“The history of progress is written in the blood of men and women who have dared to espouse an unpopular cause, as, for instance, the black man's right to his body, or woman's right to her soul."
-– Emma Goldman
Emma Goldman was born in 1869 to Jewish parents in Lithuania, which was then under Russian control. At the age of 13, Emma moved with her family to St. Petersburg, Russia. It was there, while working in a corset factory, where she was first exposed to revolutionary and anarchist ideas.
When she was 17, Emma and her sister immigrated to the United States, to upstate New York. Emma obtained work in a textile factory, and in 1887 she married an American, thereby gaining citizenship.
By the time she was 20, Emma was a revolutionary. Outraged about the hanging of four anarchists after the Haymarket Riots, Emma left her marriage and began to travel. She soon moved to New York City, where she met and moved in with noted anarchist Alexander Berkman, who was her lover, friend, and political collaborator for many years.
Berkman and Emma believed that drastic and violent actions were sometimes necessary for the sake of revolution. After Pinkerton agents killed several strikers in the Homestead Strike, Berkman decided Homestead factory manager Henry Clay Frick should be assassinated. Emma agreed. Berkman attempted to kill Frick, shooting him three times. Berkman was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to 22 years in prison (he served 14 and was released in 1906). However, he gave no evidence against Emma for her possible role in planning the attempted assassination, so she was never charged.
In 1893, Emma became friends with Czech anarchist Hippolyte Havel. She began to travel with him, giving speeches on anarchism. The International Workers of the World (IWW) often funded her. That same year, she was imprisoned on charges of "inciting a riot" for publicly encouraging unemployed workers to "Ask for work. If they do not give you work, ask for bread. If they do not give you work or bread, take bread." Emma served one year.
In 1901, Emma was arrested again, with nine others, accused of plotting to assassinate President McKinley, who was shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz several days before. Emma was released several days after her arrest, as there was no evidence she was associated with the crime. However, this and other increasingly violent actions by anarchists sparked increasing suspicion toward the movement, and other movements (particularly labor) began to distance themselves from anarchists.
After Berkman was released from prison in 1906, he and Emma began publication of the anarchist/feminist journal Mother Earth. The journal reprinted essays from famous thinkers, particularly Nietzsche and Tolstoy, who influenced the two, as well as original writings, particularly by Emma.
As the century progressed, Emma drew increasing scrutiny from federal officials. In 1908, her U.S. citizenship was revoked, although she remained in the country. In 1916, she was once again imprisoned, this time for distributing birth control literature. This time, she served 14 months before being released.
During World War I, Emma traveled extensively and gave anti-war speeches. She and Berkman were also instrumental in forming non-conscription leagues and organizing anti-war rallies. In 1917, Emma was imprisoned again, this time for "draft obstruction." Under the new Espionage Act, Emma was convicted and served another two years in prison. After her release in 1919, she was deported back to Russia, classified as an undesirable alien under the Sedition Act.
The timing of Emma's deportation allowed her to witness firsthand the aftermath of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in her home country. Unexpectedly, Emma was horrified by the political repression, forced labor, and massive destruction and death she saw. After two years, she and Berkman left Russia, traveling to England and France, and then living for several years in a French commune at Saint-Tropez. In 1936, Emma moved to Spain in order to support the Spanish in their fight for independence against Franco and his fascist regime.
Emma Goldman died in 1940 in Canada. The U.S. allowed her body to be brought back into the country. She was buried in Forest Park, Illinois, near where the victims of the Haymarket Riot are interred.
Sources:
The Emma Goldman Papers
The Anarchist Encyclopedia
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Grace Mitchell |
| About the author: |
| Grace Mitchell lives in Austin, Texas with her partner, dogs, and cats. She is heavily involved in dog rescue. She is a university number cruncher, nearly-finished graduate student, and intermittent junk seller. |
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