Photo credit: Milwaukee Public Library
Milwaukee thrived under three socialist mayors through nearly four decades in the 1900s: Emil Seidel (1910-1912); Daniel Hoan (1916-1940); and Frank Zeidler (1948-1960).
From 1910 through 1960, the Socialist Party was crucial, sometimes dominant, in Milwaukee politics. They had no use for Bolshevik dreams of world revolution. They wanted instead to reform the city where they lived—to make Milwaukee a better place.
As shown in the Milwaukee PBS documentary “America’s Socialist Experiment,” they achieved their goal. Socialist public officials endowed the metropolitan area with one of America’s finest, most extensive park systems. They promoted beer gardens, the eight-hour workday and the two-day weekend. They pushed for building County Stadium, home to the Braves and Brewers for many years.
“America’s Socialist Experiment” traces the rise and legacy of Milwaukee’s Socialists. Producers Mike Gousha, Lynn Sprangers, Steve Boetcher and Mike Trinklein explore Milwaukee’s unique history as a major U.S. city governed by Socialists. Swept into power in the 1910 elections, the Socialists fulfilled their promises to root out corruption, pick up garbage, build sewers and balance the budget. Among the notable Milwaukee Socialist leaders were Mayor Frank Zeidler, who declined to run again in 1960 after being trolled by racists who accused him of “being too friendly” with blacks; his predecessor, Daniel Hoan; and Parks Commissioner Charles Whitnall.
Gousha answered some questions about the production.
What inspired you to examine this chapter of Milwaukee history?
There were two primary reasons for doing the film. First, when the Democratic National Committee selected Milwaukee to host the 2020 national convention—whatever that event may ultimately look like—we knew there would be a new focus on Milwaukee. And second, the word socialism has become such a common part of our political discourse.
Lynn, Steve, Mike and I all thought it would be interesting to share the story of what happened in Milwaukee, where you had Socialists running the city for nearly a half century. We wanted to look at why socialism took root here, what it looked like in daily life, and why it ended.
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Why is Milwaukee’s socialist past relatively unknown to most Milwaukeeans?
That’s a good question and we’re not sure exactly what the answer is. Milwaukee residents are certainly familiar with the Hoan Bridge and the Zeidler Muncipal Building, but there’s a remarkable backstory to the names Hoan and Zeidler, a fascinating political drama that played out here. Perhaps we don’t know the story well because it was a last century phenomenon and there aren’t a lot of people from that era still around to tell the story. Perhaps to some folks, the story of clean, efficient government isn’t terribly exciting. Maybe it’s our tendency not to talk about ourselves. But we have a past unlike any big city in America, and it seemed worth re-visiting.
What lessons can we learn today from the civic accomplishment of Milwaukee’s socialists?
The Socialists certainly didn’t get some things right. At times, they struggled with the issue of race. As John Gurda says in the film, there was also a certain discomfort with their rhetoric. On some occasions, especially in the early years, they overreached. They struggled to counter the idea that socialism and communism were the same, and they didn’t create the next generation of socialist leaders, which effectively ended Milwaukee’s socialist experiment.
But the socialists won elections because they listened to the people. Milwaukeeans wanted an end to corruption. The Socialists restored honesty and integrity to government. Milwaukeeans wanted a cleaner and safer city. The socialists made significant advances in public health. Milwaukeeans wanted to enjoy their lives outside of work. The socialists created one of the best parks systems in the country. And the factory workers in Milwaukee wanted better working conditions. The socialists created the first worker’s compensation law in the country and fought for things like the eight-hour workday.
Is the program circulating outside Milwaukee—PBS stations in other cities?
Yes, the documentary will air on 90% of PBS affiliates around the country, including in the top 30 media markets. The national schedule starts on June 12 in Los Angeles, with primetime airings in New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Minneapolis, Charlotte, and Baltimore before the end of June. We had early interest in the project from American Public Television, the syndicator for PBS. They were familiar with the work of our filmmaker partners, Steve Boettcher and Mike Trinklein, so our goal was to not only bring this story to more Milwaukee viewers, but to viewers around the country.
