Norman Thomas A Pacifist

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Gabriele Leonaviciute 02/12/2015 Norman Thomas He was born November 20, 1884 in Marion, Ohio and he died December 19, 1968, Huntington. Norman Thomas was an American socialist, frequent candidate for political office, and a social reformer. He graduated from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, accepted the pastorate of the East Harlem Church and the chairmanship of the American Parish. He became a pacifist and opposed U.S. participation in World War I. A pacifist, Norman believed that the First World War was an "immoral, senseless struggle among rival imperialisms". His brother went to prison for resisting the draft , because he shared his views. Norman formed the Fellowship of Reconciliation(FOR) with Oswald Garrison Villard, Scott Nearing, Abraham Muste. Norman Thomas, Roger Baldwin, and Crystal Eastman established the National Civil Liberties Bureau (NCLB). He edited The World Tomorrow in 1918 and a few years after that he joined with Upton Sinclair, Elizabeth Gurley, and …show more content…

Suddenly after that he was appointed secretary of the newly formed Fellowship of Reconciliation, an international pacifist organization. Thomas was not just sitting in one place, soon after being appointed secretary of the newly formed fellowship, he became associate editor of The Nation, and then the following year he became an executive co-director of the League for Industrial Democracy, he held that position for more than 10 years. Norman Thomas was also one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union. He had a really strong opinion and was very critical of the Democratic New Deal administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Thomas said that Franklin D. Roosevelt stressed solution of economic emergencies to the neglect of moral issues. In 1924, N. Thomas ran for governor of New York on the Socialist Party ticket. Then he ran two times for mayor of New York City and for president of the United