Research: Topics:Business & Labor: The Lusk Committee
The Lusk Committee
L0036. Suspected Radical Propaganda File, ca. 1890-1919. 10.9 cubic feet.
Arrangement: Organized into eleven sections by format of material or language.
Section 1, English Language Pamphlets, ca. 1890-1919, 2 cubic feet, is arranged alphabetically by topic or name of writer.
Section 2, Russian Language Pamphlets, ca. 1900-1919, 2 cubic feet, is arranged first by country of publication (either the United States or Russia), then alphabetically by name of writer.
Section 3, Ukrainian Language Pamphlets, ca. 1900-1919, 1 cubic foot, has no arrangement.
Section 4, Lithuanian Language Pamphlets, ca. 1900-1919, 1 cubic foot, has no arrangement.
Section 5, Yiddish and Lettish (Latvian) Language Pamphlets, ca. 1900-1919, 1 cubic foot, has no arrangement.
Section 6, Miscellaneous Foreign Language Pamphlets, ca. 1900-1919, 1 cubic foot, is arranged roughly by language.
Section 7, Translated Abstracts of Foreign Language Pamphlets, ca. 1900-1919, approximately 40 items, 0.25 cubic foot, is arranged alphabetically by topic.
Section 8, Translated Abstracts of Foreign Language Newspapers, ca. 1900-1919, 0.5 cubic foot, is arranged alphabetically by name of newspaper.
Section 9, Radical Periodicals File, ca. 1900-1919, approximately 30 items, 0.2 cubic foot, has no arrangement.
Section 10, Radical Broadsides, Circulars, and Leaflets File, ca. 1900-1919, approximately 100 items, 0.25 cubic foot, is arranged roughly by topic.
Section 11, Radical Books File, ca. 1900- 1919, 35 items, 1 cubic foot, has no arrangement.
This series consists of an important collection of propaganda materials gathered by the committee during its investigation of radical individuals and organizations during the years following World War I. The series contains approximately 1,500 printed items, including 1,200 English and foreign language pamphlets. This collection is a significant resource for examining the development of socialist thought and action during the early part of the century.
The committee was very concerned with the staggering amount of supposed revolutionary propaganda being produced and distributed throughout New York and the country. Inexpensive pamphlets, newspapers, journals, broadsides, circulars, and other forms of propaganda were a main target of its investigation. The committee felt that this propaganda had great influence in generating sympathy for revolutionary philosophies among immigrant workers and other groups. Many of the materials in this series were cited in the committee's final report in order to support educational recommendations aimed at countering the alleged harmful influence of radical propaganda.
The majority of the material was produced between 1917- 1919, although some items pertaining to the early development of socialist thought date from the late 1800s. Most of the material was published in New York, Chicago or other American cities; a large number of items were also produced in Russia or in various European countries. Approximately 75 percent of the material is in a foreign language with the remainder in English. Russian language material predominates but there is also a large quantity of material in Ukrainian, Lithuanian, and other languages. Some pamphlets' titles have been translated by New York State Archives staff.
The collected propaganda covers the entire spectrum of radical topics investigated by the committee including socialism and related topics (anarchism, bolshevism, communism, Marxism, etc.), capitalism, labor, pacifism, and anti- militarism. There is a wealth of material pertaining to social, economic, and political conditions in the United States, Russia, and other countries. Included are writings of Karl Marx, Frederick Engels, Nicolai Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and lesser known leaders of socialist movements in Russia and European countries.
The records are divided into sections by language and form, with each section containing material relating to the broad topics outlined above.
Finding Aids:
Container or folder lists to each section and a list of English translations
of Ukrainian and Czech pamphlet titles (and their authors).
Indexes: Section 1, English Language Pamphlets, has an alphabetical author index.
