The America First Party (AFP), sometimes called the America First Union Party, is a right-wing political party in the United States founded in 1934 by Louisiana Senator Huey Long after his defeat in the 1932 Democratic presidential primaries.
History[]
Political Career of Huey Long[]
Huey Long was elected governor of Louisiana in 1928 on a populist platform under the slogan “Every man a king, but no one wears a crown”, a phrase adopted from populist presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan. Long swiftly rose to become the political boss of Louisiana, firing hundreds of government employees and filling the vacancies with patronage appointments while using unprecedentedly aggressive tactics against his political opponents to ensure passage of legislation he favored. After an expansion of his infrastructure projects was rejected in the state legislature in 1930, Long announced his intention to run for United States Senator as a referendum on his programs and easily defeated incumbent Joseph E. Ransdell. Despite having won the election, Long refused to take his seat in the Senate, instead declaring his intention to serve out the remainder of his term as governor.
Lieutenant Governor Paul N. Cyr, a political enemy of Long, argued that Long could not remain governor and senator-elect, declaring himself the legitimate governor in October 1931. Governor Long surrounded the state capitol building with Liousiana National Guard troops and argued before the State Supreme Court to have Cyr ousted as Lieutenant Governor. His suit was successful and Cyr was replaced with Senate president and Long ally Alvin Olin King. Long chose his childhood friend Oscar Kelly Allen as his successor for the governorship, and he easily won the 1932 gubernatorial election with Long’s support. His base of power in Louisiana secured, Long resigned as governor and took his seat in the US Senate in January 1932.
Foundation and Growth[]
Long made use of fiery oratory during his time as senator, denouncing the concentration of wealth in the hands of the few and criticizing the leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties for failing to respond adequately to the ongoing crisis. Long ran for president in the 1932 Democratic presidential primaries, but was defeated at the National Convention by Maryland Governor Albert Ritchie. In response, Long announced the creation of his own political party: the America First Party (AFP).
Beginning in 1934, Long began to run his followers in state legislatures across the Southeastern United States with impressive success, and his alliance with radio preacher Father Charles Coughlin expanded his base to include some support in the mid-Atlantic. After his son was killed by a syndicalist assassin in 1935, industrialist Henry Ford donated millions to the AFP at Coughlin’s request. Protests against Long have grown in size as the AFP has won elections and expanded its base of support.
Political Activities[]
Platform[]
The central plank of the AFP platform is the Share Our Wealth program, a plan to provide every American household with a fixed income via a national wealth tax and a wealth cap on earnings above $5 million dollars. In addition to this, the AFP platform also calls for free primary and college education, old-age pensions, veterans' benefits, federal assistance to farmers, public works projects, and limiting the work week to thirty hours.
Paramilitarism[]
The Minutemen are a decentralized militia acting as the paramilitary wing of the AFP. Made up primarily of unemployed young men, they are named after the citizens volunteer force of the American Revolutionary War and are often involved in clashes with the syndicalist Red Guard. Apart from the Minutemen, the AFP has also secured an “unofficial arrangement” with a white supremacist militia called the Silver Legion.
Key Individuals[]
Within the America First Party, the Long family concentrates the highest power. Huey Long, the incumbent AFP Presidential candidate, and his brother, Earl Long represent the family. Earl Long, the current Governor of Louisiana, serves as little more than a stand-in for Huey Long. Despite this, Earl Long has engaged in some of the more humbling actions within the America First Party; e.g. once giving away everything in his campaign caravan to the poor at a stop. Supporting the Longs are notable individuals whose ideological diversity is as wide as the popular base of support the AFP draws from.
| Name | Photo | Position | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gerald L.K. Smith | Leader of Share Our Wealth Society | former Disciples of Christ minister. Runs the Share Our Wealth Society to elict funding and support for the AFP. Has made contact with William Dudley Pelley. | |
| Charles Coughlin | Leader of National Union for Social Justice (NUSJ) | Catholic priest and host of popular Sunday morning radio program The Golden Hour of the Shrine of the Little Flower. founded National Union for Social Justice (NUSJ), known for his antisemitic beliefs. | |
| Charles Lindbergh | Celebrity and Prominent Activist | Aviator famous for being the first person to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic. Entered nativist politics after his son was kidnapped by a German immigrant in 1932. | |
| William Dudley Pelley | Leader of the Silver Legion | Former author, screenwriter, and self-declared "Anglo-Saxon Supremacist". Heads the Silver Legion, a white supremacist militia that has gained traction with the Ku Klux Klan. Not formally endorsed by Long, but has met with Gerald L.K. Smith. |
