Who was the five-time Socialist Party presidential candidate who was jailed under the Espionage and Sedition Acts?

Eugene V. Debs was a prominent figure in the American labor movement and the five-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party, running for president in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1920. His political activism and strong opposition to U.S. involvement in World War I led to his arrest under the Espionage Act in 1918, as he made speeches that criticized the war and the government’s war policies. Debs famously stated that he was more concerned with the welfare of the working class than with the patriotic fervor surrounding the war. His imprisonment became a significant moment in the history of civil liberties in the United States, as it raised important questions about free speech and the limits of governmental power during wartime. His commitment to socialism and labor rights has made him an enduring symbol of dissent in American politics.