THE SOCIALIST LABOR PARTY OF AMERICA

(1876-1926)

MEMBERSHIP

While the Socialist Labor Party used a monthly dues stamp system for collection of its organizational dues, it was for the entire duration of its early period extremely reluctant to release stamp sales figures. Unemployed workers did not pay monthly dues and this fact to some extent colored the organizational decision not to make stamp sales the benchmark of the group's membership size. Archival research is needed to construct a meaningful series of paid memberships. Numbers below are memberships claimed by the organiziation, generally at official gatherings, and should be regarded as suspect until concrete archival numbers are discovered and published.

SLP Membership Figures

1877---- 2,978 (claimed)

1878-----X,XXX-----

1879----1,500 (estimated)

1880-----X,XXX-----

1881-----X,XXX-----

1882-----X,XXX-----

1883----1,500 (estimated)

1884-----X,XXX-----

1885-----X,XXX-----

1886-----X,XXX-----

1887-----X,XXX-----

1888-----X,XXX-----

1889-----X,XXX-----

1890-----X,XXX-----

1891-----X,XXX-----

1892-----X,XXX-----

1893-----X,XXX-----

1894-----X,XXX-----

1895-----X,XXX-----

1896-----"5,000 to 6,000" (claimed)

1897-----X,XXX-----

1898-----X,XXX-----

1899-----X,XXX-----

1900-----X,XXX-----

1901-----X,XXX-----

1902-----X,XXX-----

1903-----X,XXX-----

1904-----X,XXX-----

1905-----X,XXX-----

1906-----X,XXX-----

1907-----X,XXX-----

1908-----X,XXX-----

1909-----X,XXX-----

1910-----X,XXX-----

1911-----X,XXX-----

1912-----X,XXX-----

1913-----X,XXX-----

1914-----X,XXX-----

1915-----X,XXX-----

1916-----X,XXX-----

1917-----X,XXX-----

1918-----X,XXX-----

1919-----X,XXX-----

1920-----4,000 (approx.)-----

1921-----X,XXX-----

1922-----X,XXX-----

1923-----X,XXX-----

1924-----"About 2,500 in good standing" -----

1925-----X,XXX-----

1926-----X,XXX-----

1927-----X,XXX------

1928-----2,000 (claimed approx.)

1929-----X,XXX

1930-----X,XXX