REF Z 6616 H57 H32X GUIDE

Hillquit, Morris, 1869-1933.  The Morris Hillquit Papers. Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1969.

10 reels. 35 mm.

SCOPE:

            Born Moses Hillkowitz in Riga, Russia, Morris Hillquit emigrated with his family to the United States in 1886, settling in New York's lower East side. Morris Hillquit went to work in the garment industry, whose deplorable conditions convinced him of the need of labor unions and the importance of Socialism. In 1893 he got a law degree from the City College of New York; he became a successful lawyer defending many Socialists and trade unionists.
            In 1900 he and others founded the Socialist Party of America. Until his death in 1933 he was an active writer, speaker, and sometimes political candidate for Socialism. He retained his ties with the trade union movement throughout his life, providing legal advice for, among others, the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. 
            His papers, housed in the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, consist of letters to and from Mr. Hillquit, his writings, "Morris Hillquit, Pioneer of American Socialism," an unpublished biography by his daughter Nina Hillquit, and miscellaneous clippings. The collection documents the origins of American Socialism and the development of trade unions in the early 1900's.

      ARRANGEMENT:

            Reels 1-5: Correspondence, 1895-1934.

            Reels 5-7: Writings, 1901-1933, photographs, and broadsides and circulars.

            Reels 8-10: Press releases, newspaper and periodical clippings.

FINDING AIDS:

            F. Gerald Ham.  The Morris Hillquit Papers: A Guide to the Microform Edition, Madison: Statet Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1969.  
            Includes a brief description of the collection and  an index to correspondents. This guide is also reproduced at the beginning of reel 1.

      SUBJECTS:

            Radicalism

            Trade Unions