The first modern Farmer–Labor Party in the United States took root in Minnesota in 1918, fueled by outrage over the economic injustices of the World War I era.
As prices for everyday goods skyrocketed, farmers saw their crop prices collapse, and workers faced falling wages. Both groups were squeezed from every side while big business and war profiteers thrived. Refusing to accept this exploitation, farmers and workers joined forces, building a powerful political movement to fight for their shared interests.
Though the original party dissolved in 1936, its spirit lived on through the re-establishment of the Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party, in 2025.
In July 1920, the Labor Party of the United States boldly rebranded itself as the Farmer–Labor Party and stepped onto the national stage. Utah lawyer Parley P. Christensen carried the party’s banner in the presidential race, earning over 265,000 votes across 19 states — with a remarkable 77,000 coming from Washington alone. That same year, the party made waves in Washington’s Senate race, where Farmer–Labor candidate C. L. France captured 25% of the vote and finished a strong second, marking the party's strongest showing outside Minnesota. In New York, despite the uphill battle, Dudley Field Malone, running for governor, drew nearly 70,000 votes, while Rose Schneiderman stood proudly for working people in the Senate race, even as Socialist rivals dominated the city’s deep-rooted leftist vote. Though victories were scarce, these campaigns laid critical groundwork for a growing movement determined to give farmers and workers a real voice in American politics.
Join Farm and Labor!
Dream it, Build it!
For a Better America!
Join Farm and Labor! Dream it, Build it! For a Better America!
In June 1923, the Workers Party of America and the Farmer–Labor Party sat down at the table, determined to push the movement forward. They struck a deal: if half a million delegates showed up to the July 3rd Conference, the Farmer–Labor Party would officially transform into the Federated Farmer–Labor Party, complete with a new National Executive Committee to lead the charge. The conference was set to adopt bold new principles — a defiant stand against the status quo. But if the turnout fell short, they wouldn’t back down. Instead, they’d lay the foundation by creating an Organization Committee to keep the federated FLP project alive and moving forward.
In March 1924, the Farmer–Labor Party gathered in St. Paul, laying out bold plans for its future. They called for a national convention on June 17 and rallied farmer, labor, and political groups to unite behind a five-point program: public ownership of key industries, a government-run banking system, democratic control of natural resources, the restoration of civil liberties, and an end to court injunctions against workers. It was a direct challenge to the powerful interests of the day.
Yet, cracks began to show. Some party members pushed to merge the convention with the Conference for Progressive Political Action (CPPA), hoping to build a broader front—but the effort fell apart. Attempts to block national parties, especially the Workers (Communist) Party, from participating also failed, leaving the Farmer–Labor Party caught between factions.
The collapse of the Federated Farmer–Labor Party didn’t spell the end for the movement — not by a long shot. The fight carried on at the state level, with determined Farmer–Labor Party organizations holding the line in Minnesota, Colorado, Utah, Illinois, Kentucky, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Missouri, Washington, and both Dakotas. Under the leadership of National Chairman W.M. Piggott and National Secretary Bert Miller, the party refused to fade quietly.
Parley P. Christensen, the party’s 1920 presidential candidate, stayed in the struggle, joining forces with others on December 12, 1924, to build a new progressive political action committee and organize a pivotal conference set for early 1925. At the same time, Farmer–Labor members held their own convention, working alongside progressives to try again at creating a national labor party free from control by the Communists or Socialists.