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Communist Party of the United States of America

Documents and Publications Difficult to Find

      The CPUSA was founded as a revolutionary Marxist-Leninist party in 1919. However, for the bulk of its history, since the mid-1930s, it has been a totally revisionist, and anything-but-revolutionary, party. From late 1921 until mid-1929 the legal organization of the Party was called the “Workers Party of America”. [Further introduction to be added later.]

      If you know of other difficult to find documents and publications of the CPUSA which should be made available here, contact us at: freespeech@bannedthought.net

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Programs and Basic Documents of the CPUSA

• “Manifesto and Program; Constitution; and Report to the Communist International”, by the Communist Party of America, Pamphlet No. 1, (Chicago: 1919), 41 pages. (Missing pp. 2-3.)   PDF format   [994 KB]
• “Program and Constitution — Workers Party of America”, (NY: Dec. 1921), 36 pages.   PDF format   [4,114 KB]
• “Our Immediate Work: Program Adopted by the Central Executive Committee of the Workers Party of America”, (NY: n.d. (but probably 1924)), 24 pages.   Searchable PDF format   3,515 KB]
• “Resolutions of the Ninth Convention of the Communist Party of the U.S.A.”, (NY: Workers Library Publishers, 1936), 67 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [7,119 KB]

National Conventions

• 12th — May 20-22, 1944, Party formally liquidated and replaced with the Communist Political Association.
• 13th — July 26-28, 1945, Browder removed as General Secretary and name changed back to CPUSA.
  • Pre-convention Discussion Bulletin issued by the California State Committee, CPA (June & July 1945):
    • Discussion Bulletin 1, 4 pages. Includes: W. Z. Foster article on “Revisionism in the C.P.A.” and Browder’s response.   Searchable PDF format   [3,001 KB]
    • Discussion Bulletin 3, 4 pages. Includes: Foster’s Letter to the Members of the National Committee, written on Jan. 20, 1944.   Searchable PDF format   [3,655 KB]
    • Discussion Bulletin 4, 4 pages. Includes: “Some Aspects of Our Policies and Tasks” by Eugene Dennis, trying to distance himself from Browder’s line.   Searchable PDF format   [3,733 KB]
    • Discussion Bulletin 5, 4 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [3,120 KB]
    • Discussion Bulletin 8, 8 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [5,890 KB]
    • Discussion Bulletin 9, 8 pages. Includes: Browder’s Speech to the National Committee trying to justify his line.   Searchable PDF format   [6,178 KB]
• 14th — August 2-6, 1948
• 15th — December 28-30, 1950
  • Our Party national pre-convention discussion bulletin, issues n.d. (but November or December 1950):
    • Our Party Number 1, 8 pages. Includes the extensive Draft Resolution for the Fifteenth National Convention of the CPUSA.   Searchable PDF format   [5,988 KB]
    • Our Party, [not numbered, but this is very likely number 2 in the series], 4 pages. Includes the article “U.S. Domination of the Capitalist World” by Wm. Z. Foster. (This article also discusses Kautsky’s theory of “ultra-imperialism”.)   Searchable PDF format   [3,770 KB]
  • The Party Review, Pre-Convention Discussion Bulletin issued by the California State organization of the CPUSA:
    • The Party Review, Number 3, 8 pages. Includes: “The outline for a program for Mexican-American people” and “Industrial concentration—why—where—how”.   Searchable PDF format   [5,940 KB]
• 16th — February 9-12, 1957
  • 16th National Convention Discussion Bulletin, national pre-convention publication, November 1956 - January 1957:
    • Discussion Bulletin Number 1, November 1, 1956, 8 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [6,538 KB]
    • Discussion Bulletin Number 2, November 27, 1956, 16 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [12,872 KB]
    • Discussion Bulletin Number 3, December 10, 1956, 12 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [9,464 KB]
    • Discussion Bulletin Number 4, January 1, 1957, 8 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [6,334 KB]
  • The Party Forum, CPUSA pre-convention publication in California, Summer-Fall 1956:
    • The Party Forum, Vol. 1, No. 2, July 10, 1956, 4 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [3,076 KB]
    • The Party Forum, Vol. 1, No. 3, August 20, 1956, 8 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [6,434 KB]
    • The Party Forum, Vol. 1, No. 4, September 10, 1956, 8 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [6,461 KB]
    • The Party Forum, Vol. 1, No. 7, December 1, 1956, 4 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [3,052 KB]

Early Articles and Documents

• “Manifesto to the Workers of America”, by the Communist Party of America, (Milwaukee: Labor Press Syndicate, 1922), 15 pages. Poor condition, but legible.   PDF format   [2,042 KB]
• “Why Every Worker Should Be a Communist and Join the Workers Party”, by C. [Charles] E. Ruthenberg, Executive Secretary of the Workers Party, (NY: n.d. (c. 1923)), 8 pages. Tattered condition, but legible.   PDF format   [3,654 KB]
• “The Workers [Communist] Party: What it Stands For; Why Workers Should Join”, by C. [Charles] E. Ruthenberg, Executive Secretary of the Workers Party, (c. 1923)), 11 pages. Similar to previous item, but high quality reprint.   Searchable PDF format   [204 KB]
• “From Propaganda Society to Communist Party: Pages from Party History, 1919-1925”, by C. E. Ruthenberg. Originally published in Workers Monthly, Oct. 1925, and then as a pamphlet. Made available many decades later by 1000 Flowers Publishing, Corvallis, OR (n.d.), 10 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [116 KB]
• “Marx and Engels on Revolution in America”, by Heinz Newman, Little Red Library No. 6, (Chicago: Daily Worker Publishing Company, n.d. (1920s)), 52 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [1,675 KB]
• “On the Road to Bolshevization”, by the Central Committee of the Communist Party U.S.A., (N.Y.: Workers Library Publishers, Aug. 7, 1929), reprinted decades later by Red Star Publishers (N.Y.: n.d.), 46 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [238 KB]

William Z. Foster — Writings

• “The Bankruptcy of the American Labor Movement”, by William Z. Foster, (Chicago: Trade Union Educational League, Labor Herald Library, No. 4, 1922), Reprint, 67 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [475 KB]
• [Book:]   “Toward a Soviet America”, by William Z. Foster, (NY: Coward-McCann/International, 1932), 360 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [22,723 KB]
• “The Crisis in the Socialist Party”, by William Z. Foster, (NY: Workers Library Publishers, 1936), Reprint, 65 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [489 KB]
• “Questions & Answers on the Piatakov-Radek Trial”, by William Z. Foster, (NY: Workers Library Publishers, 1937), 84 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [2,754 KB]
• [Book:]   “From Bryan to Stalin”, by William Z. Foster, (NY: International, 1937), 348 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [Large file: 51,736 KB]  
• “Capitalism, Socialism, and the War”, by William Z. Foster, (NY: Workers Library Publishers, June 1940), 24 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [4,161 KB]
• “Communism versus Fascism”, by William Z. Foster, (NY: Workers Library Publishers, July 1941), Reprint, 26 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [254 KB]
• “In Defense of the Communist Party and the Indicted Leaders”, by William Z. Foster, (NY: New Century Publishers, 1949), 98 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [8,831 KB]
• [Book:]   “Outline Political History of the Americas”, by William Z. Foster, (NY: International, 1951), 657 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [Large file: 63,088 KB]  
• [Book:]   “History of the Three Internationals: The World Socialist and Communist Movements from 1848 to the Present”, by William Z. Foster, (NY: International, 1955), 605 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [Huge file: 89,016 KB]
  • “On the Role of Mao Tse-tung”, 3-page excerpt from the above work.   Searchable PDF format   [70 KB]

Earl Browder — Writings

• [Book:]   “Communism in the United States”, by Earl Browder, (NY: International, 1935), 354 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [25,915 KB]
• “Lincoln and the Communists”, by Earl Browder, (NY: Workers Library, 1936), 15 pages (missing p. 13).   PDF format   [763 KB]
• “Zionism”, Speech by Earl Browder, June 8, 1936, published by the Jewish Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party USA, 24 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [611 KB]
• “The Results of the Elections and the People’s Front”, by Earl Browder, (NY: Workers Library, 1936), 90 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [7,045 KB]
• “Communists and National Unity: An Interview of PM [newspaper] with Earl Browder”, (NY: Workers Library Publishers, 1944), 44 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [1,989 KB]
• “The Road Ahead to Victory and Lasting Peace”, by Earl Browder, President, Communist Political Association. Includes his “remarks introducing the motion to dissolve the Communist Party” and related documents. (NY: Workers Library Publishers, 1944), 44 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [7,771 KB]

Electoral Campaigns

• “Foster-Ford — The Candidates of the Working Youth”, 32 pages, (NY: Youth Publishers, n.d. (1932)).   Searchable PDF format   [1,797 KB]
• “Communist Election Platform — 1936”, 18 pages.   PDF format   [1,385 KB]

U.S. Government Attacks on the CPUSA

• “Eugene Dennis — Indicts the Wall Street Conspirators”, (NY: CPUSA, 1948), 15 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [781 KB]

Jewish Question

• “Freedom for Survival: The Communist Position on the Jewish Question”, by Alexander Bittelman, (NY: New Century Publishers, 1947), 64 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [8,732 KB]

Afro-American National Question

• “The Struggle for the Leninist Position on the Negro Question in the U.S.A.”, by Harry Haywood, The Communist, September 1933. (Reprint, 15 pages.)   Searchable PDF format   [128 KB]
• [Book:]   “The Negro Question in the United States”, by James S. Allen, (NY: International Publishers, 1936), 232 pages. This is the Marx2Mao reprint version.   Searchable PDF format   [3,781 KB]
• “Negro Liberation”, by James S. Allen, (NY: International Publishers, 1938), 48 pages. (Based on a smaller pamphlet put out in 1932.) This is the Marx2Mao reprint version.   Searchable PDF format   [357 KB]
• “The Communist Position on the Negro Question”, by the CPUSA, (NY: New Century Publishers, 1947), 65 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [5,925 KB]
• [Book:]   “Negro Liberation”, by Harry Haywood, (NY: International Publishers, 1948), 264 pages. This is the Marx2Mao reprint version.   Searchable PDF format   [1,672 KB]

Other Pamphlets and Documents

• “Social Security in a Soviet America”, by I. Amter, (NY: Workers Library Publishers, 1935), 48 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [3,777 KB]
• “Study Course on the Communist Party, the Working Class and Industrial Concentration”, Outline and Guide for Schools, Classes, Study Groups, issued by the National Education Department, Communist Party (USA), not dated (but probably circa late 1949), 24 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [1,069 KB]
• “On Guard Against Browderism, Titoism, Trotskyism”, by John Gates, (NY: New Century Publishers, 1950), 16 pages.   Searchable PDF format   [1,777 KB]

CPUSA Periodicals   Separate Page

MLM Criticism of the CPUSA

• “A Comment on the Statement of the Communist Party of the U.S.A.”, Renmin Ribao editorial, March 8, 1963, (Peking: FLP, 1963), 26 pages.   Searchable PDF Format   [26 pages; 269 KB]

Other Commentary On the CPUSA

• “Revolutionary Communism in the United States”, by Gordon S. Watkins, Univ. of Illinois, American Political Science Review, Vol. 14, #1, February 1920, 22 pages (missing page 27).   PDF format   [554 KB]
• “‘Death for Negro Lynching!’ The Communist Party, USA’s Position on the African American Question”, by Timothy Johnson, American Communist History journal, Vol. 7, #2, Dec. 17, 2008, 13 pages.   searchable PDF format   [412 KB]

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