High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The Social-Democratic Party of Wisconsin (SDPW) was established in 1897 as the Wisconsin state affiliate of the Chicago faction of the Social Democratic Party of America. When that organization merged in 1901 to form a political party known as the Socialist Party of America, the Social-Democratic Party of Wisconsin became the state affiliate of that organization, retaining its original name. The party was responsible for electing the first socialist member of the United States Congress and was the governing party in the city of Milwaukee for many years, electing several long-time mayors. In December 1972, when in convention a majority of the Socialist Party voted to change the name of the organization to Social Democrats, USA so as to better work within the Democratic Party, a secessionist Wisconsin contingent was influential in the formation of a new organization dedicated to the traditional vision of independent political action, the...