Debs was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, to a poor German immigrant family. He began working at the age of 14, and later became involved in the trade union movement. In 1893, he helped lead the Pullman Strike, a major national railroad strike that was crushed by the federal government. Debs was arrested and sentenced to six months in prison for his role in the strike.
After his release from prison, Debs became a prominent socialist. He helped to found the Socialist Party of America in 1901, and served as its presidential nominee five times, from 1900 to 1920. Debs was a popular and charismatic figure, and his campaigns helped to raise the profile of socialism in the United States.
In 1912, Debs ran for president as the Socialist Party candidate, winning over 900,000 votes. This was the highest vote total for a socialist candidate in American history. Debs continued to campaign for socialism throughout his life, and he became an icon of the American left.
Debs died in Elmhurst, Illinois, in 1926, at the age of 70. He is considered one of the most important figures in American history, and his legacy continues to inspire socialists and activists around the world.
Here are some of Debs' most famous quotes:
* "The time has come for an open revolt against the organized oppression of the few against the many."
* "The working class and the employing class have nothing in common."
* "The capitalist class is the enemy of the working class."
* "Socialism is the hope of the world."
* "The future of the world belongs to the working class."