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'''Huey Long''' (1893-1935), nicknamed "Kingfish,"  was a powerful American politician in the 1920s and 1930s, who built a ruthless Democratic machine in [[Louisiana]] as governor (1928-32) and U.S. Senator (1932-35). His base was among angry poor whites, both Protestant and Catholic (called "[[Rednecks]]" by the middle class enemies of Long.)

'''Huey Long''' (1893-1935), nicknamed "Kingfish,"  was a powerful American politician in the 1920s and 1930s, who built a ruthless Democratic machine in [[Louisiana]] as governor (1928-32) and U.S. Senator (1932-35). His base was among angry poor whites, both Protestant and Catholic (called "[[Rednecks]]" by the middle class enemies of Long.)

A leftist populist who fought the rich, and promised "Every Man a King," he was preparing to run for president--either in 1940 when [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] would presumably, following century old tradition,step down, or perhaps to challenge FDR's reelection in 1936 in alliance with radio priest [[Charles Coughlin]]. But Long was assassinated in 1935 by the son of a political enemy.  Although universally stereotyped a "Fascist", Long shunned ideology of all sorts, and his dictatorship by patronage, far from being alien, was the apogee of what many American machine politicians have attempted. Pernicious and impracticable as was his leftist Share-Our-Wealth plan, its objective of plenty for all, without "brain trust" or dogma, was as intrinsically American as was the title "Kingfish."  Was he dictator, demagogue, messiah or populist--a friend of [[Republicanism|American values]] or an enemy?

A leftist populist who fought the rich, and promised "Every Man a King," he was preparing to run for president--either in 1940 when [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] was expected to retire, or perhaps to challenge FDR's reelection in 1936 in alliance with radio's influential Catholic priest [[Charles Coughlin]]. But Long was assassinated in 1935 by the son of a political enemy.  Although called a "Fascist", Long shunned ideology of all sorts, and his dictatorship by patronage, far from being alien, was the apogee of what many American machine politicians have attempted. Pernicious and impracticable as was his leftist Share-Our-Wealth plan, its objective of plenty for all was as intrinsically American as was the title "Kingfish."  Was he dictator, demagogue, messiah or populist--a friend of [[Republicanism|American values]] or an enemy?

==Early Career==

==Early Career==

Huey Pierce Long, Jr. was born in Winnfield, Louisiana, in the piney woods region that had a strong Populist heritage. His father, a farmer, owned a medium-size farm, lived plainly but comfortably and sent six children to college. The family background was culturally meager and was most strongly marked by pious Baptist evangelicalism and by a Populistic animosity toward the wealth and sophistication of the planter class and of "evil" New Orleans. Huey became a salesman after completing his public schooling and married Rose McConnell in 1912. There was something of the confidence man about Long at every stage of his career. As a traveling salesman, whether promoting a cooking shortening called "Cottolene" by staging somewhat fixed baking contests (one of which was won by his future wife), or selling a patent-medicine nostrum called "The Wine of Cardui," Long sometimes seems a figure out of Southwestern humor, a kind of second cousin to Mark Twain's Duke and Dauphin.

Huey Pierce Long, Jr. was born in Winnfield, Louisiana, in the piney woods region that had a strong [[Populist]] heritage. His father, a farmer, owned a medium-size farm, lived plainly but comfortably and sent six children to college. The family background was culturally meager and was most strongly marked by pious Baptist evangelicalism and by a Populistic animosity toward the wealth and sophistication of the planter class and of "evil" New Orleans. Huey became a salesman after completing his public schooling and married Rose McConnell in 1912. There was something of the confidence man about Long at every stage of his career. As a traveling salesman, whether promoting a cooking shortening called "Cottolene" by staging somewhat fixed baking contests (one of which was won by his future wife), or selling a patent-medicine nostrum called "The Wine of Cardui," Long sometimes seems a figure out of Southwestern humor, a kind of second cousin to Mark Twain's Duke and Dauphin.

After finishing the three-year program at Tulane Law School in less than one year, he was admitted to the bar of Louisiana in 1914. He practiced law in Shreveport for the next few years, having secured deferment from military service during World War I.

After finishing the three-year program at Tulane Law School in less than one year, he was admitted to the bar of Louisiana in 1914. He practiced law in Shreveport for the next few years, having secured deferment from military service during World War I.