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Eugene V. Debs
September 26, 2019
At the turn of the 20th Century, much of the nation’s attention was turned toward a man from Terre Haute--a politician and labor leader named Eugene Debs. He ran for president five times in his life--once from a prison cell after criticizing the US involvement in World War I, an act that was at that time considered treasonous. And he’s the subject of a new WFYI documentary.
We’ll talk to the producers about why they wanted to make the film, as well as historians to get the details on how Debs gained popularity and influence to earn a large chunk of the vote which threatened the two-party system. And finally we get the big picture on how he came to shape the world we’re used to with respect to working people.
Guests
Kim Hood Jacobs
Producer of “The Revolutionist: Eugene V. Debs”
Kyle Travers
Producer of “The Revolutionist: Eugene V. Debs”
Ernest Freeberg
History Department Head, University of Tennessee
Jim Madison
Professor Emeritus of History, Indiana University
Mike Sullivan
Former Head of Debs Foundation
Fred Nation
Former Terre Haute mayoral candidate