The Guardian · US news · Original story
Texas had one of the biggest socialist party chapters in the country – could it come back?
Long before state became a rightwing political stronghold it was defined by cowboys on strike and farmers organizing
Texas is well-known as a Republican-red state, but it has another, largely forgotten red history of the radical shade. Long before it became a rightwing political stronghold, it was defined by cowboys on strike, farmers organizing against the railroads, and one of the largest Socialist party chapters in the country.
“In Texas, the history of our radical politics and labor and working class tradition has been purposefully hidden,” author David Griscom said. “It’s important to go back and correct the record and see that there was an effort to try to make Texans forget the radical roots in the kind of more recent past.”
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Dharna Noor · Wed, Sep 9, 2026, 5:00 AM
US news | The Guardian
Long before state became a rightwing political stronghold it was defined by cowboys on strike and farmers organizing
Texas is well-known as a Republican-red state, but it has another, largely forgotten red history of the radical shade. Long before it became a rightwing political stronghold, it was defined by cowboys on strike, farmers organizing against the railroads, and one of the largest Socialist party chapters in the country.
“In Texas, the history of our radical politics and labor and working class tradition has been purposefully hidden,” author David Griscom said. “It’s important to go back and correct the record and see that there was an effort to try to make Texans forget the radical roots in the kind of more recent past.”
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