of speaking against the government.
In the late 1930s, Stedman was briefly a member of the Communist Party.
Later Life and Death
Seymour Stedman passed away on July 9, 1948, in Chicago, Illinois.
