Moses
Hilkowitz
was born
in Riga, Russia on 1st August,
1869. When he was seventeen he emigrated to the United States. He
settled in New York and changed his name
to Morris Hillquit.
Hillquit became involved in left-wing politics. This included working
for the Socialist Labor Party and establishing
the United Hebrew Trades, a trade union for
Jewish garment workers. In 1891 Hillquit entered New York University
and after graduating two years built up a successful legal practice.
In 1901 Hillquit joined with Eugene Debs
and Victor Berger to establish the American
Socialist Party. The party's leading theoretician, he wrote History
of Socialism in the United States (1903) and
Socialism in Theory and Practice
(1909). A strong opponent of United States involvement in the First
World War, Hillquit help defend members of his party charged under
the Espionage Act.
Hillquit twice failed in his bid to become mayor of New
York. In 1924 he gave his support during the presidential campaign
to Robert La Follette and the Progressive
Party. Morris Hillquit
died on 7th October, 1933.
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