Crusaders, by Meridel Le Sueur, Pioneering the Upper Midwest 1820 - 1910

This biography of Arthur Le Sueur (1867-1950) and Marian Le Sueur (1877- 1954) was written by Marian's daughter, Meridel Le Sueur (1900-1996), the noted Minnesota writer and social activist. Both Arthur and Marian Le Sueur were avid socialists. Arthur Le Sueur, born in Nininger, Minnesota, established a law practice in Minot, North Dakota, where he edited the agrarian radical newspaper Appeal to Reason and served as a Socialist mayor. At various points, Le Sueur was active with the I.W.W., the Socialist party under Eugene V. Debs, the Non-Partisan League, and the Farmer-Labor Party. He met his wife while both were teaching at The People's College in Fort Scott, Kansas. Marian, a divorcée with children, had previously supported herself by lecturing on subjects ranging from female health issues to women's rights. After their marriage, they settled in St. Paul and Minneapolis, where they championed civil liberties and social justice. According to Meridel Le Sueur, Marian subordinated many of her personal talents while acting as secretary to her husband and struggling to support the family. The author includes testimonials and celebratory poems dedicated to her mother and stepfather. She also critiques their marriage, which she perceived to be stifling to her mother, however satisfying to her stepfather it seemed to be.
Also available in digital form on the Library of Congress Web site.