Emma Goldman

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Emma Goldman's family

Emma goldman 1886

Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman

Henry Clay Frick

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Emma Goldman surrounded by crowd

Emma Goldman (June 27, 1869 – May 14, 1940) was an influential anarchist political activist and writer. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the 20th century.

Born in Kovno, Russian Empire (now Kaunas, Lithuania), Goldman emigrated to the United States in 1885. She lived in New York City, where she became involved in the burgeoning anarchist movement. Goldman was an outspoken advocate for free speech, birth control, women's rights, and union organizing. Her work and writings contributed significantly to the development of anarchist political thought, emphasizing direct action, support for labor movements, and the rejection of the state and authoritarian institutions.

Goldman was a controversial figure in her time, often targeted by the authorities for her activism. She was imprisoned several times for her involvement in labor agitation and for distributing information about birth control, which was illegal at the time. In 1917, she was arrested with her lifelong companion, Alexander Berkman, for conspiring to "induce persons not to register" for the newly instated draft during World War I. Following her two-year imprisonment, Goldman was deported to Russia in 1919, under the Alien Act, due to her anarchist activities.

Initially supportive of the Russian Revolution, Goldman quickly became disillusioned with the Bolshevik government and its suppression of political dissent. She left Russia in 1921 and spent much of the rest of her life in exile, living in various countries, including England, Canada, France, and Spain. During the Spanish Civil War, she was an active supporter of the anarchist movement in Spain, working with the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo (CNT) and the Federación Anarquista Ibérica (FAI).

Goldman wrote extensively on a wide range of subjects, including politics, women's rights, and literature. Her most notable works include Anarchism and Other Essays (1910), My Disillusionment in Russia (1923), and Living My Life (1931), an autobiography. Through her writings and speeches, Goldman emerged as a leading figure in the anarchist movement, advocating for individual liberty, social justice, and political anarchism.

Emma Goldman's legacy is marked by her tireless commitment to anarchist philosophy and her contributions to feminist and labor movements. Her life and work continue to inspire and influence activists and thinkers around the world.