The government is a source of help for many people. Sometimes this big government fails. Then people start fighting. However, sometimes the government takes control of our lives to help us. Not as a National Socialist takeover of our lives, but socialist. However, there are also many different types of ideologies according to which the government controls its people. The people of Cannery Row created a socialist atmosphere to replace the government that failed them. Socialism in America began in Chicago, Illinois, June 15-21, 1897. This ideology was founded in a joint convention of the new Combined American Railway Union. This was due to the combination of the two railroad industries, Eugene V. Debs and the Cooperative Commonwealth Brotherhood (Davenport). This caused a monopoly for the railway industry, as a socialist government does. The government takes over industries, without competition the government controls prices and regulations. It's like Lee Chong's store, he had a monopoly on city stores in Cannery Row. Lee Chong controlled the prices of his goods that he sold in the city. It didn't matter if something was more expensive than it should be: it was the only store in town with products, goods and goods. Socialism began as the 19th and 20th centuries progressed. “Socialism is a socioeconomic belief that emphasizes the importance of community involvement in the distribution of property and wealth” (Socialism:). This explains exactly what Cannery Row does on a daily basis. The community, the government, of Cannery Row distributes its wealth to help the people of their town, but not much in the distribution of property. If the residents of Cannery Row are dirt poor, they are relatives... middle of paper... during the Great Depression and after. The people of the city who had money, those people were the government officials of the city. They controlled the city in a socialist environment. This benefited the city a lot as the people of the city were a fake US government during the troubled times. The people of the city had healthcare, welfare, and were about to take out loans with horrible credit histories. Thanks to its socialist characteristics, the city of Cannery Row continued without catastrophic problems. Works Cited Davenport, Tim. "Socialist Party (1897-1946): History of the Party". Early American Marxism website. Np, September 19, 2011. Web. December 8, 2011. .Socialism: History of Socialism. Dulcinea Media, Inc., 2011. Web. 8 December. 2011. .