What happened to Eugene Debs following his anti-war statements in Canton Ohio June 16 1918?

On June 16, 1918 Debs made an anti-war speech in Canton, Ohio, protesting US involvement in World War I. He was arrested under the Espionage Act of 1917 and convicted, sentenced to serve ten years in prison and to be disenfranchised for life.

What is the main message of the Eugene V Debs speech?

Debs spoke poetically about the hardships of the working class (boo) and of his belief that their suffering would lead to a massive working class movement that would overturn an unjust society and replace it with an egalitarian Eden (yay).

How did Eugene Debs violate the Sedition Act?

He was found guilty of violating the Espionage Act of 1917, which essentially prohibited all acts—including speech—that were seditious, and the Sedition Act of 1918, which strengthened the anti-sedition provision of the 1917 law by making it a crime to “utter, print, write, or publish any disloyal, profane, scurrilous.

What was Eugene Debs Canton Ohio speech about what law did it violate?

On June 16, 1918, Debs gave a speech outside the Canton, Ohio, prison, where he had visited three Socialists convicted of violating the Sedition Act.

Where did Eugene V Debs give his speech?

(National Archives at Chicago, RG 21) On a sultry afternoon in 1918, the tall, lanky Hoosier walked up the bandstand’s steps and surveyed the growing crowd gathered in Nimisilla Park in Canton, Ohio, on Sunday, June 16. They had come to hear the keynote speech at the Buckeye State’s annual Socialist Convention and Eugene V. Debs Picnic.

Where did Eugene V Deb pay the penalty?

I have just returned from a visit over yonder (pointing to the workhouse) (laughter) where three of our most loyal comrades (applause) are paying the penalty for their devotion to the cause of the working class. (Applause.)

What did Debs say about prudence during WW1?

Debs remarks about prudence, and his visit to three fellow Socialists imprisoned for speaking against the government, illustrate the climate of government repression during World War I. The Espionage and Sedition Acts (passed during the war) made it illegal to speak in support of Germany or in opposition to the American war effort.

Where was Eugene Victor Debs born and raised?

Eugene Victor Debs was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, on November 5, 1855. His parents were Daniel and Marguerite Debs, immigrants from the Alsace region in France. Of six children born to Daniel and Marguerite, Eugene was the oldest son.