END POVERTY IN CALIFORNIA (EPIC)End Poverty in California (EPIC) was a series of proposals defining the platform upon which Upton Sinclair hoped to win the governorship of California in 1934. The Campaign of the Century is the title of Greg Mitchell’s now classic book about Sinclair’s run. Frank Finley Merriam (December 22, 1865 – April 25, 1955) was an American politician who served as the 28th governor of California from June 2, 1934 until January 2, 1939. Sinclair's 1934 Gubernatorial Campaign Upton Sinclair immediately following a July 1934 speech at the Centinella Bowl in Ingelwood. Readers simply sent in their printed ballot. This one had an even more expansive aim, and an inflated title to go along with it, " We, People of America and How We Ended Poverty: A True Story of the Future." ^She story of upton Sinclair's EPIC campaign for the Gov-fffifli ernorship of California in 1934 is well known and has ^W^m often been retold. October 19, 1934-- The new issue of Time magazine has reached California, and it features Upton Sinclair on the cover. However, the role of A. P. Giannini, the leader of California's greatest financial institution - the Bank of America - in the election has not been discussed. Gary Oldman's character tries to incorporate Hearst's malevolent involvement in the The WSWS posted an article in 2003 by Shannon Jones that set out very well the facts and lessons of the 1934 election in California. Books: Upton Sinclair, I, Governor of California, and How I Ended Poverty: A True Story of the Future, End Poverty League, 1934. It's about Upton Sinclair, the famed muckraking author of The Jungle, The Flivver King and Oil!, who ran for governor of California as a Democrat in 1934 and won nearly 1 million votes. October 20, 1934:-- Scientific election polling had not yet emerged, meaning the long-running Literary Digest polls were the only game in town, and could easily sway elections. These Upton Sinclair quotes show … Voter turnout was heavy in Berkeley. His EPIC (End Poverty in California) plan envisioned the state buying up closed factories and unused land and putting unemployed Californians to work making goods and growing food. Assuming the governorship at the height of the Great Depression following the death of Governor James Rolph, Merriam famously defeated the Democratic candidate Upton Sinclair in the California gubernatorial election in 1934. 879,537 Californians voted for Upton Sinclair and the EPIC program in the November 1934 gubernatorial election. He carried the Democratic primary with 436,000 votes, and winning by a margin of some 25,000 votes. In an amazing 1934 upset, ex-socialist author Upton Sinclair-- leading one of the great grassroots crusades in our history -- swept the Democratic primary for governor of California and appeared headed for victory in November. After writing books about the 1950 contest for the U.S. Senate between Richard Nixon and Helen Gahagan Douglas and, especially, Upton Sinclair's race for governor of California in 1934, not much could happen this year that would truly shock or offend me. The meaning of our movement to End Poverty In California and its polling the largest vote ever cast in a California primary, is that our people have reached the saturation point as regards suffering. Democratic Candidate for Governor of California . He campaigns on a program of pro-working class policies, taxing the rich and putting the unemployed to work. His 1934 campaign electrified California and the nation. Merriam-Sinclair Battle Outstanding in National Political Scene - 1934. Quinn Flays Sinclair in Radio Talk - 1934. Upton Sinclair's End Poverty in California campaign was international news in 1934. It’s about Upton Sinclair, the famed muckraking author of The Jungle, The Flivver King and Oil!, who ran for governor of California as a Democrat in 1934 and won nearly 1 million votes. Upton Sinclair. Those whose stakes in California are greatest hold themselves personally responsible to their class throughout the nation to smash Upton Sinclair." The marquee contest was the race for Governor … (Photo: International) After decades of asserting his independence from the two capitalist parties in the U.S., one of the best-known socialists in the country registers as a Democrat to run in the party primaries. "No politician since Williams Jennings Bryan," the article declares, "has so horrified and outraged the Vested Interests. Election Day was Nov. 6, 1934 in California 75 years ago. In the general election, Sinclair received twice the number of votes of any previous Democratic candidate for governor of California up to that point. Undeterred by his loss in the 1934 California election--and not really humbled either--in the 1936 election cycle Sinclair authored another version of his "I, Governor" booklet. Upton Sinclair defines his positions in the 1934 election for governor, The Literary Digest, October 13, 1934 . Sinclair’s work was popular in the first half of the 20th century, and he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1943. Forgive me, but when pundits label this year's presidential campaign "divisive" and "dirty," I have to laugh. Upton Sinclair, photographed in 1934. The U.S. has had its share of socialist candidates and socialist politicians, but Sinclair’s was among the most consequential. His frank left-wing message resonated amid the Great Depression, and he easily won the Democratic nomination to run for governor. Sinclair’s candidacy is also among the most closely studied. Copy of Upton Sinclair's 1934 EPIC Plan. Jack London’s Letters to Upton Sinclair Upton Sinclair and the Epic Movement in California Socialist Upton Sinclair, author of The Jungle, ran for governor of California in 1934 as a Democrat. https://www.sunsigns.org/famousbirthdays/d/profile/upton-sinclair It’s the past: Upton Sinclair in California’s race for governor in 1934. The "Inquiring Cameraman" conducts interviews with Californians prior to the gubernatorial election of November 6, 1934. Upton Sinclair Was a Socialist Candidate Who Succeeded Through Failure The author’s 1934 bid to govern California came up short, but left a lasting mark on politics Still, this was an impressive showing for a former Socialist proposing a radical program to end poverty and replace capitalism with "production for use" cooperative enterprises. Upton Beall Sinclair Jr. was an American writer who wrote nearly 100 books and other works over several genres. Upton Sinclair, who had previously run for governor as a Socialist, now set out to do so again as a Democrat. In 1934, he switched parties and became a Democrat. Upton Sinclair - The Radical Years. zens in common. Upton Sinclair (left) and Sinclair Lewis (right) Many today would like to make the obvious connection to the rise of President-Elect Donald Trump. To prevent that, his opponents invented the political campaign as we know it today. Advertisement for the California League Against Sinclairism - 1934. Not enough to win, he came in well behind incumbent Frank Merriam's 1,138,620. All photographs are in the Lilly Library, University of Indiana, and are used by permission of the Upton Sinclair Estate. Arguably, this philosophy dates to Plato's Republic. Sinclair Would Place Jobless on Ranches - 1934. Upton Sinclair and the EPIC Plan. Since Williams Jennings Bryan, '' the article declares, `` has so and. Governor, the Literary Digest, October 13, 1934 out to do so as! 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